Nature is back- The consoling power in the pandemic

Earlier this year, as human beings were quickly forced to move their lives indoors to slow down the spread of coronavirus, there was one important component of our lives that did not go into lockdown. Nature thrived around us, in both the busiest of cities and the most remote areas. For the first time in a very long time, nature began to come out while we remained caged in, allowing us to engage positively and purposefully with our natural environments on a day-to-day basis.

Sighting of the Himalayan peaks from Pathankot, Punjab. Source: Twitter

Nature is healing and so are we

Around the globe, people were amazed to discover that the nature surrounding them flourished when they stayed indoors- rivers began running clear water again, sunsets became longer and more strikingly beautiful and the air quality significantly improved in heavily polluted cities. In North India, locals living in otherwise polluted towns and cities, were able to view the Himalayan mountain range for the first time in decades as industrial activity and transportation came to a grinding halt.

Interacting with nature has always said to have healing and soothing properties for our mental wellbeing and sense of security, a linkage that has been increasingly stressed as lifestyles in rapidly urbanised spaces become more isolated, unhealthy and separated from natural environments. The lockdown has been a period of chronic stress when most of us experienced very little control over our circumstances. Being able to observe nature thrive reassured many that it would continue to remain accessible even as the rest of the world shut off.

Spending time with nature- A necessity or a choice?

To hear the birds chirping amid the morning rush or to notice the long sunsets at the end of the day, was this possible only because we had no other option but to seek respite and relief beyond human interactions? Or was it because we significantly reduced exploitation of our immediate environments, giving them the chance to finally reclaim their space? Possibly both are important factors, however what remains true is that our reliance on nature has quickly risen on our list of priorities and become a strong substitute for other sources of entertainment, relaxation and rejuvenation.

Heading to the theatre, catching up with friends at a restaurant or relying on the gym for daily exercise, were no longer safe options. Instead, the pandemic compelled us, out of sheer necessity to reorient our priorities around the simplicities of life. Spending time with the more organic elements has become a coping mechanism and provided stability for many whose lives had gotten so spectacularly disrupted.

 The Internet is flooded with tales of positivity around those who have picked up nature-based hobbies within the confines of their home. Young people living in concrete jungles are now seeking respite in tending to their home plants or even growing their own food in kitchen gardens and learning more about the birds that they see returning to their windows. Those with extremely stressful jobs are now able to spend more time around their pet animals, taking them on longer walks on less crowded streets. Parents with young children have the chance to explore nature and help educate them on the wonders of nature all around them.

Lessons for future response

The human ability to hope for good news remains unwavering. We really want to believe in the power of nature to heal, hoping that at least something on this planet is working in its natural order. However, the real question remains whether we will retain these new habits or quickly forget them when everything returns back to ‘normal’. Can our growing connection to nature be simply reduced to viewing it as a substitute for other comforts or will we remember the reasons for which we came to rely on it so heavily?

Behavioural scientists are already projecting that times of crisis also lead to lasting habit change that can be taken forward and adapted to combat other challenges. Living simply within the confines of their homes has encouraged many people to re-examine their consumerist lives in pre-pandemic times. Many are beginning to question how they can lower their individual carbon footprints by travelling lesser and engage in conscious consumption even when it becomes easier to do so.

One of the few positives that many of us grew dependent on was the ability of nature to provide for us even when everything else became closed off. The natural world was the consoling power of the pandemic, offering us respite from our stressful lives and recharging us when nothing else could.