Start with Where
Photo: Alexander Schimmeck
“Just go outside” isn’t good enough.
People often ask me, “How should I connect with nature?” My intuition is to tell them to just go outside. While I love the simplicity of this answer along with its hit-the-eject-button reliability for a mood shift, I think we need to expand beyond it.
For one reason, not everyone has the same level of access to nature. Some live in overly built environments, we all have different abilities, and we’re all dealing with a different mix of time, energy, and resources. This is the complex stew of being human.
Just going outside also implies a passive experience. It encourages an autopilot situation where no skills are required. In my opinion, this waters down the full and potent potential of deep nature connection. We’re leaving stoke potential on the table.
Researchers in the UK agree. In a recent study, Miles Richardson and others found that people who engaged in what they call noticing nature had greater nature connectedness than those who simply spent time outside.
Noticing nature requires more active sensory engagement. For example, instead of just seeing a bird, listen to its birdsong, and appreciate its beauty. Instead of merely walking in nature, open up all of your senses to smell the trees, and the earth beneath your feet. This means we need to pay attention with greater awareness if we want to reap the robust benefits of nature connection. So, where to begin?
In the sage words of Damone from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, “Wherever you are, that’s the place to be.”
Start with where.
First, take stock of where you are in the world. Draw in a deep breath, hold your head up, soften your gaze into panoramic vision, exhale, and take in your landscape.
Are you indoors? Are you already outside? Depending on your answer, different pathways to nature connection unfold.
If you’re indoors, is there nature you might be overlooking? Maybe you have a houseplant that you’ve never really checked out in detail. Move up close, zoom in on a leaf and notice the intricate patterns and colors.
Can you do anything to invite more nature into your space? For example, open the curtains to let some light into the room. Pay attention to the way the light hits your space, possibly creating an artistic play of shadows. Let some of that free sunshine warm your face. Can you open a window to allow fresh air to flow through the room? Once the window’s open, pause and listen for birdsong that might be traveling on the breeze. Perhaps you can visualize what kind of bird might be singing the tune.
If you’re outside, it might be a matter of zooming out to use a wider range of your senses. Scan the horizon and see how many different types of plants or trees you can see within your field of vision. Note the variety of species in your view, ponder their interconnection. Feel the temperature on your skin, take a big inhale through your nose and pay attention to the various scents in the area. Or maybe it’s more about zooming in on your landscape to watch some insect do its thing for a few minutes. You get the idea.
By starting where you are, it provides a practical and accessible beginning. And an invitation to move beyond the obvious. If we open up our awareness and train our attention on nature, we quickly realize that the onramps for connection become practically infinite. All we have to do is explore where we are, wherever that may be.
The Rabbit Hole
Noticing Nature Study - Miles Richardson et al.
