Back to nature

I say good morning. I woke up this morning with a thought about a new blog post that now needs to be put on “paper”. And that almost brings us to the topic, because of course I don't write on real paper, but type on a keyboard in my computer. And everything I write in reality only consists of 0s and 1s, that's how our technology works. Is this actually real, or just a digital product that I can delete at any time and nothing remains of it?

We now spend a large part of our time in a digital world: we are on our cell phones, computers and television. We meet our friends there, keep in touch with our family and even often get to know our partner digitally. This all has its advantages and disadvantages. When I lived in Copenhagen for six months, I was happy to be able to keep in touch with home via Skype. And even though phone calls were more expensive back then, I was able to call from time to time when I felt like it. Today, it's all become much easier. Sometimes I even have the feeling that the line between real and digital is completely blurred. Which “digital” friendships are still real? Who is really interested in you and there for you?

And our everyday lives have also become somewhat artificial: We spend most of our time in front of the computer in a seated position. Our shoulders and necks become tense, the tendon in our wrist hurts over time from all the clicking, our back complains about too little movement, we put on fat in places where we never used to have any. We become sluggish. The only thing that seems to be in constant motion, and more so than ever before, is our head. When I think about how many emails I now receive every day, at work or at home. I can't keep up, I have to function and it can quickly feel overwhelming. There is an urge or even an expectation to get it all done. We are just busy managing our everyday lives: the messages on social media, by email, WhatsApp, etc. What do we really need? And an even more important question: does it enrich your life or work routine? And does it make you happy?

I can still remember when I was maybe 15 and bought my first cell phone with my pocket money: I was totally happy and proud and it was a cool feeling to be able to (secretly) text a friend in bed at night. I already noticed the addictive factor then. Then the “Snake” phase started, a little game on the cell phone in which you had to keep a snake, or rather a black line, from colliding. We were all hanging over our cell phones on the bus trying to break records. And at the same time, computers were becoming more and more common in children's bedrooms. I remember that I deliberately didn't want a computer back then because I was afraid that my creativity would suffer - and rightly so. I already sensed that the computer would take up all my attention and distract me from simpler things like reading, painting or playing with my pet. Because the greatest things have often been created in boredom. Creativity needs space and doesn't come from a full head. From university onwards, having my own computer was unavoidable and I was happy about it, otherwise I would probably have died in my mini-dorm room without chatting. Who still knows ICQ and studivz? ;-)

We are now so conditioned to deal with technology every day that it is hard to imagine life without it. Technology brings with it a higher speed and makes our heads restless, as we have to process an incredible amount of data, more than we are actually capable of. Mostly even about things that don't affect us or do us any good. We consume everything voluntarily and for hours on end. And this has major consequences: in addition to the physical tension symptoms mentioned above, we feel restless and lose focus on what is important to us. We lose the feeling for ourselves and contact with our heart, as we are constantly fleeing into our head and passively letting ourselves be bombarded.

There is now a run on social media for the best photo, the best reel and the best life. We compare ourselves every day and fight for more attention and perhaps even external approval. We retouch our faces because we don't feel beautiful enough and are afraid of comments, put ourselves in the most beautiful backdrops and pretend that we only experience the most amazing things every day.

And then there's another movement: more and more people are turning to the “spiritual scene”, searching for their heart's mission, wanting to contribute something good, find their way back to themselves and get out of the “system”. I'm talking here about van life, freelancing in Bali, full-time travel bloggers, etc. (and I don't mean that in a derogatory way). Since we've been severely restricted for a few years now, we've had more of an urge to get out into nature, rent campervans or tiny houses and try out the simpler life. We long for inner peace, clarity and a connection with the world - the very things we have lost. It has become so easy to get lost in it today. I also notice that everything has simply become too much and too complex and that external influences are taking over.

Over the last few years, starting during the pandemic, I've been going for daily walks. I used to find this totally boring and preferred to go jogging. Now I realize how good it is to move slowly through nature, to get my body going and to give myself enough time to take in my surroundings, to feel how I'm feeling and what I need right now. Jogging can distract you again as you push your system to perform. And since I've built up such close contact with the outdoors again, I've been drawn out into nature more and more, just like when I was a child. In the meantime, short walks have turned into tours with overnight stays in tents and perhaps soon in huts. I look for wild, untouched places where I can be alone, like the mountains, Scandinavia and Bali. I activate my body by hiking, surfing, sup-riding (and pumping up ;-) etc. It grounds me immensely. And even then, I find it difficult to put my phone away completely and just leave the digital world behind. I'm too social for that and enjoy sharing my joy and experiences with you.

I don't think you have to turn your back on the digital world completely to find balance, but you can find the right balance for yourself. Nature is like a catalyst that brings you back to yourself and everything that goes with it. You will recognize what is important to you, what is good for you and what you want and don't want in your life. This is how I created this blog and the photos. I wanted to share my thoughts and capture moments. I use social media the most to share my creations with others and thus create added value and try to limit my own consumption. I sometimes succeed better and sometimes worse. We can ask ourselves what is good for us and what is not and take small steps to find a way to lead our lives with less stress and more connection to ourselves.

Tip: And a little tip at the end of the post. If you're interested, you can use certain apps (technology, I know ;-)) to record your daily habits and see where your attention goes throughout the day. I did this for a week a few years ago with a kind of time tracker and it helped me a lot to see what I was spending my time on and to make certain decisions.

How do you spend your time? How much social media do you consume? How does it make you feel? Is it good for you or not good for you? What is important to you and why do you do it? How can you focus more on what is important to you? How can you limit your consumption? Which activities make you feel yourself the most? How can you bring them more into your life? How would this change your attitude to life?