Being touch with nature is important to me. I often feel a need to reconnect and dig my heels in. But in the long Wisconsin winter months I find it harder to do this, I'm sure I'm not alone. This is a list of a dozen things, some I have been doing for years and a few I'd like to try. Feel free to add your own ideas below in my comments section.
12 ideas to keep nature in your heart all winter long
1. Open your windows. Not sure how fresh air gets fresh, but whatever that entails, I like it. It brings life back into the home. It clears out stale, dusty air and replaces it with fresh smelling "nature." Easy, affordable and healthy. Even in winter open a window for a few minutes. The fresh air is refreshing.
2. Hang your clothes out to dry on a clothesline. Get a clothes rack, that works too. Let the fresh air into your clean clothes and the smell is AMAZING! As a kid one of the fondest memories in the summer was Mom announcing that we had "clean sheets tonight." I'd be freshly bathed and have wet hair and I'd climb into bed and the smell of those fresh sheets lulled me to sleep every time with a smile on my face. It was like magic! Perhaps the summer shouldn't have a monopoly on hanging out clothes. I remember my mom hanging clothes outside in the winter and when she would take them down they would be all stiff and frozen. When she brought them in they dried the rest of the way really fast over the back of chairs or doors. They smelled so good. I am thinking of trying this with my blankets this winter. I don't think it's practical to try this for all of my clothes, but blankets and sheets might just pay off in rewards of fresh air and dreamy smells.
3. Grow something. Watching something grow from a seed to a plant is miraculous every time. How does the seed know what to become? How does it happen so fast? "It's nature." I have planted some flowers and veggies in cups and put them on our window sill in Feb. The kids love watching them grow and it gave me the patience I needed while waiting for spring because the promise of spring was growing right in front of me. The bigger they got, the realization occurred to me that I would soon be planting them in the ground, and it made waiting seem easier.
4. Walk. Even in the winter. Wear the appropriate gear and especially footwear and then go for a walk. No one likes being cold, but remember when you need it nature is out there. Keep it short and sweet. The snow sparkles in the streetlights as you walk. The sky gets that lavender shade and is illuminated by the lights of the city. If your in the country you can see for miles as the moon shines over the seemingly endless snow. The air has a smell like no other, and now and again you get the smell of a wood stove and for me memories start bouncing in my mind. Birds fly over head.. it's magical. Be safe and make sure someone knows you are out there, and be careful not to slip!
5. Feed the birds. I hang a bird feeder outside of my window and I love to watch the birds come, especially in winter. So many varieties come to eat, they are so fun to watch. I wonder how they can stand to live out there in the frigid air, but it's what they have evolved to do. It's nature, and I love watching it.
6. Try a winter sport. If you have kids, this will be easy. Take them to the rink. Take them ice fishing. Take them cross country skiing. Sledding is an obvious choice! Even if you can't participate, watching is fun! Helps you get in a little fresh air and kills cabin fever.
7. Go for a drive. I love doing this. Sadly, now that gas has gotten expensive it isn't always an option so I I make the most out of my drive to the grocery store or the dentist. But how I love those Sunday drives! The sun on the landscape, the trees and the wildlife, and even if it's cold I crack a window so I can smell the fresh air. It's certainly a luxury for some of us, but it's well worth the gas money for the renewal in your spirit.
8. Don't forget to breath. A friend of mine once told me (after I told her I had lost touch with nature) that the best way to regain contact was to sit in a quiet area outside on the ground. Push all of the air out of our lungs, and then breathe deep. Continue to breathe deep letting that air become not only all around you, but inside of you. That air is nature. That air is inside of you. It is now a part of you. You are a part of nature. YOU ARE NATURE! We have to remember not to get too far away from nature because we ARE nature. We just need a quiet place to remind ourselves.
9. Eat fresh. Fresh foods are alive. Canned foods are, well, less than alive. If you can eat whole fresh foods, nature is in your kitchen and renewing your body. It's the best for us! If you feel good physically, you feel good mentally. This raises our spirits!
10. If you have a fireplace, light a fire. On cold nights nothing beats getting cozy! Since the beginning of time people have been fascinated with watching fire. It must warm our bodies and our souls. If you have that luxury, use it, and better yet, share it! Invite someone to come get cozy with you. Serve popcorn and hot chocolate. Yum. (You know my number, right ;)
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Winter doesn't have to make us crazy. We can stay connected to the earth and each other with a little extra effort. Open your mind, your heart and your soul up to what winter has to offer. Here's to a great winter for us all! Keep your feet dry and make sure to take your vitamin D!
I like nature, it really does nurture us all. Reality is separation from it can cripple us emotionally and mentally.
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