Nature | Photo by Kayli Thompson | The Wright State Guardian
In the past year, people have experienced isolation from limiting social interactions. A great way to fill that void is to go on nature walks. Experiencing nature can bring your life into focus and provide an outlet for stress.
What is a nature walk?
The simple answer is that nature walks can be anything you want them to be. Whether or not you have access to a forest path or a field of lush flowers, you can still go on a nature walk.
These walks are intended to help people focus on the world around them without the added distractions such as social media and other people. Nature is the focus. How we interact with nature is brought to the forefront and we have to ask ourselves why we forget to pay attention.
In “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek”a book by Annie Dillard follows Dillard as they go on nature walks. Dillard draws attention to the little scenes in life that we often forget to look at. During these scenes, Dillard writes about watching fish swimming, birds flying and bugs forming cocoons. It makes you stop and think about the last time you just sat and enjoyed the outdoors.
The benefits
Going on nature walks promotes exercise, fresh air and quiet reflection time for one’s well-being. As a reminder, they do not have to be half marathons, a walk around the block or down the road count as well.
During my own nature walks, I have taken to snapping pictures of the world around me and trying to spot the different birds in the trees. I do not know what types of birds they are, but I really do not have to know the answer. I simply bask in their chirping and wonder if they have little lives of their own.
Nature walks are a way to relieve stress and find a bit of calmness in your everyday life. While they may not be a big change, they can lift your mood, if just a little.
