Go Hug a Tree

Soft fascination, road trip snacks and the call of the wild

So many trees to hug! Tasmania/Lutruwita

Where do you go to connect to yourself?

When it all gets a little too much, or you realise you’ve been running on empty?

I’m not talking about dissociating, distracting or numbing to forget… I mean the places that help you feel more connected to yourself. To the soft centre of who you are, whatever shape that might be.

Considering we all have potentially vastly different sides to us, all residing within, I guess this question can have very different answers, depending on what you’ve been feeling, and what you might want to celebrate, grieve, find or enhance in your current experience.

Within therapeutic horticulture, as well as in other practices, we look to nature and its incredible capacity for nervous system regulation. Being in contact with green spaces and the natural world has the power to slow us down, lower our heart rate, ground us in the present moment, and ignite one of my personal favourites- soft fascination.

This term was coined by environmental psychologists Rachel and Steven Kaplan in their Attention Restoration Theory. It refers to the gentle, effortless engagement often found in nature interactions. Simply put, if you’ve ever laid under a tree and stared up at slow-moving leaves, or sat by a creek quietly observing the flow and sound of the water, then you did it. You allowed yourself to enjoy nature’s magical ability to softly engage and fascinate our minds.

Living in dense urban environments sadly means we don’t get nearly enough of these interactions in our day-to-day. Where we live plays a significant role in how much access we have to green spaces, something that is often shaped by privilege and various socioeconomic factors.

I’m lucky to get to live in a city that has prioritised green spaces and parklands within its urban planning, though even that is slowly changing with Melbourne’s endless growth and sprawling suburbs. This means I don’t need to go far to find a creek or a park, and the suburban streets in my area are lined with trees, shrubs and leafy nature strips.
Just having that green exposure in my immediate environment already helps my general wellbeing. I am very aware of this privilege that many people both in this city and far beyond don’t have.
I also feel very fortunate to have a business that is based on the wonder that is nature connection. When I run a workshop or meet with one of my ongoing groups, I get to spend time in various gardens and natural environments for a few hours, and get a mini boost of feel good chemicals.
The thing with our daily environments, though, is that we become accustomed to them. Oblivious, even. And while they’re working quietly in the background, we’re not really conscious of their influence.

Into the forest I go

So where do you go when you need that extra dose of connection and restoration?
For me it’s nature, and more specifically a forest. Hands down. And if there’s a water source nearby? Bliss.
As soon as I get in the car knowing there’s nature immersion ahead, my mind already shifts out of daily worry and into adventure mode. Soft fascination and joyful anticipation activated!

It doesn’t have to be a full week-long road trip either. Though yes please to more of those!
Even a half-day to some open spaces, trees and a creek (preferably with good company) and I can already feel something in me lifting. Playlist lined up, snacks prepared, and away we go.
Do I do it as often as I potentially could? Sadly no. And I don’t know if I even have a ‘good enough’ reason. Sometimes there are other commitments, usually I’d much rather go with someone than on my lonesome, and often it’s the mighty grip of anxious decision paralysis that keeps me shackled at home.

If you’ve been on my socials over the past couple of months, you would have seen me revel in the abundance of nature on my road trip in Aotearoa. But that kind of time and money commitment isn’t always available to me, which means it can’t exactly be a regular occurrence.
For a while now, I’ve also been planning to slowly find my way further out into the countryside. Hopefully split my time between the city and the sticks, finding a nice balance between the two. This is more of a long-term aspiration though, than an immediate solution for nature cravings.
So in the meantime? Luckily the weather is warming up and the sunshine is calling my name. I know I’m not alone in that, either. People around me have started to perk up and get out more. Even my teenager asked me the other day to go out into nature for camping again. Which dropped my jaw considering her usual attitude towards anything I suggest!

I am excited for more intentional time spent outdoors, short day trips, longer camping adventures, my delicious seed crackers and a chunk of cheese (staple road trip snack) and joyous times spent with people I love. If you have adventure ideas or great spots to share, I’m very much open to suggestions and excursion invitations 🤗

I’d love to hear about your experience. What do you do to get more of the things that make you feel better?