In this increasingly digital world, we are seeing the negative effects of a disconnect from nature. You hear stories and see the harmful effects in zoos where wild animals are caged, and experience depression, and a disconnection from their natural behaviour when removed from the environment they were evolutionarily designed for. Some adapt, but not without consequence, in zoos, bears, large marine animals, and large cat species like lions and tigers, face increased aggression, abnormal behaviours, anxiety and depression. This effect is especially evident in social animals like lions, which are often kept alone in captivity, in environments different from their natural habitat. This is often referred to as zoochosis, in which animals exhibit unusual and distressed behaviour as a result of being removed from and isolated from their true nature and natural environment.
We can see evidence of this in us humans. As our reliance and use of technology grows, we are seeing increasing levels of mental health struggles, isolation, loneliness, anxiety, depression, less physical activity, and a disconnect from nature… our natural environment. I would argue that we are living in an invisible cage. Many of us live in cities, boxed in by concrete, breathing polluted air and completely isolated from silence and nature. Learning and development play a key role in both the problem and the solution. In one sense, we have learned an easier and faster way to receive instant gratification; our increased use and reliance on technology have created, and continue to create, negative effects on our mental and physical health. So what… what can we do about it? How can we learn and develop new neural pathways? Getting back to our roots, we need to reimmerse ourselves in our natural environment, nature!
In no way am I saying we need to go live outside, but we need to take conscious, meaningful steps to regularly bring nature into our lives. This could be as simple as going for a walk outside, buying a houseplant or noticing the birds in your yard. Or it could look like camping on weekends, meditating in a forest or stargazing on a grassy hill. Being in nature naturally calms our nervous system; it provides a space where time doesn’t exist and allows us to slow down, breathe, stop and notice, to appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds us.
In grade 7, I stopped attending school for 3 months, my safety teacher was on a medical leave, I had terrible anxiety, and my home life had a dramatic shift. The cherry on top, I was 13, and the worst thing that could happen to 13-year-olds was about to happen. Safe to say I was a mess, I had countless mental health struggles, and a diagnosis. My poor mother tried everything, she tried doctors, counsellors and medication. When I noticed myself getting worked up or emotional, my default was to hide in the basement. I would sit in a dark corner and cry, or rock, or scream, or do whatever I needed to, in an attempt to release my emotions. When I got tired of that, I zoned out, and my tears dried, I would climb out of my basement window and “escape” to the freedom of my neighbourhood. I lived in a nice, newer neighbourhood at the time, so it was fairly safe… but just in case, I would bring my “safety kit,” which contained all the essentials: a pocketknife, extra socks, a toothbrush, and snacks. I would hang out on my fence, visit the playground or walk around the block, but my favourite spot was this giant bush that I would just morph into, like Homer Simpson. And I would just sit there, I would cry some more, I would think about what I did, what I want to do, what I’m doing… and eventually they would come looking for me, of course, but I did this regularly enough that they knew I was safe and probably hiding in a bush somewhere along the street. And I always was. At the time, I did not realize I might have been craving nature, or found comfort in it, but reflecting back now, I can see how that may have been the case. Nature didn’t fix me, but it sure helped when I felt helpless. To help, on weekends, my grandparents would take me camping, and the patience I developed from feeding chipmunks and birds out of my hand, and just staring at leaves, trying to memorize their vein patterns, gave me a stronger appreciation for nature, and both my teachers and family noticed I was calmer and able to focus more when I got back to school. Since moving to more rural areas, I get outside daily, whether it's talking to my tree in the backyard (yes, I'm crazy, I know it), lying on the grass watching the stars or taking the scenic route, driving the back roads, or identifying the birds in my yard.
Is this the answer to all our problems? No… but when our bodies are in a more regulated state, our minds work better, and when our minds work better, we as a whole are better. We don’t need to learn some secret to the best life or how to be successful or rich. Success comes from inner peace and, according to Maslow, self-actualization. We know the answer; we’ve known the answer since we evolved from a slimy fish. We need to go back to our roots; we need to slow down, we need to interact with our natural environment, we are nature, and that's where we belong.
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