THE POWER OF WONDER IN NATURE

When was the last time you were surrounded by lush greenery, tall trees, or a rushing river? Nature in the raw is not only an exquisite experience for our senses in the form of sight, smell, but I believe it does something profound to our spirit. There is a power that perhaps can only come from Mother Nature, for all that she provides us is simple yet wondrous. 

Living in the era of The Information Age, we have open access to the world our fingertips, literally, within our pockets or purses with our cell phones, which now was we know, are just a mini computer. Our sense of wonder is satisfied within seconds with access to the world wide web, yet now we have to contend with “screen time” problems which in and of itself is a pandora’s box. 

It’s almost as if in spending time in nature, we go back to a time, or at least an experience of simplicity and if you let yourself just be there, undistracted, you can reconnect to the sense of wonderment. I think wonder is a key missing in our lives, if we are not careful, and that it can be the fuel to creativity, a very important trait for humanity that must be cultivated. Creativity is the catalyst of action, and action the precursor to results, which in our current time, almost seems obsessive if not tamed. 

I encourage you to weekly, take a trip to a local hiking trail, a nearby park, or even a road trip, with the intent to unplug from technological devices and surrender to the scene and not the screen. The benefits are numerous to the brain, body and more, and now is being researched. Side note is that if you can’t break away, science has shown that even looking at picture of nature for 40 seconds can help our brain retain attention and processing.

4 Benefits of Being in the Green

1. Better brain processing and attention, even in adults

2. Stress relief as shown with lower cortisol levels as well as lowering depression and improving mental outlook in as little as just 5 minutes

3. Can help reduce pain by showing and listening to nature sounds (even if via electronics), as well looking at nature post surgery through a window

4. Lowers cardiovascular risk, including blood pressure and diabetes, as shown in a review of 140 studies about nature and reviewing the outcomes of the 290 million people, as well as many other health benefits including asthma and reducing heart rate variability

3 Ways to Put This In Action

1. Spend at least 5 minutes per day outside, even a walk around the office building, taking in the trees, plants, etc

2. Go on a hike so you are more emerged in deep nature at least 1x/month, ideally weekly or more often if possible, camping would be great too

3. Take a 40 second break to look at an image either out your window or even on your screen at least 1x or more per day