Karla Tafra
Just because you’re spending more time inside doesn’t mean you you can’t feel connected with nature. You just need to get a little bit creative—and we’re here to help.
Grow Your Own Plants
Whether you have a balcony, a terrace, a patio, or none of the above, buying seeds and plants and growing them in your own home connects you with nature on the most basic of levels, as you feel the life force flowing through its leaves and flowers.
Adding greenery into your living space can completely transform your ambiance, as it brings in fresh energy and a sense of calm, making gardening fun, joyful, and completely therapeutic. You can track their daily progress and feel the excitement rush through you as a new leaf or flower emerges, letting you know you’re doing a great job keeping it alive.
Educate yourself on the best places to put your plants, where they’ll get the most sunlight, and learn how each plant behaves, as some need more water than others. In addition to that, certain species have added benefits like purifying the air, improving your sleeping quality, or adding a wonderful scent that can turn each room in your house into a real-life spa oasis.
If, on the other hand, you’re not interested in growing your own plants, your residential complex doesn’t allow them, or you simply don’t have enough outdoor space for them, buying some at your local farmer’s market and at least placing them in a vase can lift up your space and brighten your mood, one color at a time.
Open Your Windows
One of the easiest ways to connect with nature from the comfort of your own home is to open up your windows and invite it in. The fresh air mixed with the sounds and smells from the nearby plants and flowers will fill your entire home and get you more energized and relaxed at the same time.
The sunlight that comes through and illuminates your rooms will improve your mood and bring you that coveted feeling of positivity and hope. Being in the dark for long periods of time has been linked to depression and other mood and mental disorders, as many people experience it throughout the year, especially in the colder months and in the most northern areas of the world. There’s a good reason the trope of people throwing open the drapes to let the sunlight pour in exists in movies: dramatic gesture or not, it really is mood elevating.
Opening up your windows and blinds and aiming for as much natural light as possible can improve your mood, boost your productivity, and even impact your decision-making.
Bring More Natural Vibes into Your Home
Wake up your inner interior designer and redecorate your home with more natural colors and tones, bringing the essence of nature into your four walls.
Paint your walls white or beige to bring in more natural light; add wooden furniture items and stone accents; and choose sofas, bedding, pillows, and chairs to be of earthy colors; making your living space seem like it’s been carved from stone or sand. It will evoke feelings of warmth and coziness, and get you more connected to the world outside your windows.
You don’t have to redecorate all rooms at once, but start with one and see how it makes you feel. If you’re a fan of plants, add them in, too, and get the most out of the zen natural vibes you’re trying to create.
Cook with Seasonal Vegetables
Other than sight and smell, get connected to nature through taste, and cook with local and seasonal vegetables and fruit, getting the most nutrients you possibly can.
When the food you eat is fresh and ripe, that’s when it’s the highest in vitamins and minerals, making it a real micronutrient powerbomb for your whole body. On the other hand, food that’s not in season and that travels from far away countries lacks those nutrients, as it has to be harvested long before it’s ripe and ready. The real ripening process happens during transport or storage, when the plant isn’t connected to the nutrients from the ground anymore.
This is one of the main reasons why eating seasonal and local should be on the top of everyone’s list of priorities. Visit your local farmer’s market and educate yourself on what types of vegetables and fruit grow in your area. You might actually be surprised by what you find.
Watching Documentaries About Nature
If you’re looking for your next Netflix binge, check out the documentaries section and explore the wonderful world of natural wonders and animals through your HD screen. Even though you can’t physically visit those locations and experience the same adventures, seeing it on the screen will make you feel like you’re almost there and have you planning for your next trip, whenever it may be.
Lucky for you, we’re in somewhat of a golden age of nature documentaries. Ever since the Planet Earth series knocked it out of the park with high production values and epic shots of amazing life around the planet, adventurers and filmmakers all over the world have been trying to create documentaries that capture that magic. There are now dozens and dozens of great documentaries on every major streaming platform. You can immerse yourself in the magnificent white kingdom of the Arctic, vegetation-filled Amazon forest, and the gorgeous white sand beaches of the Indonesian islands with the click of a button.
Getting in contact with nature when you can’t leave your house might seem impossible, but with these tips you’ll realize it’s actually easier than you think.
