Nature can be an escape, the only true way out of the lunacy that the world is in right now. A free pass out of technology everywhere. 

I would never consider myself someone who demonizes technology. I don’t hate it. I see its value, especially as someone who grew up during its biggest boom, with the popularization of social media platforms and the increase in people carrying cellphones that work as computers everywhere. When I was a kid, most people had cellphones, but they couldn’t visit Facebook or send their GPS location through it. It was a far simpler device. The change to what it is now it’s shoking for some. Nowadays, watching a movie from a phone doesn’t sound as crazy and groundbreaking as it did before. These massive changes trigger some people to start hating technology, arguing that it’s too much, that we lost the plot. 

Well, I don’t think that we have lost the plot yet. Of course, the advances are tremendous, and pretending that this whole new world that is coming doesn’t scare me would be lying. But we still have some escapes. Of course, no one can live completely out of the internet world, especially if they want to earn money and communicate with others. But there are still some choices that people can make in this digital era: they can be off social media, they can regulate the time they spend online, they can avoid screens in general. Or, my favorite, you can stop when you are overwhelmed by the internet and go out to explore nature. 

Nature is so much more than what we picture it to be. It’s obviously an escape from the digital world, but it is also a form of meditation, a way to relax. Gardening can be especially helpful for the anxiety that most people are experiencing about the future and the technological advances that are coming. The world is not on its way to disaster, but if you think it is, maybe you need to touch grass. Do something in a garden: plant a tree, take care of flowers, have your own compost, or even create a mini vegetable garden. You can make it work even with a small space of land. That’s enough to start getting your hands dirty, your mind off things, and your garden blooming. The future may be too much to take in, but if you keep scrolling on your phone, nothing will change. 

You need to do something outside of social media and screens. You need to make something of yourself that is not just looking for approval from others online. If you don’t have a place, go to a local park, go somewhere, get some air. You need to get out of your house and stay outside. I promise you, it will change your brain chemistry. It will make you more present. The smell of the flowers, the sound of the birds, the texture of the grass, the beautiful view. It will all help you calm down and see purpose.