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Do you remember how much fun you had outdoors when you were a kid? Before the days of smartphones, video games, and the internet, most children spent their days outside exploring, playing, and just being.

Wouldn’t it be great to experience those feelings of freedom and happiness again? Well, if you step away from the digital world for a while, you can reconnect with that childhood freedom and reconnect with the natural world.

Here are some suggestions for finding your way back to that happy place.

1. Give yourself permission

Probably the first step in reconnecting with nature is to give yourself permission to stop for a while. It’s okay to leave the office and have a proper lunch break in the park. It’s okay to take the weekend off to go hiking or relax by the ocean.

There’s such pressure to achieve and work hard and never be out of email or phone contact; it’s good to step back and watch the rhythms of nature.

The trees, the rivers, even the grass in the park go on doing their things, regardless of deadlines or promotions or office politics. Tune into that calmer pace for a while and reconnect to your inner self.

2. Be mindful

Being in nature is pretty much an exercise in mindfulness itself. Slow down and notice what is happening right now in the natural world.

What season is it? What plants are flowering? Are the leaves turning yet? Is the crispness of autumn in the air? Can you smell rain or snow in the air?

Connect with nature using all of your senses. Reflect on how you feel being in nature. Maybe you can journal on your experiences and what feelings and insights come up for you.

3. Give yourself a challenge

Exploring the natural world is the perfect environment for going deeper into yourself. Set yourself a challenge.

Maybe climbing a mountain, camping in the wilderness, going wild swimming or running, or even just doing yoga in the park.

Studies have shown that doing an activity in nature is more enjoyable, feels easier, and is more rewarding than indoor activities. What would you rather climb? A mountain or an indoor rock wall?

Whatever challenge you’re ready for, you will come out the other side more confident, more empowered, and more connected to the natural world and yourself.