One of the greatest tragedies of our modern life is that many of us feel completely disconnected from Nature. Many of us spend the majority of our waking hours indoors, often behind a desk, or sitting in front of the TV. We are used to central heating, Netflix, instant chat and one-click shopping where we can have almost anything we desire delivered to our door the next day. In relatively few years, we have forgotten how to enjoy spending time outside. Unless it’s sunbathing, slathered in Factor 30 on a sun lounger by a pool. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with any of those things, but they tend to only provide short term gratification.
We are wired nowadays for instant everything. Nothing is worth waiting for. Slowing down is for the elderly. But there are downsides to speed: In his book “Thinking Fast and Slow”, Daniel Kahneman talks about the two brain systems we have that run in parallel with one another: our fast brain is instinctive and emotional, and causes us to REACT to situations while our slow brain is more deliberative and rational, and enables us to RESPOND more appropriately. When we are rushing around all the time, trying to multi-task and meet deadlines, our fast brains are engaged constantly, meaning our slow brains never get the chance to activate. And you know, you use it or lose it. So, we are literally programming ourselves to never slow down. And this type of self-sabotage interferes with our enjoyment of life, our relationships with others and our sense of identity and self-worth.
In his book “In Praise of Slow”, Carl Honore argues that our quality of life is eroded daily from the constant pressure to do everything quickly and maximise productivity, and that most people would benefit from slowing down – they feel more connected, more focused and achieve more.
“In a world addicted to speed, slowing down is a superpower.” – Carl Honore
One of the best ways to slow down and remove yourself from the stress of daily life is to spend time in Nature. Just finding a peaceful place to sit and notice the world around you without any of the distractions of modern life. This requires a conscious intention to leave your comfort zone and truly connect with Nature on a spiritual level; it’s deeper than simply spending time outside – nature connection is about creating a relationship with the outside world around you.
In my next post, I will share my tips on how to cultivate a strong connection with nature to promote wellbeing and spiritual development.
If you want to deepen your connection with nature, but aren’t sure where to start or what to do, The Wild Edges can help! Contact me at thewildedges@pm.me for an informal, no-obligation discovery session.
Joss Anderson is a qualified and experienced Shamanic Practitioner, Shamanic Reiki Master Practitioner and ICF-accredited coach, based in Cambridgeshire, UK and online.
© Joss Anderson; © The Wild Edges, 2022