On some level, just about everyone likes – or at least respects – nature. And it’s almost unanimously agreed, as well, that getting into the great outdoors from time to time is a really healthy habit to cultivate.
For these reasons – and probably also because most of us now live such urban and nature-devoid lives – there’s been something of a resurgence of interest in the great outdoors in recent years.
You don’t have to look hard to find lists of the best gifts for hikers, reviews of the best camping gear on the market, and magazines and articles showcasing the best scenic walks in your area.
But it’s one thing to have a healthy respect for nature, and another thing to be able to successfully read the signs that it’s time for you to actually get out into the great outdoors.
Here are some of those signs to look out for.
You feel completely blown about in the wind, and your life lacks a sense of stability
Many of us today feel painfully unstable, and even rootless, over the course of our everyday lives.
It was all the way back in the 1800s that the French sociologist Emile Durkheim wrote of the phenomenon of “anomie” – a state of disconnection from tradition, social values, and community, that drove people suicidal.
These days, the average person in the developed world is much more likely to switch jobs and neighborhoods every few years, to be detached from the traditions of their parents and grandparents, and to feel an overall sense of disconnect.
If you’re feeling “anomie,” it may be that getting out into nature could serve as a potent antidote. Nature is eternal, and there’s something about getting in touch with the tides of the seasons, and the gentle rustle of leaves on the trees, that helps to give you a sense of connection to something deeper.
You’re finding it just about impossible to look at the world without a social media filter in the way
In theory, social media should make us all more connected to each other than ever before, and help to nurture strong social relationships.
In practice, social media can easily end up becoming a permanently-ongoing status competition, where everyone is anxious about curating the best photos to display to the world, frantically trying to come up with the wittiest status updates, and bending over backwards to avoid becoming the butt of a joke, at all costs.
Suffice to say, if you go too far down the rabbit hole and become too addicted to social media, your entire sense of the world can become contaminated by it. You might find that you’re no longer capable of enjoying a vacation without constantly trying to get the right selfies at each location.
If you feel that there’s too much of a social media filter in the way of your life, leaving your smartphone and tablet at home and getting out into nature may help you to reset and regain a more balanced perspective on the world.
You’re highly-strung, to the point where you feel like you’re about to snap
Real, everyday life, is often absolutely packed with obligations and social duties – many of which can become very stressful, in very short order.
Getting out into nature for a while helps to slow the pace of your life significantly, and reduce the essential stress that you have to face – at least if you’re not doing an Arctic survival challenge at the North Pole.
If you’re highly strung, don’t underestimate the relaxing powers of a camping holiday.