Life today is measured in notifications, fast food, instant entertainment and synthetic comforts, defined by speed, convenience and screens. Even in Nagaland, where nature is close at hand, many young people, especially those raised in urban settings, are drifting farther from the outdoors. It is time to pause and rethink the rhythm we are choosing to live by.
Science has long shown that time spent in nature reduces stress, improves mood and sharpens focus. A study by Stanford University found that even a 90-minute walk in a natural environment can decrease activity in the part of the brain associated with anxiety. Japan’s well-known practice of forest bathing has measurable effects on lowering blood pressure and boosting immunity. These are not romantic ideas. They are real, physical benefits.
Closer to home, anyone who has trekked through Dzükou, walked the old village trails, or simply sat by a riverside knows the calm that settles when the mind is away from concrete and noise. Communities in rural Nagaland still carry this connection, drawing strength and clarity from the land. But for many children growing up in towns, the forest is becoming abstract. Their world is shrinking to gadgets, apps and indoor routines.
Reconnecting with nature is not an indulgence. It is necessary for a healthy society. Families must make deliberate choices to step out of their fast-paced cycles. Weekends can include simple forest walks, picnics in open spaces, or helping children identify local plants and birds. Schools can incorporate outdoor learning and seasonal field visits. Community groups can organise treks, foraging walks, or clean-up drives that double as lessons in ecology and self-awareness.
The goal is not to romanticize hardship or reject modernity, but to restore balance. Nature reminds us to slow down, breathe deeply and see clearly. In the quiet of a trail or the scent of rain on soil, we recover parts of ourselves dulled by constant stimulation.
As life accelerates, the simplest wisdom remains: every now and then, go back to nature. It is where we come from, and where we remember who we are.
