Just a few moments of tuning into nature can make you feel more inspired, connected, and less lonely. Let us guide you through a five-minute noticing nature practice — you don't even have to leave your neighborhood.
Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/aj34s585
How to Do This Practice:
- Find somewhere where you can focus on the natural environment, like your backyard.
- Take a few slow, deep breaths. Close your eyes or soften your gaze.
- Notice your belly and chest rise and fall as you breathe. Note the physical sensations of your breath.
- If you closed your eyes, open them. Let your breath fall into its natural rhythm.
- Look around you and let your eyes wander slowly through your surroundings: the plants, animals, and bugs.
- Let yourself be curious about anything that catches your eye and moves you. Rest your awareness there. Pause to appreciate it, and let it hold your attention for a few moments.
- Turn your awareness to your emotions. How are you feeling? When something you see evokes an emotion, take a mental photo of it. What about it captivated you? What did it make you feel?
- Write that down in just a few words or sentences, or make a mental note of it. Let your gaze wander again whenever you’re ready, repeating these steps.
Today’s Happiness Break host:
Dacher Keltner is the host of the Greater Good Science Center’s award-winning podcast, The Science of Happiness and is a co-instructor of the GGSC’s popular online course of the same name. He’s also the founding director of the GGSC and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.
If you enjoyed this Happiness Break, you may also like these Happiness Breaks:
Feeling the Awe of Nature From Anywhere, With Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/y4mm4wu9
How to Ground Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/2wv69kws
Check out these episodes of The Science of Happiness
Walk Outside with Inside Out’s Pete Docter: https://tinyurl.com/23vpuj8j
Why We Should Look up at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/mpn9vj2t
How Birdsong Can Help Your Mental Health: https://tinyurl.com/3tey4rb5
Tell us about your nature experience! Direct message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. You can also e-mail us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.
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