Nature Journaling

In times of such unrest and instability, it has become increasingly important to take care of your own wellbeing and health. Although maintaining physical health is an important component of a healthy lifestyle, mental health can be equally, or more, important in some circumstances. Eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, as well as maintaining a healthy relationship with social media, practicing mindfulness, and socializing can all give rise to increased happiness and better quality of life in general. In particular, we’ll discuss one way of practicing mindfulness that you can incorporate into your everyday life: nature journaling!

What even is nature journaling? Simply put, nature journaling is the action of recording observations of nature. There are no rules to nature journaling. Just pick up paper and a pencil, find a place where you can observe nature, and you’ll be good to go! Write as little or as much as you want. In fact, you don’t even have to write anything at all! Drawing pictures of what you observe is totally ok and is encouraged!

Some people may find nature journaling to be hard and difficult at first due to the lack of structure. Many people find themselves in situations like these and that’s ok! To help you jumpstart your journey in nature journaling, we have the following recommendations:

Find a quiet place where you feel comfortable journaling in.

Take a moment to focus on yourself and your surroundings, letting thoughts float in and out of your mind.

If unwelcome and unrelated thoughts pop into your head, do not try to force them out. Instead, acknowledge them and let them leave on their own.

Once you feel ready, journal anything you see, feel, or hear. Think of your five senses!

And remember, there is no right or wrong in nature journaling, just do whatever feels right!

Hopefully this has convinced you to give nature journaling a try and we’d love to hear your experiences with it! Not only does nature journaling act as an outlet for relaxation, it also allows for the development of a deeper understanding of your surroundings and environment. Plus, we hope the observations you make will inspire you to take action in protecting our beautiful natural world.