In a way we all know it: as human beings we are, and need to feel, connected with nature. The more time you spend in nature, the more you understand why reconnecting with nature is important. Once you feel it, you will never want any different. Here is why this connection is so important.

Why Reconnecting With Nature Is Important

In our modern society we have created the ultimate comfort for ourselves: in our houses we are protected from preditors and the elements, our food is only a short distance away for us to pick up at any convenient time, and our heat is provided through a switch of a button.

Even though this comfort is very enjoyable, we are forgetting that we are paying a high price for all of this: we have lost a deep connection with who we are.

This may sound foreign to some, as we are often not even aware of this connection. That is how far we have strayed from it, but once you are able to re-establish your connection with nature, you will feel what was missing all this time.

A State Of Being

We are called human beings for a reason. Our natural state is a state of ‘being’, instead of a state of thinking.

In the wild, you would need to stay present in the current moment in order to keep yourself safe.

Just like humans, wild animals have emotions and are able to suffer and grief their loved ones, but they do not have the luxury to dwell on these emotions continuously, as they need to stay in a state of awareness and action in order to survive.

For that reason, the state of mind of awareness is called the animal mind. The state of mind where we get lost in our thoughts, is called the rational mind.

This Moment Is All There Is

Because we are basically evolved wild animals (with the addition of a strongly evolved rational mind), and we no longer need to stay in the present moment in order to survive, we tend to stay in our rational mind most of the time. For many of us, this is what we know.

In this rational state, we are constantly judging events and situations that occur, and we continually think about the past and the future. This prevents us from being present in the current moment.

This lost art of ‘living in the now’ is the greatest loss that we have suffered from our comfortable lifestyles.

The truth is that we can only find true happiness in the current moment. While we keep thinking: “If only I had …., I will be happy”, we miss the fact that that wish coming true will actually not at all make us truly happy.

This is it. This moment is all there is.

“Always we hope someone else has the answer. Some other place will be better, some other time it will all turn out. This is it. No one else has the answer. No other place will be better, and it has already turned out. At the center of your being, you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.”

Lao Tzu

How Nature Can Help Us Find Ourselves Again

Not many of us take the time to really soak in our surroundings when we spend time in nature. We walk through it, don’t really take the time to soak it in, or we just feel rushed by something and need to be back home on time.

By really taking the time to internalize the pace of the natural world, you will start to feel what it is like to be in your natural state of being, and what it is like to be a part of nature.

It seems as if we have become bystanders. Out there, the animals and plants are living their lives, and we are here, living ours.

The truth is, we are all connected. Whether we realize it or not. It is nature that takes care of us, where we source our food and materials from (and it is nature that suffers from us when we make a mess).

If we don’t respect or truly value the natural world, we don’t respect ourselves.

If we only take out resources, but we forget to give back, we will never be able to feel truly happy and whole.

By giving back and only taking what we need, we create a natural balance, will feel connected to who we are, and everyone will win.

Want To Know More?

If only you read one book this year, read this one: Becoming Nature by Tamarack Song. In his book, Tamarack explains how to connect to your primal mind and how to communicate with nature and wild animals. This is such an eye opening book! It will really change your outlook on who we are as humans and how we relate to nature.

If you like, you can also read my post on this topic: How To Communicate With Wild Animals.

The Benefits Of Reconnecting With Nature

The benefits from reconnecting with nature are numerous. Of course, nature will benefit from this greatly: when we reconnect with her, nature will get tremendous respect from us in return. But also for you, there is something essential to gain: you will feel more calm, peacefull and less stressed. Nature can heal you. If you are looking to find yourself, re-establishing your connection with nature can be the missing piece.

5 Surprising Ways To Reconnect With Nature

And how do you reconnect with nature? First and foremost, take the time for it! Make it a priority, switch off your phone, cancel your appointments, take off your watch. Try any of the ideas below, and experience it for yourself. Every time you spend in nature is different, and that is part of its charm.

1. Sleep Under A Tarp In The Forest

The ultimate way to experience being in nature, is by sleeping in the forest under a tarp. You are sheltered enough from the elements, but still are very submerged in your surroundings.

This is the best way to push yourself out of your comfort zone, and experience what it is like to be a part of nature. It changes your outlook and perspective, you will really feel what it is like to be a part of nature.

Even if you find it scary or are cold quickly (like me!), give it a try. Really. You might be surprised of what you will experience and how alive it will make you feel.

And really, if I can sleep under a tarp in the snow (see the picture below), so can you! But of course, you can pick a warmer day for this too 😀

2. Cook On The Fire

There is nothing more primal than sitting by the fire. Go out camping for a night, make a fire and cook on it.

For example, roast something on the coals or on a stick or grill over the fire. Some ideas: chestnuts, potatoes, fish, meat or marshmellows.

If you have a Dutch Oven (or a similar cast iron pan), try making a stew, a bread or a pizza. (I personally use this Dutch oven, see the photo below, it is the ft6-t model)

There is nothing that tastes better than the food that you have cooked yourself on the fire!

👉 For more outdoor cooking ideas, check out my post Cooking over a campfire to reconnect with nature: 9 fun ideas.

3. Find A Sit Spot

If you only try one of these 5 things, try this one!

Find a spot where you can sit for a longer period of time and observe nature. This can be in your garden, a park, in a forest or anywhere else where there is some nature to observe.

Ideally, find a spot nearby so it is easy to go to regularly. (or even finding a sit spot that you use only once is also fine)

When you are at your sit spot, try to pay attention to what is happening around you. What do you hear? How do the sounds around you change? What is the ‘baseline’ sound of the birds around you? When this changes, why did it change? Is it different during different times of the day?

The more you start to relax and slow down, the more you will start to internalize the pace of nature. You will start to become a part of it. 🍃

4. Learn A New Edible Wild Plant And Use It In A Dish

There is nothing more fun than learning a new wild edible plant and then using it in a dish. Knowing which plants are edible, will make you look at nature through different eyes.

To get some ideas of common wild plants, you can read my article What To Eat If You Get Lost In The Woods. Have a look at these plants, and see if you recognize when you are outside.

Important to note: only pick and eat a wild plant when you are 100% sure you have the right one!

Below an example of how we made an omelet with the Shaggy Mane mushroom we found. It was delicious!

5. Go For A Walk Alone At Night

When everybody sleeps, go for a walk. There is nothing more calming and mesmerizing than the feeling of walking at night.

If you are in the forest (or laying under your tarp), listen to the nightly forest life. You will hear very different things than during the day.

>>> For 20 more ideas, check out my Complete Guide for Reconnecting with Nature 🌿

Have fun!

This post was all about why reconnecting with nature is important (and 5 surprising ways to reconnect with nature).