Happy Earth Day! 

This year’s Earth Day theme is ‘Restore Our Earth,’ placing the spotlight on natural processes and emerging innovations in green technologies. In this way, we are supporting a regenerative approach to climate change, solving environmental issues from the bottom up. 

We can take this same approach with our own self-care. With the toll the past year of uncertainty has taken on everyone, it is the perfect time to unwind and reconnect with nature. Earth Day annually reminds us to appreciate the beauty of our planet and to take action to keep it beautiful.  

Connecting with nature allows us to connect with ourselves and regroup between the demands of everyday life. In this article, rather than pointing out ways you impact the earth, we will share ways the earth can positively impact you and why we admire Earth Day for the opportunity to reconnect and restore. 

• Write a journal prompt: Journaling is known to be a powerful reconnecting tool to bring your thoughts to life by putting pen to paper. There are many prompts to inspire a restorative journal entry. In the spirit of Earth Day, a great place to start would be assessing your relationship with the earth; how does spending time outdoors make you feel? Where in your life can you find more space to appreciate nature? What links do you see between your relationship with nature and relationship with self?  
• Meditate or exercise: If you enjoy getting your body moving, doing an outdoor workout is a great way to get fresh air and admire nature. While you may prefer listening to music while exercising, try going for a headphone–free walk or run so you can fully listen and be immersed in nature. If you are looking for a more relaxing outdoor experience, grab a comfortable seat and practice meditation or a yoga flow under the clouds. Experts note that outdoor meditation requires more mental fluidity and enhances receptivity, presence, and connection to the world. 
• Bring the outdoors in: Buy a houseplant, they reportedly reduce stress and enhance cognitive skills according to several studies. Researchers found that there was a 47% increase in productivity at work when houseplants were present in the office. If you own indoor plants, you know what we mean! Start small, place a pot on your desk and develop your green thumb. 
• Move your workspace outdoors: If your workday is packed full and you feel that you cannot step away from your computer, bring your computer outdoors! Charge your laptop, grab a blanket or chair, and complete your tasks in the fresh air. We often take breaks to go outside for fresh air, so imagine how refreshed you will feel while working surrounded by nature. 

We all deserve that restorative feeling that time spent in nature can provide. Whether you can get outside today or not until tomorrow, we hope that you feel inclined to deepen your relationship with nature this year and give yourself a pat on the back for persevering through the past year. We must first take proper care of ourselves so we can give our best effort in taking care of the earth! 

More on Earth Day 2021 can be found here.