Finding Your Inner Wild: A Guide to Embracing Nature
As humans, we have an innate connection to nature. However, with our strenuous work schedules and other obligations, it’s easy to become disconnected from the world around us (it happens to the best of us). Whenever I am feeling stressed, anxious, or simply need a change of pace, that is the time I look to nature to help me connect with my inner wild. Here are a couple of things I like to do to reconnect with my inner wild that help me become more grounded and find the peace within myself.
Make Time For Nature:
It is easy to get caught up in your daily grind. For myself, I have noticed that since I started working from home I have had a hard time creating a work-life balance. My goal every day is to spend at least a half hour outside. How do I carve out this time? Sometimes it’s as simple as eating my lunch in the backyard. In the evenings (if I don’t work too late) I try to take an evening walk with my husband and dog. Sometimes we make hot tea and go for a walk at the beach. On extra busy days, sometimes all I can manage to squeeze in is feeding my crow friends. On the weekends Sonny and I try to go on one hike or a drive if the weather is bad. I find the more time I carve out of my schedule to sit and breathe in the fresh smells, sights, and sounds of nature it helps ground me and create a better sense of balance in my life.
Disconnect from Tech:
With technology being so easily accessible these days it is easy to get distracted. I know from personal experience that I had planned to do something and the next thing I know I have wasted an hour out of my day watching videos, scrolling through photos, and reading the news. When I am outside on hikes or a drive with Sonny, I try to not spend time on my phone. I try to spend my time in nature completely disconnected from my phone. Though it is easy to want to take a photo of a beautiful sunset, respond to a text quickly, or mindlessly scroll away when you are taking a break, I always try to keep in mind why I am outside. All of those distractions will be there later. While outside, it is natural to want to share a picture of something amazing that you saw, but sometimes the real beauty comes from just sitting there and basking in it.
Practicing Mindfulness:
If there is one thing that I truly enjoy it is a mindful moment. Mindfulness is the practice of being present and fully engaged in the moment. While out in nature take the time to hear the birds sing, the river flow, the ocean tide coming and going. Feel the sunshine on your skin, the raindrops trickling down your cheek, the river rocks underneath your feet. Practicing mindfulness allows you to disconnect from the daily distractions that are occurring in your life and instead it allows you to feel at peace and gives you the ability to find your inner wild.
Embrace Adventure:
I am a Sagittarius, so I tend to crave adventures. Some of my best adventures are oftentimes planned at the last minute if planned at all (when we went to Fiji I just randomly purchased plane tickets and then had less than a month to find lodging etc.). One of the easiest and most price-point-effective adventures is camping. I love camping because I can decide on Thursday or Friday that I want to break out for the weekend and it is pretty simple to get everything ready in no time. Hiking or hitting a bike trail is a great way to find an adventure and there is little to no preparation that goes into it. Adventures in nature are very freeing and it allows some people to step outside of their comfort zones. Nature has plenty to offer for anyone looking for an adventure.
Learn Something New:
The outdoors has so much that it can teach us, from healing herbs to bird identification. One of my favorite things to do when I am hiking is to try to identify healing herbs. I have always been interested in plant medicines and while we are hiking there are plenty of herbs that I like to try and identify. I love learning about their healing properties and I try to keep a journal of my findings. Nature has so much that it can teach us if we actively engage and try to learn. The more you know, the more you’ll appreciate the natural world.
By reconnecting with nature and finding your inner wild, you’ll improve your mental and physical well-being, gain a new appreciation for the world around you, and embrace a more sustainable way of living. So take the time to step outside and explore all this beautiful world has to offer.