NNI

I was stumbling and bumbling across the Internet the other day and ran across something that piqued my interest. As I dug deeper, it made me smile. I’m talking about NNI (and it’s not the National Nanotechnology Initiative). It’s the Noticing Nature Intervention, a concept created by Holli-Anne Passmore. She is a psychology professor and researcher based in Canada.

The premise is pretty simple and straightforward, but the impact seems to be profound. Basically, the idea is we spend time being very deliberate and intentional about things we see in nature – clouds, leaves, trees, birds, insects, grass, etc. Participants can document it however they like…taking photographs, drawing pictures, writing poetry, taking notes, or simply taking a mental snapshot.

Here’s how it goes.

• Two-week period: Designate a two-week period of time where you “notice” nature as part of your daily routine for a few minutes each day. This means looking at the things described above (clouds, trees, animals, etc.) through a lens of wonder. And then ask…what sort of emotions and feelings do these things evoke?

•  Photos: Photos can be taken of things that create a compelling sense of awe or drive a particularly strong emotional reaction, which are then written about in a short paragraph.

• Mindful engagement: The hope is that we, as participants in the intervention, move beyond being simply passive observers of nature to active, mindful engagers of nature.

Studies have shown “noticing” nature will help reduce stress, decrease feelings of isolation, promote a restorative balance to our lives, and generally improve both our physical and mental well-being.

There is A LOT of noise in the world right now that is both hard to ignore and hard to not ignore. We certainly need to continue engaging with our world in a purposeful and meaningful way that promotes our humanity, which is built upon kindness and caring.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t need to catch our breath from time-to-time. To take a moment and step away from the chaos and busy-ness of our daily lives and simply find our center. To recharge and refresh so we don’t crash and burn. It’s this aspect of the Noticing Nature Intervention that is so appealing to me. It’s not about completely altering a routine (or creating a new routine) like we might with resolutions. This is about finding a moment in our current daily routines (like walking the dog or going to the grocery store) to stop for a moment and notice nature. Truly notice nature. To be mindful. To connect to something that creates a state of positivity, wonder, and awe...and maybe even brings a smile to our face. 😄  

Until next week.

Andy