Nature can sometimes seem much more distant than it perhaps ought to, especially to those who are living in dense, urban environments. As easy as it might be to say ‘take a holiday’ or ‘move somewhere more natural,’ these can be unrealistic given your circumstances. So, finding more practical ways of making nature a bigger part of your life might be on your agenda.
Why do this at all, though? Well, it’s something that can be beneficial for your health, and feeling that connection to the outside world might not even be something that you realize you’re missing until you have it.
‘Take a Holiday’
Upending your whole life and moving somewhere natural, somewhere away from your friends, your situation and your career might not be practical – a holiday might be more so. It might be something that you feel isn’t realistic due to your financial situation, which is fair enough, but it might also be that you don’t realize how inexpensive a natural getaway actually needs to be. You don’t need to go abroad or somewhere especially far afield – even just a trip to a cabin in a rural area with your friends or loved ones can help you to get the fresh air and quiet that you’re looking for. In this way, it can double as an opportunity to see your friends again, which might help to make it a more practical addition to your schedule.
Cultivate Your Own Green Space
Not everyone is going to be fortunate enough to have their own garden that they can turn to when they feel as though they’re not spending enough time outside. If you do have that, however, it’s a tremendous opportunity. Gardens can be an extension of your home; they can provide you with additional social space, they can’t allow you to grow your own herbs and vegetables, or they can just be a space for you to relax when you feel that urge to reconnect with nature.
Even with smaller spaces, this is true, and you might even find that more manageable size to be a benefit when it comes to planning your garden. Of course, larger gardens might give you more to work with and a more varied pool of options to explore, but in that case, it’s also worth exploring how to integrate irrigation wholesale so that your garden can thrive regardless of the weather.
A Simple Walk
All of these plans might feel quite long-term, but if you feel as though the lack of nature in your life is something that you want to change in the immediate future, you very much can. Simply taking more walks can help you to do this. Again, not everyone is going to be so lucky as to have pleasant green spaces on their doorstep, so the accessibility will be different for different people. However, even if you are in an isolated urban environment, looking up public transport links might illuminate you as to how many of these natural spots are close enough for you to quickly visit when you want to.
