Get some me-time with Nature
Learn how spending time in nature is beneficial for you. We share tips on making nature a part of your life along with suggestions to easily follow them.
As modern work sets in, staying indoors has become the norm. With the advancement in technology, we tend to stay inside our homes without stepping out for the most basic of things. Groceries get delivered; team meetings happen virtually, all adding to reasons to not step out. While this may be comfortable in the short term, it might not be sustainable in the long term.
An easy way to get back in touch with your roots is to simply reconnect with nature. As so many natural resources are available to us for free, taking advantage of them is right within our reach. With a little planning and effort, you can easily include these changes to get the most out of nature. In this blog post, we’ll go over how you can spend time in nature and why it’s useful to do so.
Simple Ways to Connect With Nature
1. Taking Small Steps To Connect
If the thought of having to find a place where nature is far away from you is hard, you can make very small changes in life as a substitute. You can use indoor plants as a healthy way to bring in the necessary nature without having to go outside. Simply place an indoor plant on your desk and notice how well-productive you are. A study found that people are far more attentive with plants around as opposed to fake plants or without them at all.
Finding more ways to bring in sunlight can also help improve mood and productivity. Research shows that productivity in workplaces increases by more than 5% — 40% when people work in places with more sunlight. The benefits don’t stop there as it helps recalibrate your sleep cycle, making you sleep earlier and preparing you for the day ahead.
2. Going for a Walk
While it may be hard for some people to make time with their busy schedules to take a long break, a small walk now and then can help. This has even led to the concept of a walking meeting, where people go on walks and conduct their meetings. This results in an improved mood and getting work done without the whole process feel like work. The sense of being with nature and allowing your eyes to take in the colors helps regulate emotion and perform better at work.
3. Gardening
Another easy way to spend time with nature while being indoors is having a small garden. This is a great way to get moving and allow yourself to spend time with nature. Using your hands to spray water over your plants helps give a feeling of responsibility and purpose, all designed to improve mood substantially.
Reasons To Spend Time in Nature
1. Get Better Memory
It might seem surprising but a simple nature walk can increase memory by over 20%. Students and older adults trying to retain information can do so with a simple walk. But, to get the most benefits, it’s essential to spend time surrounded by nature rather than walking around a place with just buildings and no trees. If you can block time to spend time at your local park, you’ve got a really good reason to do so now.
2. Combat Mental Health
If you’re relocating to a place that isn’t very natural, you might have to think again. Researchers found in a 2000 study that the closer you are to nature, the healthier you would be. This is of utmost importance in today’s world where a lot of people go through mental health issues. Using green space as a measure can combat mental issues such as depression, making the average individual happier than ever by spending just a little time with nature.
3. Reduce Stress
Unsurprisingly, time spent with nature is directly correlated to lesser stress levels. Research shows that when spending just over 20–30 minutes in nature significantly lessens cortisol, a hormone responsible for stress.
This is perfect for people who find it hard to make time. If your workplace has a nature-setting road that you can walk to, you can take advantage of it. Or, you can even engage in a walking meeting in a natural setting should there be less time,
4. Be More Creative
The next time you plan a vacation with your family or friends, you can choose a place that has more to do with nature. Spending time in nature helps in being more creative, which is highly beneficial for people who work in the creative space.
A 2012 study shows that backpackers who spent four days hiking reported a score of more than 50% in creativity tests. Being disconnected from work and electronic devices and spending time in nature helps boost creativity. This can be a useful way to instill creativity if you’re facing a block or if you can’t get around to getting work done.
Time for Nature
As we work from our homes more often, the line between work and personal life gets more difficult to distinguish. Feeling productive when you’re working “all the time” may be difficult to achieve. But, in a fast-paced world where there is no time left for anything, making time to spend in nature is the most basic rest that you can offer yourself. It gives you the required energy to keep up with work and life, setting you up to face challenges and overcome obstacles. Nature, after all, is the purest form of relaxation you can afford.
So the next time you’re feeling down or uninspired, take a Sunday off to rejuvenate yourself with nature. It’ll give you the work-life balance you need to sustain a meaningful life.
