Going Back To Nature To Feel More Alive

Hey everyone,

I spent my last week on an epic road trip and I couldn’t publish that week’s newsletter issue.

I don’t feel sorry for that, as I needed to recharge my mental health.

However, those experiences inspired this week’s issue (and some future ones as well).

It will take around 4 minutes to read.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

Oh, but before you go, please make sure to subscribe and send it to others who might enjoy it too. Much appreciated!

Have you ever asked yourself the question:

Am I only alive as one of the 8 billion people living on this planet?

Or do I live my days in content?

In our everyday life, we tend to forget the latter.

We spend our awake hours living by routines, repetitive tasks, and doing shallow stuff that makes us forget about the scarce time we spend alive.

Commuting, doing shallow work, doing our errands and chores, and getting so exhausted that we just fall into bed every day.

Days, weeks and months go by, and we get hit by the realization that another year passed.

We get older, but this hamster wheel remains the same.

We may go on vacations for a week or so, which gives us a slight breeze of living with content.

But within a blink, we get back to reality where we step into the hamster wheel again, and the shit goes on. Again and again.

Every day, we are surrounded by noises from consuming worthless news and TikTok videos while we rush from one place to another on a bus stuffed with frustrated people.

I recently spent 10 days on an epic road trip from Hungary to Fuerteventura, the Canary Islands, with friends and four caravans.

On Fuerteventura, there were days when I was sitting on the rocks watching the ocean and listening to the waves and other sounds of nature.

I could disable all the digital and unnatural noises from my mind.

Soon, my body and mind only focused on nature's sounds, the touch of the slight wind breeze, and the sun's warmth.

I started feeling that the "mental deafness" I got from the daily stress, rush, and worthless content consumption was clearing out from me.

It was replaced by the soundful silence and the silent sounds that made me feel truly alive.

I haven't felt so alive for months.

I had the same feelings when we sat in a small tapas bar in a little oceanside town.

The restaurant's servers and the locals seemed happy and enjoying their time. People undoubtedly looked like they were truly alive.

Of course, the little bell started ringing in my head: this is how I wanna live.

Fully alive.

Without that rush, frustration, mental overload, and the physical symptoms of stress I had experienced before the trip.

Because those slow and mindful moments help you grasp the beauty of our life on this planet and in its nature.

Without those, you will just stick in the hamster wheel, rushing fast and forgetting that you are a human being, not just a number in the employee book or your national ID card.

Wait a second, Máté. This sounds great, and yeah, I wish I could go to a Mediterranean spot to enjoy the waterside and slow down. But I cannot do that now. So come on, give me something I can do!

Yes, yes, that’s what I wanted to do!

Also as, unfortunately, for the time being, I’m also stuck in an urban environment, far from the Mediterranean seaside I am always longing for.

But being closer to nature is vital for our stressed urban ass.

Neuroscientist Rachel Hopman, Ph.D., explains that being in nature induces a state she describes as "soft fascination”. This state restores and builds resources you need to think, create, process information and execute tasks. It’s sort of mindfulness without meditation.

This explains the reason why we feel so much more alive in nature - whether we are at the seaside, in a forest, or even just walking in a more peaceful neighborhood.

So here are some of my ideas on how to embrace this natural peace and soft fascination.

3 Tips To Clear Your Mind and Find Peace Around Nature

1) Leave your phone at home and head to a park or forest

I am sure that if you open up Google Maps, you will easily find a park or forest close to your home. So just target that spot, leave your phone at home, and walk to that location.

You don’t have to travel far for the slow moments in nature. Just find 30 minutes a week and walk across the park and observe the natural sounds around you.

Listen to the sound of the moving leaves as the slight breeze caresses them.

Observe those crackling sounds on the ground.

Look at the people walking around.

Soon enough, you will start feeling more alive and in the present, without the noises of the urban, corporate and unnatural environment.

Easy, huh?

2) Choose a less busy spot to go out with your friends

We mostly go out to busy neighborhoods on Friday or Saturday evenings to enjoy the nightlife vibes of the city. I’m sure you can relate to that.

But ask yourself the question: is it the crowded vibe that makes you enjoy the moment or your friend’s company? In most cases, the answer is the latter.

Next time you are planning a get-together with friends, search for a more remote spot with a great place to grab some food and drinks and enjoy the time there.

The less noise you will have around you, the more sounds you can grasp.

You are there for & with your friends, not with the stranger crowd.

Sit, talk, eat, drink, and laugh - with fewer unnecessary noises around you.

3) Find an extra 10 minutes during your daily commute to walk and slow down

If you are struggling with busy days then just allocate an extra 10 minutes to hop off the bus earlier and walk on an alternative route to your workplace.

Make sure you don't rush-walk in those 10 minutes but enjoy every step you take.

It might not be an activity in nature but at least walking is much closer to nature than standing on a crowded bus with a hundred smelly and frustrated people.

It’s even better if you take out your earphones and put your phone into “Do Not Disturb” mode for those 10 minutes.

It’s your time. Everyone else can wait.

What’s your best way to get closer to nature? Reply to this email to send me a DM on Twitter.

Máté - The Mindful Guerilla

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