I believe that connecting to nature can bring joy, satisfaction, and meaning to one’s life – because it has done so for me.
My husband, Chad, who is a certified wildman, provided some suggestions of his own and I added them to this list as well.
So here you go, over one hundred ideas for connecting to nature – making oneself more comfortable and at home in the natural world, as well as more part of the natural world.
Bring Nature Indoors
1. Choose breathable natural bedding (wool, cotton, hemp) instead of synthetic.
2. Gradually replace plastic furnishings, decor, and storage in your home with alternatives made from organic materials such as wood, rattan, or wicker.
3. Grow live houseplants – choose non-toxic options if you have pets.
4. Open windows in your home when possible to allow fresh air in and reduce pollutants and CO2.
5. Opt for a natural couch instead of a synthetic one.
6. Sleep in a bedroom that is slightly cooler than the rest of your home for more restful slumber.
7. The next time you need a new mattress, buy one made of natural materials such as natural latex and wool.
8. Use as much natural daylighting in your home as you can to align yourself with the natural rhythms of the sun.
Connect with Your Wild Side
9. Climb a tree.
10. Howl at the moon.
11. Spend more time with your pets on their terms – napping, playing, or cuddling with them.
Cultivate a Healthy Gut Microbiome
12. Avoid antibiotics unless absolutely necessary – there are alternatives.
13. Avoid foods with artificial ingredients.
14. Learn to ferment for your gut health.
15. Make it a goal to eat 40 different fruits or veggies every week.
16. Take a stool test and get to know the state of your gut microbiome.
Cultivate Basic Survival Skills
17. Learn to build a fire.
18. Learn to purify water.
19. Learn to tell directions outdoors using the sun, stars, and landmarks.
20. Use a topographic map instead of a GPS while hiking.
Cultivate Natural Energy Connections
21. Create a low-EMF environment in your home, for a more natural, healing background energy.
22. Lay down on the ground in your yard, garden, or a park, and rest.
23. Sleep on an earthing sheet.
24. Walk around outside barefoot to ground yourself.
Get to Know the Sky
25. Don’t use security lights at your house outside at night. They disturb wildlife and water down your view of the night sky.
26. Get up early once in a while to watch the sunrise.
27. Know the cardinal directions – East, West, South and North.
28. Learn a few constellations.
29. Look up at the sky and watch the clouds change.
30. Stop what you’re doing and watch the sunset.
31. Watch a meteor shower.
32. Watch an eclipse.
33. Watch the sunset at the same place for solstices and equinoxes.
Get to Know Your Local Flora and Fauna
34. Attract birds to your yard.
35. Find out about endangered species in your area.
36. Identify the bugs and spiders you encounter in your home.
37. In spring and summer, spend time watching insects forage from plants in your yard or at a nearby park.
38. Landscape with native plants in your yard.
39. Learn bird calls.
40. Learn how to recognize animal footprints.
41. Learn to be safe from wild animals while recreating.
42. Learn to identify bird nests.
43. Learn to recognize calls from other animals besides birds, like those of coyotes, foxes, elk, and raccoons.
44. Learn to spot invasive species in your area.
45. Make a list of all the birds you see at your birdfeeder.
46. Make an inventory of all the different animals you observe in your yard.
47. Set up and maintain a bird feeder.
48. Set up and maintain a hummingbird feeder.
49. Start an inventory of all the different types of insects you find in your yard – or in a nearby park, if you don’t have a yard.
50. Start an inventory of all the different types of plants you find in your yard.
51. Visit a protected landscape such as an old growth forest.
Hone Your Senses
52. Be alone in nature to allow yourself to just be and observe.
53. Draw sketches in nature.
54. Get to know what time it is without looking at a clock.
55. Go for a hike at night.
56. Keep a nature journal.
57. Sit by moving water and listen.
58. Try identifying plants with a key instead of just using an app on your phone.
59. Try wearing shoes with minimal support, such as moccasins.
60. Turn your phone off when in nature or put it in airplane mode.
61. Walk in a stream or dip your feet in cold water.
62. While in nature, close your eyes and listen.
63. While in nature, hold your ears and just look.
64. While in nature, rub a leaf of a fragrant plant and smell it.
Learn and Accept the Natural Cycles
65. Create your own rituals to mark the change of the seasons.
66. Cultivate a better relationship with death.
67. Dress for the seasons.
68. Eat with the seasons.
69. Find a favorite place where you can observe nature and go there in different seasons to observe seasonal changes.
70. Keep your home somewhat closer tohe outdoor temperature instead of expecting the indoor temperature to be the same year round.
71. Landscape for the seasons, planting shade trees to block summer sun, and evergreen trees to block winter winds.
72. Learn about natural burial options.
73. Look for animal remains while hiking.
74. Watch an animal give birth.
Learn about Local Native Traditions
75. Learn how native people in your area dressed traditionally.
76. Learn how native people in your area sheltered themselves.
77. Learn the creation stories of the native people in your area.
78. Learn what native people in your area ate traditionally.
Look at the Big Picture
79. Find out where your drinking water comes from.
80. Get involved to protect your local public lands or environment.
81. Get to know your ecological history.
82. Learn about your watershed.
83. Look at satellite images of your area.
Respect Your Body’s Needs
84. Allow your body to wake up naturally every morning.
85. Avoid screen use for a couple of hours before bedtime.
86. Build more leisure into your life. No one on their death bed wishes they had worked more.
87. Choose a job that allow you to have the daily rhythm your body needs.
88. Don’t fall asleep watching TV or looking at your phone – make your bedroom for sleep.
89. Go for a run, just for fun.
90. If you have a sedentary job, get up and walk around every hour or so.
91. Make yoga or other stretching a part of your daily routine.
92. Remove digital light displays from the bedroom to prevent them from disturbing your sleep.
93. Route out sources of white noise from your living space.
94. Sit on the floor and do some deep breathing.
95. Swing from a jungle gym.
Spend More Time Outdoors
96. Go camping.
97. Go on a picnic, even if it’s in your own back yard, or set up a table and chairs where you can eat outdoors on a regular basis.
98. Go outside at night and look at the stars.
99. Go outside. Period.
100. Make a goal for outdoor recreation – once a week, once a month, etc.
101. Rather than traveling to far off places, explore public lands where you live.
102. Take a course on leave-no-trace to learn how to lessen your impact.
Understand Where Food Comes From
103. Grow some of your own food – start where you can.
104. Grow sprouts – you can do this on your kitchen countertop.
105. Learn about wild foods and weeds that are edible in your area.
106. Learn to cook from scratch.
107. Make food from scratch rather than using processed foods.
108. Plant a fruit tree for a perennial source of food for generations to come.
109. Start plants in your garden from seed instead of just buying transplants.
110. Start your own transplants.
111. Visit a local farm to see how food is produced.
Use Natural Healing Strategies
112. Find natural remedies for minor ailments for your pets.
113. Heal yourself with natural remedies whenever possible.
114. If you’re unhappy with the state of your health, enlist the help of holistic practitioners to guide your healing journey.
115. Seek out the root cause of illness rather than relying on pharmaceuticals to “manage” symptoms.
116. Understand how retraining your limbic system may be imperative for healing.
There’s our list! How many are you already doing? Have any additional recommendations? If I love them, I’ll add them to this list, so drop me a note in the comments section.
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