The Power of Nature

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“There are moments when all anxiety and stated toil are becalmed in the infinite leisure and repose of nature.” – Henry David Thoreau

The Power of Nature

Stress. Anxiety. Depression. Feelings of Helplessness. Feelings of Hopelessness.

These are all too common symptoms of modern living.

We all carry some burden of stress in our lives. The evolution of human civilization has made people incredibly powerful together as a group, with our complex societies and methodically organized workforce’s. However, these complexities and demands take a toll on us as individuals and we can become spiritually lost to our own purposes in this life.

It’s easy to forget about the beauty that’s all around us when we’re surrounded by concrete, garbage and police sirens. It’s easy to close our eyes and see no further than the pavement which we drive upon or walk across every day.

It’s easy to see no further than our money, material possessions or our next big purchases. We can become lost in our societies. We can become lost in the life that man created. A self-imposed prison of obligations and compensatory comforts.

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This looks like hell to me, to be honest.

Perhaps life was never meant to be this complicated. Perhaps our inner animal resents being contained in this mundane, safe and controlled lifestyle. Perhaps in each of our hearts, there is a longing to return to where we all had once begun in our evolutionary process. Do you feel this?

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that even in the most advanced time of human civilization, anxiety and depression disorders run rampant among North American populations. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that 18% of Americans suffer from anxiety disorders every single year.

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Well, the good news is that nature can still be found in abundance and nature is a beautiful healer for lost and hurt souls. There are many ways to get your needed dose of nature today; you can take a nice walk outside with the sun shining on your face, listening to the birds sing and feeling the gentle breeze of the wind across your skin. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can go deep in to the heart of nature and reconnect with your primal roots via kayaking, canoeing or camping. It doesn’t matter how you take time to reconnect with the life that’s shaped and created us, just reap the benefits of it!

There was a study performed in 2015, where two groups of participants were ordered to perform 90 minutes of walking in either a natural or an urban environment while having their brain activities monitored. Interestingly enough, the group that was selected to take their walks in nature showed much less activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is associated with repetitive, negative thoughts and emotions.You know, the type of thoughts that can replay in a person’s head over and over on a continuous loop like a broken record. Nature walks brought about a deeper sense of calm to these individuals when compared against those who walked city streets.

Aka. They felt less anxious!

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Some days we lack the time to get out into a forest, so what do we do on those days? Well, studies have shown that just the sounds and images of nature can positively influence our overall sense of well-being with even similar benefits as actually being in it.

So, when in a pinch try playing some nature sounds on Youtube while you write or relax and immerse yourself in what we had once evolved to!

Don’t shut out mother nature from your life! She helped bring you into this world and one day she will welcome you back. We can all benefit from a little more calm and tranquility in our lives, so give your inner animal that taste of nature that it so desires!

Do you get as much time in nature as you’d like?

Thoughts? Opinions? Leave them down below.

 

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Published by The Wolf Boy

Philosophy and English Student. Crypto Enthusiast. Philosopher. Writer. Father. Rebel. Stoic.

Published

32 thoughts on “The Power of Nature”

  2. This is a very deep and informative post underlying the fact that we are complex and flawed creatures.
    Most of us enjoy Nature and gain much from wandering in her bounties, yet we are in these days ill-equipped to survive in her realms; even the placid places which the most delicate of mice can thrive.
    We feel safe in our huddles of shelters, which we have made harsh, unyielding and unforgiving as any mountain crag. Here we create our own dangers and threats.
    With all of our experiences and lessons learned we should have been able to create an ideal balance, and share with Nature.
    But we are complex, flawed creatures, and have not understood our existence on this vast, even more complex 4 billion year old world is conditional.

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  3. Nature has it’s own power and I use to meditate outside too, get new energy and feel good ..
    should probably have used it more. If it is a nice summer day in Norway I write poems in the middle of nature.
    💜have a nice day🦋

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  4. I did a puzzle on an app of that lady picture. Not surprisingly, digital jigsaw puzzle and nature are two ways to help my anxiety. Nature’s therapy will always trump any medication, suggestion, or section with/from a doctor.

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  6. Lovely post Mathew. I have been there, stressing every single day about the todo tasks and suffering with anxiety. Came across a book ‘Power of Now’ and it has changed me. And i agree that Nature can help us be in the present. I have hung a bird feeder on my Patio these days and love watching them and caring for them. I do think we all long to be those primitive selves. Very well written post👏

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  7. “Stress. Anxiety. Depression. Feelings of Helplessness. Feelings of Hopelessness.” Just the thing, I keep feeling myself, most of the time. Luckily, near our new home, there are lots of trees and ponds and fresh breezes. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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