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33 Tips for More Connection with Nature - How to Strengthen Your Connection with Nature

You long for a stronger connection to nature? Here you can find 33 specific exercises and ideas, with which you can easily strengthen your connection to nature.

from Martin Gebhardt | Wilderness education | no comment yet | reading time 7 Min
Updated on 06 May 2024 8.756 views 100% found this guide helpful
33 Tips for More Connection with Nature - How to Strengthen Your Connection with Nature

Martin Gebhardt

From Martin Gebhardt. Check out my “About me” page.


👉 The key facts from this guide

  • Spend regular time in nature to strengthen your connection
  • Be mindful and use all your senses to perceive nature
  • Find quiet places and simply be still in nature
  • Learn traditional skills such as carving or fire-making
  • Keep a nature journal and document your experiences
  • Share your enthusiasm for nature and learn in a community

You long for more connection with nature, you feel and know that something is waiting for you out there.

But how do you get there?

Your everyday life keeps you trapped and you feel how your natural connection to nature fades more and more.

Stop! It's time for us to change that.

With the right guidance and the appropriate exercises, anyone can strengthen their connection to nature - including you.

In this guide, I share my proven tips and provide 33 specific exercises and ideas to strengthen your connection with nature.

You are the result of my experiences and my passion for helping people reconnect with nature.

I am ready to start this journey with you. Are you too? Then let's dive into a world that promises adventure, inspiration, and deep satisfaction.

What is nature connection, and why is it important?

Nature connection is the feeling of being part of nature. It strengthens our health and happiness. Outdoors, we feel alive, find peace, and recharge. Nature connection also motivates us to protect the environment.

The fact is: Nature connection is more than just a walk through the forest.

It is a deeply felt sense of belonging and connection.

Nature connection is the awareness that we are a part of nature and not separate from it.

eichhoernchen mit bucheckern

Studies show that being close to nature has positive effects on our mental and physical health.

A study by Stanford University came to the conclusion that just 50 minutes of walking or hiking in nature can bring about measurable improvements in mood, memory and creativity.

The connection with nature has many advantages:

  1. Better physical health: Activities outdoors like hiking or gardening can improve fitness.
  2. Mental clarity: Spending time in nature can help clear the mind.
  3. Increased creativity: Nature can foster creativity through new impressions and tranquility.
  4. Improved mood: Fresh air and natural light can help lift the mood.
  5. Stronger resilience: Overcoming challenges in nature strengthens perseverance.
  6. Learning opportunities: Nature offers endless learning opportunities, from botany to nature crafts to animal behavior.
  7. Sustainable living: Being connected to nature promotes environmentally friendly actions.
  8. Social connections: Shared nature experiences can strengthen friendships.
  9. Inner peace: Nature helps find inner peace.
  10. Mindfulness: In green spaces, you can learn to live in the moment.

Strengthening our connection to nature is not only good for ourselves, but also for our planet.

My 5 most important general tips for strengthening your connection with nature

Let's start with some basic but important recommendations.

These five tips are the starting point for anyone looking to strengthen their connection with nature.

  1. Spend time in nature: It may sound obvious, but to build a relationship with nature, you need to spend time with it. Take off your shoes, walk through the grass, or simply sit under a tree and listen to the birdsong.

  2. Connect with your body: Pay attention to your breathing, your movements, your senses. How does your body react to nature?

  3. Use nature as a source of inspiration: Let your creativity flow in nature. Maybe you want to write a poem about a flower or create a picture using stones.

  4. Connect with other nature enthusiasts: Share your experiences and learn from others. A community of like-minded people can help you feel motivated and inspired.

  5. Use nature as a place of relaxation: Leave the stress of everyday life behind and find peace and relaxation in nature.

An experience that Anna once shared with me during a seminar:

Anna repeatedly suffered from stress and exhaustion from her hectic office job. On the advice of a friend, she started hiking once a week.

After a short time outside in nature, she felt how good the exercise in the fresh air was for her. At some point she began to distinguish bird songs and was happy about the first flowers in spring.

The fact was: Nature gave her strength and balance. After a year, regular hiking had become a kind of therapy for Anna.

She felt much closer to nature and saw it as a source of inner balance.

These tips may sound simple, but they require commitment and practice.

Be patient with yourself and allow yourself to develop your own unique relationship with nature.

For coaches: Even when you are on the go with your clients, you should plan plenty of time - things need to grow. Here I have a suitable guide for you: "Nature as a Mirror: Reflection Methods for Coaches".

Now that we have clarified the basics, let's move on to more specific exercises and ideas that will help you strengthen your connection with nature.

33 concrete exercises and ideas to strengthen your connection with nature

Now I want to share my personal exercise treasure with you.

Here are 33 concrete exercises and ideas to powerfully strengthen your connection to nature:

1. Wandering: Do you know the feeling when you just wander around, without a goal or direction, following the call of nature? That's wandering. No path, no destination, just you and nature. It's a wonderful way to explore nature and connect with it.

wildnispaedagogik wandering

2. Practice the "owl's gaze": Have you ever had an owl's gaze? It's a wide-angle view that expands your perception. Practice it: Stand still, widen your gaze, and try to look into the distance without focusing on a specific object.

3. Walking barefoot through the forest: Feeling the earth, experiencing nature directly beneath your feet. This is one of the most concrete and direct ways to connect with nature.

3 gruende warum du barfuss gehen solltest 2

4. Explore a plant with all your senses: Here you smell, touch, observe. You focus on a single plant and explore it with all your senses.

5. Observing an animal in the forest: Find an animal and observe it without moving or making noise. You will be amazed at what you can learn!

6. Spend a night in the forest: Take a sleeping bag, a sleeping pad, and spend a night under the open sky. You will be surprised how alive nature can be at night.

draussen uebernachten

7. Find a seat and sit quietly: Find a comfortable spot where you can simply sit and observe nature. You will see how your perception deepens and your connection to nature strengthens.

8. Identify bird songs: The voices of birds are the music of nature. Learn to identify them and assign them to the respective birds. This not only sharpens your hearing, but also enriches your knowledge of nature.

9. Silent Walk: During a silent forest walk, you focus entirely on the sounds of nature. A wonderful exercise to be in the moment and sharpen your senses.

silent walking 5

10. Keep a Nature Journal: Record all your observations, thoughts, and feelings about nature. Over time, your nature journal will become an invaluable treasure that reflects and strengthens your connection to the natural world.

11. Learn about and create nature crafts: Discover the art of nature crafts and create your own tools or artworks. Learning and practicing these techniques can not only be fun, but also evoke a deep sense of satisfaction and connection to nature.

bushcraft behaelter aus birkenrinde

12. Forest Meditation: Create a peaceful spot in the forest and use the healing power of the forest to meditate and find inner peace.

im wald sitzen sitzplatz 2

13. Tree Encounter: Sit with your back against a tree, close your eyes, and feel the energy of the tree. It is a deep and powerful experience that can enhance your appreciation for trees in a whole new way.

naturverbundenheit

14. Collecting and using wild herbs in the kitchen: Discover the diversity of wild herbs, learn how to identify them, collect them, and use them in your kitchen.

brennnessel samen

15. Observing individual trees over a longer period of time: Choose a tree and observe it throughout the seasons. You will be amazed at how much you can learn from a single tree.

16. Learn how to identify animal tracks: Learn how to read and understand animal tracks. This requires patience and practice, but it is also incredibly rewarding. (Find the “Beginner’s Guide” here and “Animal Tracks in the Snow” here)

marder trittsiegel auf einen haufen

17. Regular nature photowalks: Take your camera with you and go for walks in nature. Try to capture the beauty of nature in your photos.

spiel wald kamera

18. Accompanying a plant from flowering to seed maturity: Choose a plant and follow its growth from the first bud to seed maturity.

frische triebe pflanzen

19. Making Cords from Natural Materials: Learn how to make cords from natural materials such as bark or fibers.

schnur aus brennnesselfasern naturhandwerk

20. Research stories and myths about local plants and animals: Dive deeper into the world of local flora and fauna by researching stories and myths that surround them.

21. Create your own small biotope in the garden or on the balcony: Design a small natural habitat where animals and plants can thrive.

22. Participate in a survival or bushcraft course: Gain basic survival skills and learn how to navigate in the wilderness.

tarp plane bushcraft wald

23. Being artistically active outdoors - drawing, painting, carving: Use nature as inspiration and source of materials for your artistic projects.

24. Observing the Stars and Planets and Learning Constellations: Explore the night sky and learn to identify stars and planets.

25. Create a Nature Journal: Start a nature diary and document plants, animals, and natural events that you experience.

knoblauchsrauke journal

26. Carving: Learn the art of carving and sharpen your attention and serenity.

selbstgeschnitzte heringe

Read also

The 5 best carving knives for children - and why I do not recommend Opinel knives (+carving guide for parents) – Learn from the wilderness educator and wilderness mentor which knives are best suited for children to use for carving. Are Opinel children's knives really good?

27. Land Art: Create artworks from natural materials such as stones, leaves, and branches.

spiele wald mandala

28. Nature-based walking meditation: A walking meditation in nature can be incredibly calming and strengthen your mindfulness and connection to nature.

29. Igniting a Fire: Learn various techniques to ignite a fire. This is a fundamental survival skill and a great way to connect with nature.

feuer machen mit feuerstahl

30. Observing the weather and its changes consciously: The change of seasons, the approach of a storm - nature is constantly in motion. Observing the weather consciously can strengthen your connection to nature.

31. Participate in nature workshops or wilderness camps: Expand your knowledge and skills by participating in workshops or wilderness camps.

32. Learn to use wild plants for medicinal purposes: Learn how to use wild plants for medical purposes and discover the healing power of nature.

essbare wildpflanzen im herbst und winter

33. Nature-related rituals and ceremonies: Create your own rituals or ceremonies that celebrate and strengthen your connection to nature. Or participate in such rituals. One example of a ritual is smudging or the expression of gratitude.

wildnispaedagogik danksagung bedeutung

These exercises are vibrant tools that reach deep into the soil of nature and into the soul of your being.

Try them out, make them your practice, and I promise you will develop a deeper and more vibrant relationship with nature.

The journey there may sometimes be challenging, but I assure you that it is full of wonders and discoveries that will deepen your love and awareness for nature and for yourself.

Give nature your open hand and your open heart, and it will reveal to you its infinite treasure of wisdom, beauty, and healing.

erde rieselt durch hand

Conclusion: Bringing Your Connection to Nature to Life

And there you have it: my 33 concrete exercises and ideas that can help you strengthen your connection with nature.

I hope they inspire you to delve deeper into nature and start or deepen your journey of connecting with nature.

What becomes clear to me time and time again:

We don't just have nature around us, we are part of it.

We humans are nature - and when we distance ourselves from it, we distance ourselves from ourselves.

bushcrafter sind geerdet

By reestablishing this connection, we not only promote our well-being, health, and satisfaction, but also strengthen our respect and responsibility for nature and our planet.

If you feel like you need more guidance and support, I would like to recommend my distance learning course Wildimpuls (Wilderness Living) and the online course Wildniswind (Species Study).

They both offer a structured and comprehensive education in the field of wilderness education.

We delve deep into wilderness life during the Wildimpulse distance learning course
We delve deep into wilderness life during the Wildimpulse distance learning course

Maybe you are also interested in training at a wilderness school. There you can deepen your skills and learn and grow under the guidance of experienced wilderness educators.

I can especially recommend the wilderness schools "Weg der Wildnis" and "Wegweiser Wildnis". I have successfully attended seminars at both of them.


Wherever your path may lead you, I am glad that we have walked this small section of your journey towards connecting with nature together.

Stay curious and open, learn, experiment, make mistakes and try again because that is the natural path to growth.

And above all, never forget - nature is always there, open and ready to teach, heal, and inspire us, if we are only willing and open to invite it into our lives.

Take care, Martin
Martin Gebhardt

Author of the guide


Martin Gebhardt

Hey, I'm Martin. On my blog, you will learn the basics and numerous details about living in the wild. I think survival, bushcraft and the good life in nature are the keys to happiness. Find me here on Instagram or on YouTube. You can find more about my mission on the About Me page.

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Free 35 Survival Hacks you'll love!

You will get 35 easy-to-implement survival hacks so that you don't have to stand aimlessly in the forest from tomorrow when things get tough. Take your skills to the next level!

DOWNLOAD HERE FOR FREE