Going Back To Nature

Nature is an innate part of us. We are from nature, and it is from us. It is unavoidable.

In this area of High technology, we are more surrounded by high-tech gadgets than nature. That’s why, sometimes, our souls long to return to nature, to get those refreshing vibes from nature that would rejuvenate us.

And these are not complicated things. We can incorporate nature into our daily lives easily without disturbing the balance of our daily high-tech routine.

What does going back to nature mean?

 Meaning of “going back to nature.”

‘Going back to nature here signifies getting near to heart, living in nature, feelings it, absorbing it, and enjoying it. It’s a more straightforward way of living.

People have different opinions regarding the idea of ‘going back to nature. For some, it is to distance from the modern lifestyle, while for others, it is incorporating nature into our modern lifestyle.

However, ‘going back to nature ‘ shouldn’t be misunderstood as going into the woods, having an ascetic or nomadic life, or living in the countryside only. To be in nature, one can often have a tour of the country or woods for change. But it depends on whether we want to live there permanently or temporarily. If we wish to isolate ourselves from all the modern and high-tech machinery and facilities, we want to maintain a balance between modernity and nature. The choice is ours.

This article focuses on the general population who want to enjoy nature often without disturbing their daily high-tech routine. Because, during this era, we can’t completely isolate ourselves from modernity, advancement, and high-tech facilities. We have become used to it. It has made our life much more accessible and hassle-free. Despite this, we can’t neglect our longing/craving for nature. Hence, the best way is to balance both, as both play crucial roles in our life.

(Nevertheless, some people are wholly isolated either from modernity or nature and those lives have their pros and cons).

Is going back to nature more relaxing?

For most of us, returning to nature is more relaxing, healing, rejuvenating, and refreshing. As we are from the heart, we find peace in nature’s lap, similar to mother’s lap.

Nature has a calming effect on us. Being outdoors in nature helps improve our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It reduces stress and lowers depression and anxiety. The character has an uncountable number of benefits for us.

Is going back to nature means isolating ourselves from society?

The idea of ‘going back to nature in its extreme terms naming that one isolates oneself from society, from modernity and high-tech advancement, and takes shelter in natural habitat. But generally, we don’t take it like that. For a general population, for a typical person likes, the idea of going back to nature is a reconnecting with nature and, at the same time, not disconnecting from our modern high-tech society.

What are the benefits of going back to nature?

There can be numerous benefits of spending time in nature and varied experiences for different people. The ten well-known benefits are the following:

10 Benefits of going back to nature.

1. Being in nature improves our mood. The improvement in our attitude seems to appear instantly. Many studies have found that people suffering from depression have shown remarkable mood upliftments when exposed to nature.
2. Spending time in nature lowers stress, depression, anger, and anxiety and increases pleasant feelings. Being outdoors in nature lowers the stress hormones called cortisol. It slows the heart rate and restores a sense of calm and peace.
3. Nature helps us get more improved and sound sleep. The sunlight and the fresh air help in improving our sleep. As our body’s internal clock follows the sun, it makes us away during the daytime and sleepy at nighttime. That’s why it’s necessary to get enough sunlight. Exposure to sunlight helps us feel more tired at night, which shortens the time takes to fall asleep, improving the quality of our rest and sleep.
4. Besides mental health, nature provides us with many physical health benefits. It reduces blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, production of the stress hormones cortisol, and ADHD symptoms. It also reduces the risk of cancer and diabetes. It connects with nature to increase our fitness and vitamin D levels. It also strengthens our immunity and improves distance vision and our cognitive ability.
5. It helps in mental restoration. As we are surrounded by so much machinery, noise, and screens, it overstimulates our senses, resulting in increased stress levels without even being realized. In comparison, the natural world provides a mental and emotional refuge as it has many soothing attractions for the senses. The music of birdsongs, the perfumes of flowers, the coolness of the breeze, the twinkling of stars, and the freshness of due drops soothe our minds and soul.
6. Nature makes us more active. Being in nature stimulates positive energy in us. As it lowers all the negative vibes such as stress, depression, anger, and anxiety, our mind and body become free and light, more energetic, and hence, more active.
7. It also helps us in becoming more socialized. When we step outside, we meet our friends and get to know new people.
8. Nature helps us in reducing the feeling of loneliness. Even if we are alone, with no acquaintances around, we connect to nature itself and don’t feel much lonely, and the character has such connecting vibes.
9. Nature improves creativity and problem-solving. It is found in many studies that when we are in natural surroundings, we can solve any problem efficiently and creatively. And this is due to the positive mental changes that nature brought on us.
10. Nature gives us hope. As character positively impacts our mental, physical and emotional health, it makes us more hopeful. It prepares us for any mishappening the ways beyond that.

How to reconnect with nature?

We can connect to nature in many ways, but what is important here is to communicate in a way that doesn’t disrupt our daily routine and still make nature accessible and enjoyable to us.

10 easy steps to reconnect with nature.

1. Go for a nature walk. We can go for a walk in the natural surrounding; it can be our garden, a park, or even the nearby woods. The sound of the breeze, the chirping of the birds, and the soothing feeling of the cool grass under our feet will take us to that natural world again, which we may have lost in our urban lifestyle. And what change it will bring in our mood, emotion, and physicality can be felt only by living that moment.
2. Walk barefoot sometimes. When we long for a physical connection with nature, walking barefoot on the soil, the lush green grasses, or on the beach will be one of the best ways to feel the spirit from the body and soul. Those feelings can be better handled than described. We can also feel nature by lying on the ground, gardening with our bare hands, or even simply touching the plants, leaves and flowers, grasses, wild beings, or water from natural sources.
3. We are enjoying watching the sunset and sunrise. Watching sunrise and sunset is one of the easily accessible ways to cherish nature. We can enjoy it through our terrace, balcony, or garden and even go for a walk during that hour to enjoy the beautiful scenery. We can also watch it from a nearby hilltop.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
4. Forest Bathing (shinrin-yoku). It is an age-old and famous practice in japan to spend time in nature. It is a process of relaxation where you don’t need an actual bath but are in the forest, calmly, quietly observing the forest atmosphere, and breathing deeply. It provides a lot of mental and physical health benefits. Research has shown that people who practice forest bathing have optimum nervous system function, well-balanced heart conditions, and reduced bowel orders. It is also found to stimulate the production of anti-cancer proteins.
5. Intentionally take out some time to spend in nature. Take some time from your busy schedule daily or weekly, as it suits you, and spend some quality time in nature, soaking it all in.
6. Make outdoor dates with your family and friends. Avoid meeting inside when you can meet outdoors and have your coffee in natural surroundings. Go for a picnic with your family and friends in nature, on the one hand, your relationship with your close one gets strengthened on the other with spirit as well.
7. Go to the countryside, mountain, woodland, moorland, hilltop or lake. Take out time to go on a vacation to these natural settings, sometimes to understand and feel nature closely.
8. Sometimes sleep under the stars. Lying down under the stars, gazing, and feeling asleep are one of the most beautiful experiences of nature. It brings us back to our childhood stories, and we can enjoy it lying with our first love. We can enjoy it lying on our rooftop, garden, or camping in the woods or beach.
9. Grow something your own. We can connect to nature by simply growing some herbs and vegetables in our kitchen garden. We can also put some flower pots or any climbing plants on our balcony, windowsills, or in the living room and watch and feel them grow. It is as easy. And fortunately, if you have a backyard garden, you can preserve and explore nature in your home.   
10. Give nature a home if you have enough space and want to, then you can build little houses for animals and birds in your garden. You can have a pond for fish and birds.

By implementing this method of our choice and according to our suitability, we can incorporate nature into our daily lives without disrupting our modern high-tech routine.  

What is important to remember when being in nature?

When we are in nature, we should utilize our full time by living in the present. The most crucial point is to let our minds free and feel and absorb the natural freshness in us. Feel nature from all your senses; go slow; whatever time you give to your heart, devote it to your feelings and soul.

Immerse yourself in nature, and the pleasure you will get will make you do it again and again. Enjoy those pleasures.