'Nature does not hurry. Yet, everything gets accomplished. ' - LAO TZU
Such an interesting phase that we all go through right now.. not only socially, physically but also, and maybe, the more important, mentally. With COVID-19 taking over the world and so many informations about it everywhere you look, it's not only confusing but it can get very stressful.
The health concerns that can get to all of us even if we're hopefully, all of us in the 'safe range' and really pay attention to our lifestyle this period.
As the best measurements were taken so we can have the best hold of our health, for sure it may affect a lot of business especially the smaller, local ones. That thought it's not only concerning but can raise sky high many people's stress levels.. With all the uncertainty about the future, we may not even know what's the best plan that we can put into play, with no ending deadline to it.
On top of all this, we have to deal with this situation, mostly from within our own home, and for a lot of us, surrounded with the loved ones - family, kids, the significant other and our fur babies.
As beautiful and as grateful as I am for being able to have more time at home to spend more time with my fur baby and do the chores that I have put off for such a long time, we all know how stressful it may gets. And as it seems, it will probably not end up any time soon.
Still, the only thing that we know for sure is that WE HAVE TO FACE THIS SITUATIONS AND WE ARE ALL IN THIS. Of course, other people may not be your source of comfort and that it's just right but knowing that we are not alone it's sometimes comforting and in certain situations, it helps.
In my opinion, if we can learn and gain anything from this situation is that we may need to learn to FACE IT.
What if instead of complaining about the situation, we make the best of it? What if we chose to stop complaining and see the cup half full? Yes. There is shitty times, and many people are affected so far and many will be from now on. And, that is the truth. But is there anything we can do to change it? No.
Actually it is. To #stayhome and #staysafe. We understood slowly what staying at home means.. but do we really know what 'stay safe' entails? Is it only to disinfect everything and to wash our hands 50 times a day?
Apart from this virus and the health concerns, again, there are many other issues that will occur during this time. And those are just as important for our safety, for our sanity and for our own health.
We are social creatures so we will need people in our lives, such a good moment to be grateful for the era that we live in and for the technology that allows us to stay connected with family and friends, from all around the globe.
But on the other hand, just as much, if not even more, we need nature. For such a long time we have been disconnected from nature. I won't talk here about how this "break" that we took benefits the Nature so much - although....
I will talk about the "break" that we, humans, took from nature. So many of us. How many times have we chosen a coffee out instead of a run? A dinner over a walk in the park? A 'day in bed' instead of a hike?
The next season it's just around the corner.. the summer may be the only time when we may let "nature" sink us with sunshine, sea water, sand, and all the seasonal activities. And still, it has been proven that nature it's the season when our level of happiness increases and we all vibrate on higher frequencies.
Richard Louv talks in his book - Last Child in the Woods, about the term “nature deficit disorder” which describe the loss of connection that human beings, especially children, increasingly feel with the natural environment.
'With over half the world’s population now living in cities, we are facing either the end of meaningful experiences in nature, or the beginning of new kinds of cities and a new definition of nature. According to Louv, conservation is no longer enough—we must also restore or create natural habitats on our farms and ranches, in our cities, neighbourhoods, commercial buildings, yards, and on our roofs, to protect the biodiversity that all living creatures, including humans, need.' - Research done by University of Columbia.
Here are a few proven benefits that nature have on us:
'People in hospitals who can see a natural landscape have been shown to get better faster.'
'Subjects with moderate-severe depression who participated in a horticultural program experienced reduced symptoms after 12 weeks.
'Subjects with moderate-severe depression who participated in a horticultural program experienced reduced symptoms after 12 weeks.'
'The incredible physiological effects of being outdoors—including increased immune activity and less perceived effort during exercise.'
'People who walked on an outdoor track moved at a faster pace, perceived less exertion, and experienced more positive emotions than those who walked on an indoor treadmill.'
'Subjects who walked through a rural area viewed their to-do list as more manageable than those who walked on city streets.'
'Just looking at a natural scene activates parts of the brain associated with balance and happiness.'
'Negative ions—particles that are plentiful near waterfalls, breaking waves, and river rapids—can act as natural antidepressants. An Indoor Air study found that after breathing negative ions for an hour, subjects’ blood lactate levels dropped 33 percent, improving their energy levels.Women who spent two to four hours in the woods on two consecutive days experienced a nearly 50 percent increase in the activity of cancer-fighting white blood cells.'
HERE COMES THE GOOD PART.
Once we face the situation that we are in, once we embrace it, we can accept it and change ourselves. If the time has changed, we HAVE to change as well. This may be the most challenging and difficult for most of us but it may be the most worthy thing we have done so far for ourselves.
This statement that comes to my mind almost every single time I have to face a difficult situation, and it became one of the most repeated things that I tell to myself:
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change" - Charles Darwin
lifestyle - IMITATE NATURE
Before electric lighting dominated our world, we lived by the cycles of the sun and moon. We awakened with the sunrise, were active in the daylight, and gathered around the fire as darkness fell. This way of life wasn’t merely convenient; it turns out to be vital to our physical and mental functioning, our moods, and even our survival.
In our own bodies, we have daily, monthly, and seasonal cycles of sleep and wakefulness, temperature, blood pressure, hormone secretion, cell division, and virtually all functions. These processes are triggered by changes in light level, air temperature, and other environmental factors.
If we think about it and try to be more mindful when it comes to the connection that we have with the nature, with it's cycles and with it's own harmony, we would be mesmerised by how much we actually resonate with it. By trying to be more mindful of the nature cycles and get 'back to the roots' and live more mindful, we will be surprise by how our whole wellbeing can change and how much we can actually benefit from it.
lifestyle - GET THE SMELL
I have never heard anyone not to like the fresh smell of nature. Well.. most of the fragrances comes from nature. It can be specific fresh flower, the smell of wood, freshly cut grass, the unique smell of the forest after rain, etc. Well it's so easy to bring that smell into our homes.
It depends on what fragrances we enjoy the most and what suits our lifestyle the most.
Best ways to bring the smell of the nature inside it's through natural fragrances - let's always remember what it's the main focus here - TO CONNECT MORE WITH NATURE AND BRING IT INSIDE as much as we can. So, it's best to stay away from artificial smells. Best to stick with essential oils, natural candles and incense sticks. A good way to refreshen your home and also cleanse that stagnant energy that can accumulate during this time, is to start to smudge areas of your home. An easy option would be to burn some stage or a palo santo stick.
Here are some options that I have picked up from Amazon that you can order easily even in Romania and it will get to you within a week.
design - LIVING SOURCES
If we want to be closer to nature, connect more with it and get the benefits from it, it's the actual living source. Because we are limited to our own homes at this point, we have to work our way around it in a different way. By bringing some potted plants in your home or a freshly cut bouquet that you can order with your weekly groceries will lighten up your mood for the entire week.
Here are a few links from where you van get really beautiful floral arrangements that will brighten up your house.
design - EARTHY TONES
Artists and interior designers have long believed that colour can dramatically affect moods, feelings, and emotions. "Colours, like features, follow the changes of the emotions," the artist Pablo Picasso once remarked. Through it's own colours, nature has this amazing power of grounding, calming, uplifting and so revitalising.
design - SUSTAINABLE FURNITURE & DIY PROJECTS
'Sustainable furniture is made from materials that have certain characteristics. These materials may be recycled or re-purposed. Anything that is made from materials that had previously been used for something else and are then reused in the making of new furniture'. Maybe you are in need of a new piece of furniture or trying to give your home a fresh feature, it's a good time to think of ways that we can give back to nature. Buying sustainable furniture can be a good step forward.
On the same note, we can start making DIY projects. It's a good way to spend more time, be mindful and connect with nature. Even more, you can ask your kids to do it with you may be surprised how quickly time will pass and how nice is to see something that 'comes alive' from your own hands.
Use your own old stuff to create something new, paint an old furniture, pot a new plant, paint a wall with your kids, or check this creative websites for more ideas!
design - RAW MATERIALS
Again, think of nature. Think of wooden materials, metals such as iron, copper, etc; stone, minerals and fabrics.
Having raw materials in your home, it will bring that fresh and grounding vibe that we are all starving for.
Same as Richard Louv concluded,” The natural world’s benefits to our condition and health will be irrelevant if we continue to destroy the nature around us. But that destruction is assured without a human reconnection to nature.” It's a good time to come back to the bear necessities and to see what it's happening within us and within our homes and try to connect more with our basic structure.
The most important thing, comes from interior. The raw principle of LA INTERIOR. Interior of your home, interior of your own body, interior of your own mind. It's all connected and in order to change ourselves entirely, we have to look at all this subjects as a whole.
