When was the last time you spent an hour or more in a natural setting away from electronics?

For most, the answer to this question is months or even years. 

It seems we’ve collectively made a Faustian bargain, trading time in nature for electronic stimulation. 

Going off the Grid

Most agree we’ve lost touch with nature, primarily because electronics are a highly addictive digital drug.  If the thought of unplugging from video games, TV and social media makes you uncomfortable, you are not alone in your crowd.

There has never been a better time to challenge yourself with an outdoor adventure. 

Disconnect from life’s modern electronic conveniences and make a beeline into nature.  As long as you have the right hiking gear and camping equipment, you’ll love the experience.

Adopt the Thoreau mindset to transcendence and you’ll feel reborn.  You might even decide to trade in your smartphone for a “dumb” flip phone after returning home.

Rugged Individualism Done Right

Refresh your circadian battery with a couple days or even a full week in the woods and you’ll quickly identify as a rugged individualist.  Thoreau used this catchy term when writing about his intentional escape from society while living in a cabin in the woods.

Thoreau didn’t have today’s high-quality camping supplies or hiking gear yet he survived and thrived.  If he were alive today, he’d likely spend his entire life in a remote location with the comforts of the industry’s best outdoor equipment and sundries.

Though you don’t have to go to the extent of building a wood cabin in the woods by a pond’s shores as Thoreau did, a day or two in nature will do wonders for your mind and spirit. 

Temporarily segue to Thoreau’s transcendentalism and you’ll reach communion with your surroundings.  The feeling is divine and inspirational to the point that you’ll start counting the days until your next escape into nature.

Solitude Vs. Visitors

Read or at least skim through Thoreau’s Walden and you’ll find he is intentionally contradictory.  The philosopher readily admits transcendence can be achieved in isolation among the trees yet also in the company of people within natural settings.

The chapter titled, “Solitude”, explains the importance of being comfortable in one’s own company.  Your inner monologue provides ample insight and entertainment without electronic stimulation including addictive social media.

If you grow tired of exploring your own thoughts, transition to Thoreau’s “Visitors” chapter of Walden.  It is in this chapter that the philosopher highlights the value of sharing transcendent experiences with others.

Embark on the occasional hiking or camping expedition with a friend or family member and you’ll find the camaraderie is invigorating.  Moreover, it will be comfortable as hiking gear and camping equipment have become quite luxurious in recent years.

Touch Some Grass Today

What matters most is that you reconnect with nature. 

Alternate between solo and social adventures in the wild, transcend like Thoreau and you’ll reinvigorate your childlike wonder.