🪻I've been travelling around NZ for the past two weeks and enjoying all the beauty that this country has to offer, hopping from beach to beach and completely disconnecting from everything else. It's been pretty amazing!
❓I'm just really keen to hear other people's tips and tricks about tiny moments of connection with nature. Often times we think we have to do this grand gesture, but I'm certain it's the little things that count. I'd love to hear people's small things that have really made a difference.
The thing that has made the biggest difference for me lately is learning to identify winter trees... The buds are so beautiful & often colourful, and I notice many things about trees now that I didn't see before. Everyone who reads my posts must think I am obsessed with buds, and they are right.
I connect with nature by being out there. Birdwatching, plant spotting, following the seasons, gardening for wildlife and trying to encourage more people to go green.
I keep a kind of nature journal but no sketches, I am lazy and add photos.
I have bee hotels, earwig shelters and hoverfly lagoons in the garden and am building a database of flora and fauna within our parish.
I suppose I am looking for tips on how to get more people engaged.
Hi Andrew, lovely to meet you 👋 I love the idea of a nature journal with photos, I'm not great at sketching so that would be a good solution for me.
To get more like minded people involved I guess it's just about continuing to spread the message and maybe setting up some local events near where you are? I used to use Meetup and Facebook quite a bit to set up small scale groups to go for walks in nature and met a few people that way.
🌲 I am Hannah, a scientist who loves nature & the outdoors, reading & writing, minimalism & simple living.
🌱 I connect with nature mostly by just going for a lot of walks (and, in summer, swimming/kayaking/camping) and trying to notice not just visually but also with the other senses... At the moment I am also focusing on learning more about the local species & ecology. Another thing I am learning at the moment: Seeing my changes in mood with the weather & the seasons not as a "problem" but as an expression of my connection with nature.
❓ Do you think connecting with nature makes you more sensitive to the destruction of nature and more likely to engage with environmental causes?
✍️ https://theadventcalmendar.substack.com/ (I am now writing about nature, environmentalism, minimalism, ... but my Substack will forever be named after the Advent calendar I started out with!)
Oh and re your question, yes I do think that the more you're outside the more you start to care, and the more you care the more you engage with the cause.
Thanks! I certainly hope so! For myself it's definitely the case, but I often wonder how general this is (especially when I find piles of picnic trash somewhere in the wilderness - these must be people enjoying nature, and yet they are ready to destroy it...)
Oh I relate so much to those changes in mood and yes lately I've started to see it more as normal changes with the season. Winter is a reminder to slow down and I think a lot of that change in mood comes from us continuing to push really hard.
👩 Hello! I'm Wendy and I live in the mountains of Idaho, USA. (And: Hi Sophie!)
🪻I'm surrounded by wild spaces and have done lots of wilderness adventuring. I feel so fortunate that what is a day hike for me--to say a mountain cirque with a glacial lake below--requires great effort for most people (maybe even a vacation). I'm also a scientist and have always been compelled by the intricacies, the interactions, and the mystery of the natural world. All of it provides me a tremendous sense of groundedness.
❓I'm interested to hear more about the hesitations people feel about rewilding or connecting with nature.
Re your question, I think for me what sometimes gets in the way is just the busyness of life. A tough day at work and I might reach for my phone a bit more often, rather than going outside. Some days I really have to make an effort to remind myself: "you'll feel better if you go outside"
Maybe you need a dog! 😂 In all the decades I had my two dogs in my life, one blessing and curse was that going outside everyday is a requirement. Some of the days you're least motivated (like do.not.want.to.go)--say, when it's rainy, cold, and nasty--are those you find the most joy, in for example, watching water drip through the canopy, or breathing in the deep earthy aroma of the forest.
Hi Wendy! Sounds incredible to be surrounded by wild spaces and glacial lakes..! Where do you live? 🌎
I can't go many days without spending time in nature so maybe I'm not the right person to answer that question 😅 However, it can get hard to spend time somewhere more wild since I live close to a city.
Hi Sophie! A community thread what a fantastic idea ☺
Hi y'all, my name's Kate from Ohio, USA.
I connect with nature on my 10-20 minute walks on my way to class. Since I live in an urban area, there's sooo many human-friendly birds and squirrels around and I love watching them scurry around!
I'm a big gardener, especially during the Summer. I'm wondering if there's any indoor gardeners in this thread and how you got your start! Any tips and tricks are appreciated.
I run a substack community based around reaching for your dreams and having the resources to do so! It's called Steeped In Success - https://steepedinsuccess.substack.com/
Ooh indoor gardening, good question! I only have indoor plants but no indoor veggies. There's a lot you can do with small containers though indoors. But I'm no expert in that topic 😅
It's easier for me to connect with nature when the weather is more pleasant, but I love hiking in our public lands, including Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. During the winter, I walk pretty much daily (except when I'm a big baby because it's well below 0C), looking for birds and wildlife.
Do you find that you feel differently about being out in nature depending on the terrain?
Hi Amy 👋 so lovely to meet you. You must have some amazing nature where you are! It's a great question, whether it feels different depending on the landscape. I think different landscapes definitely suggest a different way of being. Like when I'm on the beach it's more relaxing whereas forest or mountains appear more active. There's a type of landscape for any kind of mood 😅 Not sure if that's what you meant?
Sounds amazing to be surrounded by that type of nature. I believe I read that it rains every third day where I live (and snows in the winter) 🙃 That's why the weather usually doesn't determine If I'm going outdoors, I guess I'm more used to it than I'd like to be.
Walking through a dark forest makes me feel like I'm watching magic unfold in front of me. Open spaces such as the ocean or a vast field clear my head. Different terrains always evoke different emotions for me. Is that something you can relate to as well? 😊
Hello Julia! It sounds like you live on the coast? I bet it's remarkable walking through the stands of ancient trees. For us, we don't have the ocean, but we have the vast prairie, and I share a similar feeling of it being an excellent environment to clear my head. I gravitate towards the high country. There is something about walking a ridge line or looking at the tops of other mountains that makes my heart happy.
I live on the west coast of south Sweden, probably one of the rainiest places in the country 😅 I can imagine the vast prairie gives you that feeling. I agree, there's something really special about mountain tops and seeing everything from above.
👩 Hi Sophie! (And everyone else!) 👋 I'm Julia and I live in south Sweden.
🪻I take walks in the woods daily. I also meditated in the woods by a small pond and a pine tree almost every day for a year or two. I typically don't end up very often at my meditation spot these days, but it's something I love doing when it fits into my schedule 💚 I feel like a completely different person if I'm out in nature versus staying indoors all day.
❓How does being in nature impact your mood and attitude?
I can so relate to feeling like a different person when going outdoors vs indoors. Sometimes when I've been indoors for too long all of a sudden I realise "oh right, that's what's wrong, I just need to step outside"
I love this exercise Sophie! Building a community around nature feels like the kind of rewilding we all need. Lately, my connection with nature mostly involves watching the local squirrels execute high-stakes heists on my almonds. Their teamwork is impressive, if a little too efficient hahaha.
Hi everyone, I'm Neela 👋
A Trinidadian transplant to America.
My publication is called WorkmanShit, and it shares a lot of practical advice on business, strategy, and personal growth based on my many years in the corporate world.
Yay hi Neela 👋 I'm glad I got to know you too, so many cool connections through substack! Squirrels are so cute! We don't get them in New Zealand but I love watching videos of them 😊
👩 Hi everyone, I'm Claudia and I live in northern Germany.
🪻I've been very close to nature as a child and kind of lost the connection in my adult years. During my recovery from burnout two years ago, I felt how much I've missed nature in all forms, how 'overdomesticated' I had become. I'm on a quest to reconnect with nature - by transforming our garden to a wilder space for animals and plants, taking walks in different landscapes and see what I enjoy most, looking for the big - like the sea and the forests, the small - like details along the way, the wild in - on the surface - civilised areas. It's exciting!
❓I still feel scared being on my own in nature, in the forests for example. I long to be away from civilisation and other people, but I'm scared of potential harm while being alone and away from other people. (Does that make sense?) Well, I'll ask anyway: How do you feel safe out there? Especially as a woman?
✍️ My Substack is called Happy Quiet Life and you can find it here: https://claudiakollschen.substack.com/. It's an HSP's & introvert's view on the world. Reflections and stories from living a slow & quiet life filled with books and a love for nature.
That is such a good question!! I feel pretty safe living in NZ and know that I wouldn't have done what I do now when I was back in Belgium so I can definitely relate! When I'm unsure I tend to pick places that aren't completely isolated, i.e. still have a few people. That way I can enjoy nature but still have the safety of a few people around.
Another thing I do is always have a check-in buddy, letting someone know where you're going, which route you're taking and when you're expecting to be back.
Not sure if that is helpful, interested to hear what others have to say!
I'll have to check out your substack, I'm an hsp as well!
Thank you, Sophie, I'm glad it's a valid question for you and that you can relate! I'm happy for you that NZ makes such a difference - also in respect to feeling safe (among all the other wonderful stuff, of course. :))
Thanks for sharing your strategies! Of course, it's helpful! I actually use both, but still on fairly small scale walks. I'd love to extend my radius, but I don't feel confident, couragious or safe enough yet. Well, moving forward in small steps, as always. :)
I like Burhinus' idea of finding a like minded buddy, someone who understands to be quiet out in nature and then build confidence and courage together. For me it doesn't always have to be alone to enjoy nature but it does have to be somebody who understands the same ideas as me, if that makes sense.
That's exactly it! I think, that's what I'm going for next, finding someone who shares my idea or is at least open for it to give it a try. And building confidence and courage from there. Thank you, Sophie and everyone, this thread has been very helpful! ❤️
I honestly think we are conditioned to feel scared alone in nature as women (even though objectively cities are often more dangerous), and it's not surprising at all if we do. I don't feel afraid these days anymore except for some mild uneasiness from time to time, but there was a time when I did. What helped was taking some precautions (telling someone where I went etc.; I also think taking pepper spray or so can help just to feel better, even though you'll likely never use it) and really just accepting that I was afraid and going anyway. Every time I came home I felt so happy that I did go! It sounds like you're already doing this, and I think it's quite possible that you will feel more confident over time if you just keep going!
Thank you, Hannah! So good to hear that it's probably normal, but also very well possible to overcome. I agree that cities are objectively more dangerous, but as is sometimes the case with fear, it is not interested in statistics. ;-) A combination of precautions, expand my radius gradially and build some confidence, but also see if I can find someone who shares my ideas of how to enjoy nature, sounds very good to me! :)
Hello Claudia! I love that you turned your garden into your very own wild space for neighboring wildlife!
What is your greatest concern about being out on your own? Is it that something will happen and you won't be able to find help? I live in an area where we you can hike for days without seeing anyone, and there is little cell coverage, so I bring a satellite communication device with me to check in with my family. Sophie's recommendation of letting someone know where you are and understand your plans is also very important!
Thank you, Andrew, for your kind words - and for letting me know that I'm not alone in feeling this way!
Maybe I just need to find the right like-minded people, those who don't just want to talk about everything and nothing all the time and use nature just as a beautiful scenery without really noticing where they are and what they could experience if they would just be quiet for once. ;-)
I'll go first!
👩Hi everyone, I'm Sophie 👋
🪻I've been travelling around NZ for the past two weeks and enjoying all the beauty that this country has to offer, hopping from beach to beach and completely disconnecting from everything else. It's been pretty amazing!
❓I'm just really keen to hear other people's tips and tricks about tiny moments of connection with nature. Often times we think we have to do this grand gesture, but I'm certain it's the little things that count. I'd love to hear people's small things that have really made a difference.
✍️You're already here 😊 https://thisissophietoday.substack.com
That does sound amazing!
The thing that has made the biggest difference for me lately is learning to identify winter trees... The buds are so beautiful & often colourful, and I notice many things about trees now that I didn't see before. Everyone who reads my posts must think I am obsessed with buds, and they are right.
Your trip sounds dreamy!
Hi I am Andrew from Suffolk, UK.
I connect with nature by being out there. Birdwatching, plant spotting, following the seasons, gardening for wildlife and trying to encourage more people to go green.
I keep a kind of nature journal but no sketches, I am lazy and add photos.
I have bee hotels, earwig shelters and hoverfly lagoons in the garden and am building a database of flora and fauna within our parish.
I suppose I am looking for tips on how to get more people engaged.
Hi Andrew, lovely to meet you 👋 I love the idea of a nature journal with photos, I'm not great at sketching so that would be a good solution for me.
To get more like minded people involved I guess it's just about continuing to spread the message and maybe setting up some local events near where you are? I used to use Meetup and Facebook quite a bit to set up small scale groups to go for walks in nature and met a few people that way.
Thanks for sharing you experiences! I hadn't heard about Meetup before, that could work ...
Yes it depends on the area you're in whether it's active or not, but I met quite a few people through there. Definitely worth a shot.
Hi Andrew, I like the idea of a nature journal with photos, that's a beautiful idea!
Nice idea! Hi!
🌲 I am Hannah, a scientist who loves nature & the outdoors, reading & writing, minimalism & simple living.
🌱 I connect with nature mostly by just going for a lot of walks (and, in summer, swimming/kayaking/camping) and trying to notice not just visually but also with the other senses... At the moment I am also focusing on learning more about the local species & ecology. Another thing I am learning at the moment: Seeing my changes in mood with the weather & the seasons not as a "problem" but as an expression of my connection with nature.
❓ Do you think connecting with nature makes you more sensitive to the destruction of nature and more likely to engage with environmental causes?
✍️ https://theadventcalmendar.substack.com/ (I am now writing about nature, environmentalism, minimalism, ... but my Substack will forever be named after the Advent calendar I started out with!)
Oh and re your question, yes I do think that the more you're outside the more you start to care, and the more you care the more you engage with the cause.
Thanks! I certainly hope so! For myself it's definitely the case, but I often wonder how general this is (especially when I find piles of picnic trash somewhere in the wilderness - these must be people enjoying nature, and yet they are ready to destroy it...)
Oh I relate so much to those changes in mood and yes lately I've started to see it more as normal changes with the season. Winter is a reminder to slow down and I think a lot of that change in mood comes from us continuing to push really hard.
Hi Hannah, As another scientist deeply connected to the natural world, I feel these assaults in my whole being. So, yes, absolutely.
Nicely said. I feel the same way!
👩 Hello! I'm Wendy and I live in the mountains of Idaho, USA. (And: Hi Sophie!)
🪻I'm surrounded by wild spaces and have done lots of wilderness adventuring. I feel so fortunate that what is a day hike for me--to say a mountain cirque with a glacial lake below--requires great effort for most people (maybe even a vacation). I'm also a scientist and have always been compelled by the intricacies, the interactions, and the mystery of the natural world. All of it provides me a tremendous sense of groundedness.
❓I'm interested to hear more about the hesitations people feel about rewilding or connecting with nature.
✍️https://splashed.substack.com
Hi Wendy lovely to see you here 😊
Re your question, I think for me what sometimes gets in the way is just the busyness of life. A tough day at work and I might reach for my phone a bit more often, rather than going outside. Some days I really have to make an effort to remind myself: "you'll feel better if you go outside"
Maybe you need a dog! 😂 In all the decades I had my two dogs in my life, one blessing and curse was that going outside everyday is a requirement. Some of the days you're least motivated (like do.not.want.to.go)--say, when it's rainy, cold, and nasty--are those you find the most joy, in for example, watching water drip through the canopy, or breathing in the deep earthy aroma of the forest.
Can't, we've got our little parrot who's the centre of our universe and doesn't mix well with dogs. But he likes going for walks outside as well 😀
Well, maybe just embody dog energy and go!
He can bark like a dog so close enough. Actually took him out for a walk today after reading this 😁
Amazing!! How did it go? 🦜
Hello neighbor! (I'm in Montana.) You are so right about those mountain cirques and glacial lakes. There is nothing better!
Hi Amy! Yes, I saw that! I do love Montana and those sweeping valleys.
I sent you a DM…
Hi Wendy! Sounds incredible to be surrounded by wild spaces and glacial lakes..! Where do you live? 🌎
I can't go many days without spending time in nature so maybe I'm not the right person to answer that question 😅 However, it can get hard to spend time somewhere more wild since I live close to a city.
"the mountains of Idaho", saw it just after I posted 😂
Discrete enough. Can't give away the secrets... 😂
Where are you?
I live in south Sweden 😊
🤣
Hi Sophie! A community thread what a fantastic idea ☺
Hi y'all, my name's Kate from Ohio, USA.
I connect with nature on my 10-20 minute walks on my way to class. Since I live in an urban area, there's sooo many human-friendly birds and squirrels around and I love watching them scurry around!
I'm a big gardener, especially during the Summer. I'm wondering if there's any indoor gardeners in this thread and how you got your start! Any tips and tricks are appreciated.
I run a substack community based around reaching for your dreams and having the resources to do so! It's called Steeped In Success - https://steepedinsuccess.substack.com/
Ooh indoor gardening, good question! I only have indoor plants but no indoor veggies. There's a lot you can do with small containers though indoors. But I'm no expert in that topic 😅
Hello! I'm Amy in Great Falls, Montana, USA.
It's easier for me to connect with nature when the weather is more pleasant, but I love hiking in our public lands, including Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. During the winter, I walk pretty much daily (except when I'm a big baby because it's well below 0C), looking for birds and wildlife.
Do you find that you feel differently about being out in nature depending on the terrain?
https://amygrisak.substack.com
Hi Amy 👋 so lovely to meet you. You must have some amazing nature where you are! It's a great question, whether it feels different depending on the landscape. I think different landscapes definitely suggest a different way of being. Like when I'm on the beach it's more relaxing whereas forest or mountains appear more active. There's a type of landscape for any kind of mood 😅 Not sure if that's what you meant?
That's exactly what I mean! ❤️
Hi Amy!
Sounds amazing to be surrounded by that type of nature. I believe I read that it rains every third day where I live (and snows in the winter) 🙃 That's why the weather usually doesn't determine If I'm going outdoors, I guess I'm more used to it than I'd like to be.
Walking through a dark forest makes me feel like I'm watching magic unfold in front of me. Open spaces such as the ocean or a vast field clear my head. Different terrains always evoke different emotions for me. Is that something you can relate to as well? 😊
Hello Julia! It sounds like you live on the coast? I bet it's remarkable walking through the stands of ancient trees. For us, we don't have the ocean, but we have the vast prairie, and I share a similar feeling of it being an excellent environment to clear my head. I gravitate towards the high country. There is something about walking a ridge line or looking at the tops of other mountains that makes my heart happy.
There's definitely something about mountains and reaching that top, it's a pretty special feeling!
I live on the west coast of south Sweden, probably one of the rainiest places in the country 😅 I can imagine the vast prairie gives you that feeling. I agree, there's something really special about mountain tops and seeing everything from above.
👩 Hi Sophie! (And everyone else!) 👋 I'm Julia and I live in south Sweden.
🪻I take walks in the woods daily. I also meditated in the woods by a small pond and a pine tree almost every day for a year or two. I typically don't end up very often at my meditation spot these days, but it's something I love doing when it fits into my schedule 💚 I feel like a completely different person if I'm out in nature versus staying indoors all day.
❓How does being in nature impact your mood and attitude?
✍️ https://dethink.substack.com
I can so relate to feeling like a different person when going outdoors vs indoors. Sometimes when I've been indoors for too long all of a sudden I realise "oh right, that's what's wrong, I just need to step outside"
I totally agree!
I love this exercise Sophie! Building a community around nature feels like the kind of rewilding we all need. Lately, my connection with nature mostly involves watching the local squirrels execute high-stakes heists on my almonds. Their teamwork is impressive, if a little too efficient hahaha.
Hi everyone, I'm Neela 👋
A Trinidadian transplant to America.
My publication is called WorkmanShit, and it shares a lot of practical advice on business, strategy, and personal growth based on my many years in the corporate world.
https://workmanshit.substack.com/
Congrats on your publication growth Sophie, and I am so happy we connected :)
Yay hi Neela 👋 I'm glad I got to know you too, so many cool connections through substack! Squirrels are so cute! We don't get them in New Zealand but I love watching videos of them 😊
Hi Sophie, what a lovely idea! 😀
👩 Hi everyone, I'm Claudia and I live in northern Germany.
🪻I've been very close to nature as a child and kind of lost the connection in my adult years. During my recovery from burnout two years ago, I felt how much I've missed nature in all forms, how 'overdomesticated' I had become. I'm on a quest to reconnect with nature - by transforming our garden to a wilder space for animals and plants, taking walks in different landscapes and see what I enjoy most, looking for the big - like the sea and the forests, the small - like details along the way, the wild in - on the surface - civilised areas. It's exciting!
❓I still feel scared being on my own in nature, in the forests for example. I long to be away from civilisation and other people, but I'm scared of potential harm while being alone and away from other people. (Does that make sense?) Well, I'll ask anyway: How do you feel safe out there? Especially as a woman?
✍️ My Substack is called Happy Quiet Life and you can find it here: https://claudiakollschen.substack.com/. It's an HSP's & introvert's view on the world. Reflections and stories from living a slow & quiet life filled with books and a love for nature.
I wrote about my (lost) connection to nature in this post: https://claudiakollschen.substack.com/p/closer-to-nature.
Looking forward to meeting like-minded people! 😀
That is such a good question!! I feel pretty safe living in NZ and know that I wouldn't have done what I do now when I was back in Belgium so I can definitely relate! When I'm unsure I tend to pick places that aren't completely isolated, i.e. still have a few people. That way I can enjoy nature but still have the safety of a few people around.
Another thing I do is always have a check-in buddy, letting someone know where you're going, which route you're taking and when you're expecting to be back.
Not sure if that is helpful, interested to hear what others have to say!
I'll have to check out your substack, I'm an hsp as well!
Thank you, Sophie, I'm glad it's a valid question for you and that you can relate! I'm happy for you that NZ makes such a difference - also in respect to feeling safe (among all the other wonderful stuff, of course. :))
Thanks for sharing your strategies! Of course, it's helpful! I actually use both, but still on fairly small scale walks. I'd love to extend my radius, but I don't feel confident, couragious or safe enough yet. Well, moving forward in small steps, as always. :)
Lovely to meet a fellow HSP! *waves*
I like Burhinus' idea of finding a like minded buddy, someone who understands to be quiet out in nature and then build confidence and courage together. For me it doesn't always have to be alone to enjoy nature but it does have to be somebody who understands the same ideas as me, if that makes sense.
That's exactly it! I think, that's what I'm going for next, finding someone who shares my idea or is at least open for it to give it a try. And building confidence and courage from there. Thank you, Sophie and everyone, this thread has been very helpful! ❤️
It's so cool to see the community in action and I'm so glad it's been helpful for you!
I honestly think we are conditioned to feel scared alone in nature as women (even though objectively cities are often more dangerous), and it's not surprising at all if we do. I don't feel afraid these days anymore except for some mild uneasiness from time to time, but there was a time when I did. What helped was taking some precautions (telling someone where I went etc.; I also think taking pepper spray or so can help just to feel better, even though you'll likely never use it) and really just accepting that I was afraid and going anyway. Every time I came home I felt so happy that I did go! It sounds like you're already doing this, and I think it's quite possible that you will feel more confident over time if you just keep going!
Thank you, Hannah! So good to hear that it's probably normal, but also very well possible to overcome. I agree that cities are objectively more dangerous, but as is sometimes the case with fear, it is not interested in statistics. ;-) A combination of precautions, expand my radius gradially and build some confidence, but also see if I can find someone who shares my ideas of how to enjoy nature, sounds very good to me! :)
Hello Claudia! I love that you turned your garden into your very own wild space for neighboring wildlife!
What is your greatest concern about being out on your own? Is it that something will happen and you won't be able to find help? I live in an area where we you can hike for days without seeing anyone, and there is little cell coverage, so I bring a satellite communication device with me to check in with my family. Sophie's recommendation of letting someone know where you are and understand your plans is also very important!
Thank you, Amy!!
So sad and wrong that you feel unsafe out there Claudia. My wife also feels this way and won't go off on her own.
Difficult to know what to suggest, joining a group of like-minded people sort of defeats the object of being alone.
Thank you, Andrew, for your kind words - and for letting me know that I'm not alone in feeling this way!
Maybe I just need to find the right like-minded people, those who don't just want to talk about everything and nothing all the time and use nature just as a beautiful scenery without really noticing where they are and what they could experience if they would just be quiet for once. ;-)
If you found the right person could you be their mentor in opening their eyes to the natural world around them?
Excellent idea! Thank you!