Nature Connectedness

I was so tempted to hit the snooze button but the future version of myself reminded me I have never regretted a sunrise paddle.

It was a beautiful morning and I experienced a whole range of emotional experiences.

Excitement at discovering a seal basking on a bank. Amazement at overwhelming sound of 100 geese taking off from the water. Awe at the alien like structure of jelly fish floating around my board. I felt connected to nature.

Nature connectedness is more than just spending time in nature. It’s our about relationship WITH nature.

People who have a greater sense of nature connectedness also tend to experience higher levels of wellbeing.

There are many ways to increase our nature connectedness.

Miles Richardson describes 5 pathways :

* Senses - tuning in to nature through the senses
* Emotion - feeling alive through the emotions and feelings nature brings
* Beauty - noticing nature’s beauty
* Meaning - nature bringing meaning to our lives
* Compassion - caring and taking action for nature