In honor of Earth Day tomorrow, I wanted to take some time to post about this wonderful planet we live on. It’s easy for many of us to forego experiencing nature consistently. Most of us are very busy with the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Even more so for those of us that live in metropolitan areas where we might live many miles away from a truly natural environment. It feels like with the continued development of technology and added comforts of everyday life, we have less and less of a desire as a society to go out and enjoy what nature has to offer.
The older and wiser I become, the more I realize that getting out in nature is something that I require to function effectively in my life. This can be anything from walking or hiking a trail, going to a swim in a lake or ocean, or just being in a forest preserve away from society.
I notice gigantic changes in myself and my life when I can spend time out in nature.
One noticeable difference that I observe within myself is my levels of creativity. If I ever need some inspiration, even if the subject has nothing to do with my natural surroundings, being out in nature helps me to stimulate ideas. There are obvious physical benefits to getting out and exercising in nature. My stress seems to melt away with every minute spent out in nature. It is also astoundingly beautiful seeing the trees, plants, and animals as they are naturally. The cool breeze and soothing smells are relaxing. But mostly, I feel that I belong. Nature absolutely heals the soul.
After being in nature for a while, it can be as little as twenty minutes, I feel grounded. I feel that my thirst for sensibility has been quenched. Let’s be honest, most of us worry and stress out about things that we give way too much of our energy. We’re stuck cycling mentally and emotionally over past experiences, or we’re in a state of suffering worrying about events that have yet to occur. Nature can be the cure to those ailments. It can help you to be present. Give yourself time to treat your soul. Go out in nature, by yourself if there’s nobody else to tag along. Schedule this time for yourself to just reset from all the stresses of life. After all, most of our stresses are brought about by ourselves. You deserve to feel good!
Happy Earth Day.