Boost your energy by bringing minimal natural sensory experiences to your space.
Six years ago, I’ve spent part of my journey to Japan on the Amami island into the primaeval forests and salty waters, to get by in today’s hyper-prompt world — disconnection, all of the on-ness. The remote location and its people opened me up to new points of view on how to approach life.
Throughout human history, we have evolved to survive and thrive in the natural world. We are dependent on the natural elements of the spaceship Earth. Most of humans have left the nest and tried to establish itself through human-made buildings, tools, and technologies.
We have disconected from nature. Despite our best efforts, we can’t escape the fact that our origins are in nature. We are part of it.
These deeply embedded natural preferences haven’t progressed as quickly as technology. After all, we have inhabited the natural world for longer than we have human-made structures.
Sunlight, water, trees, and plants give us energy to thrive in life. Regardless of progress, our physiology chooses natural over artificial.
If you’re like me, we instinctively enjoy the feel of wood much more than plastic or any other kind of artificial material. Serenity occurs when we immerse our senses in trees, oceans, wild landscapes, and starry skies.
I am a thoughtful optimist. I am not naive that the next few decades will bring many fundamental changes to the way we live. At the same time, I see individuals and certain societies capable of change, and I consider that the narratives we make for ourselves set the course for how we think and live.
The wilderness and peacefulness of the island and rural Japan seemed like a unique place to get me back to the present. Besides, the modern Japanese citizens today are often as much in need of their ancient cultural wisdom as western citizens.
Despite its popularity among the Japanese, the mysterious isle, not far from Okinawa, is lesser-known in the international tourist circuit. Combined with its remoteness, it poses a challenge for the English-speaking traveller.
Surrounded by all this omnipresent natural world soundscapes, I felt incredibly vigilant and dialled into my senses.
Rather than suppressing these primordial elements, creative leaders can delve into behaviours learned over millennia and harness evolutionary psychology to create a life centred in nature.
Slow travel is always deep learning once you encounter places and immerse in different ways of living, communities and cultures.
This travel added a few points which I aimed to incorporate into my life once back home:
1: Bringing the outdoors inside
Biophilic and biometric design has a shooting effect in your mental wellbeing. The pallets you choose to live with immensely affects your mood. Unclutter your space through minimalist or japandi design.
Researchers across disciplines agree that natural materials can offer the most meaningful physiological benefits.
I started to integrate more natural elements to indoors. Also, growing a few veggies during the warmest time of the year at the collective backyard I have outside of my door.
2: Bring the ancient philosophy to create storytelling to your space.
It was in Amani island, on the almost untouched planet by humans that I discovered the meaning of ichigo ichie — appreciating the fleeting nature of everyday moments.
It is a cultural concept of valuing the unrepeatable nature of a moment. The term has been translated as for this time only and once in a lifetime.
The smell of the tatami mats helped me feel present when I was indoors — a constant reminder that nature was just outside the door. So bringing this unusual element with me from this trip, added storytelling and nature inside.
3: Incorporate more seasonal whole foods into your diet
I have always loved the nutrient-rich food. You can feel its original taste and freshness as you eat local. I am a non-meat eater, but I do eat eggs, I love fish and all whole foods. I appreciate colourful plates, which mean various minerals and vitamins.
For someone like me who lives up in the north, winter may limit the availability of some fresh produce, but during the colder months — roughly half of the year — focusing on seasonal foods and including winter staples like whole grains and legumes can help maintain a healthy diet.
4: Play inspiring soundscapes in the background
You create an atmosphere that boosts focus, calms anxiety, and sparks creativity. These subtle sounds inspire your daily routine. They clear your mind and boost your productivity.
5: Have a project that serves a greater cause and fires you up
We all feel energized and inspired when we fight for the values we want to see amplified in the world. Plan a retreat or an expedition. It should help you learn more about yourself and the skills you want to master. Invite others to join you on the journey so everyone can enjoy the experience. The focus can be health, wealth, or both. Collaborate on projects to maximize your positive impact on Earth.
Those were learnings I have started to incorporate more after back home. I began to interact with a different perspective on the moment’s meaning and what makes it meaningful.
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