what’s a nature scan?
Try performing a “nature scan” on this image, or in any room. Photo source unknown.
Hello, friend.
As a kiddo you probably heard “go outside and play.” But another worthwhile directive that’s good at any age is “go outside and make stuff.” There’s a proven link between time spent in nature and increased creativity. We still benefit from an early Homo Sapien cerebral impulse when humans had to problem-solve in wild places.
Despite what most adults tend to think, nature isn’t confined to National Parks and wide, sandy beaches. This Earth Day (or any day), I invite you to revisit your definition of the natural world via this mindful writing exercise.
Journaling Prompt: Perform a quick “nature scan.” Wherever you are, look around and identify elements from the natural world. It could be the fruit in a bowl on your kitchen counter, a plant on your desk, the wood your chair is made of, the water in your cup, a bird outside your window, the dog resting at your feet, the cotton your shirt is woven from, the sunlight coming through a window. Just take a few minutes and jot them down. Notice and record them. Can you find fifteen? Twenty-five? More? Did you end up putting yourself on that list? Because you are nature, too.
Performing a nature scan helps us see how many natural elements are all around us, all the time. It provides a subtle reminder that it isn’t “out there” somewhere. The distance between us and nature closes. We are it; it is us.
The natural world used to be a soothing reminder of constancy, and it still is. But given the growing frequency of erratic, intense weather events, the environment is also an increasing source of anxiety. That worry even has a name. Australian philosopher Glenn Albrecht coined the term “solastalgia”—emotional distress linked to environmental change. After the devastating brushfires in his country that burned from September 2019 to March 2020, Albrecht potently wrote, “Environmental damage has made it possible to be homesick without leaving home.”
Like the fires that inspired it, the solastalgia phenomenon is growing rapidly, so taking exceptional care of your mental health on our warming planet is important—and that’s far from selfish. If you’re shut down and not functioning, you’ll be unable to take care of yourself or others and may require resources that could otherwise be deployed elsewhere.
Remember, your personal resilience is served each time you open your journal. Solutions and stamina are what we need to navigate dynamic environments, and both are fostered by putting pen to paper.
Try taking your notebook outside—even a park bench will do. Experiment to see if it increases your “Homo Sapien” creative flow. Let me know how it goes. And keep writing, my friends; it works.
In Swellness,
Laura
PS. Retreat update: I’m thrilled to announce that my friend Sarrah Strimmel will be leading the optional yoga session at the upcoming “Pathfinder” writing retreat at Valley Rock Inn, May 16-18. Sarrah is a straight-up goddess and, appropriately for Earth Day, a force of nature. I’m honored that she will join us at the writing table and bring her skills to the mix.
We have only a couple of open spots left for this transformative and supportive weekend, so if the experience speaks to you, I hope you’ll make one of them yours.
