The Power of Connecting with the Natural World
As a society we are starting to recognise the impact of our modern world, but I feel that we greatly undervalue the potential positive impact that becoming closer to nature, could have on our wellbeing.
Now I recognise most people who do ‘feel’ nature and understand the important role it plays in regards to improving mental health have most likely grown up around nature in some form. This may be walking in the countryside or cycling even once a month. So of course from a young age it plants a seed which will truly blossom later on in life if you allow it to. However, I can’t deny that this is a massive privilege to have as a child and that I recognise there are huge amounts of people on our planet who unfortunately don’t have as many opportunities to connect with our natural world. This can be for many reasons, poverty being one of them or living in the inner suburbs of a big city to name a few.
Beautiful waterfall in Zhujiang Park
Even now as an adult, I feel like there are a lot of people in this world who just don’t really make the most of nature and the positive impact it can have on us humans. Yes, most people can see incredible scenery and say it’s beautiful. But do they truly feel the beauty and does it touch their soul? I don’t think it does. Countless times when I’ve seen an amazing landscape, I’ve noticed people just having a quick look, then taking a picture or selfie and that’s it. I’m a photographer myself so I completely understand taking a photograph of a spectacular scene is a great feeling in itself and is an absolute must. I remember traveling the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia in 2014 and at every view point there were hoards of people cramming together to get a quick selfie or photo of the huge rocks in the ocean and then that was it, they headed back to their vehicle to continue on to the next viewpoint. There were of course some people who were clearly taking their time and trying to feel the moment, but the large majority weren’t.
It’s clear to me that as a society, we don’t embrace nature enough. Not enough of us understand how vital being amongst nature is for our wellbeing, feeling those moments of peace we all crave and generally feeling present ( whether we recognise it or not ). Speaking from my own experience, when I feel disconnected from myself or I’m not feeling mentally great, one of the first things I’ll do is go for a walk outside or go for a run, some form of movement outside anyway. Sometimes I’ll feel so much better, and sometimes just a little bit better. But the point here is that every time I step outside into the world and find a nature spot of some sort, my mood will improve on some level, and I’ll never regret it.
Banyan trees can be found all across southern China
I live in Guangzhou, a metropolis in southern China. For the past seven years living here, I’ve been drawn to this park in the centre of this bustling city called Zhujiang Park. There are many parks and green areas in this fascinating city, however, there is something special about this particular park to me. What I think makes it so unique is the fact that it’s full of tropical plants, various tree species such as Banyan trees, ponds, a river, as well as an abundance of birdlife. All of this magic surrounded by enormous skyscrapers and busy roads. Once you step foot in this park, everything is slowed down and I seem to forget about the city I’m in. When I take a look around, I notice people seem to be more content and in a good moment like myself. People are calmer and seem to be observing life which surrounds them. There are still plenty of people staring into their phones but this distraction seems to be less on show compared with being outside of this green space. Some are practicing tai chi, others simply sitting on a bench chatting to the person next to them, enjoying the setting they’re in. The point here is that you don’t always need to travel far to appreciate and connect to nature. It also doesn’t require you to be wealthy to have an adventurous day out which will guarantee to improve your mood on some level.
I’ve also come to realise over recent years that sometimes it’s a better experience to visit less well known beauty spots which aren’t necessarily as eye-catching. The obvious reason being you’re going to find a lot less people around you, and therefore will find it much easier to connect with what’s around you, and find peace you crave. So if you’re struggling to really connect with nature and appreciate the power of what it can bring, then I would encourage you to do some research on your local area and find these green areas. Scan whatever map app you have on your phone (or physical map) and you’ll be surprised how close you actually are to a green space.
To conclude, many of us enjoy going to different places but if you’re someone who isn’t very outdoorsy, I challenge you to go for just one 30 minute walk a week and I guarantee you will see the health benefits. You will start to crave being in nature more and more. You don’t need to suddenly start completing 4 hour walks every week, just get outside, away from the busy lives we all lead wherever you are in the world! I would like to believe that the more we all start to connect to the natural world, the more serious our global population can work stronger together to tackle the threat of climate change and make the future of the planet and humanity a better place than its currently steering towards.
Groundskeeper ensuring Guangzhou parks are well maintained
