A Different Kind of New Year’s Resolution - Reconnecting With Nature

The New Year often arrives with pressure. New goals. New habits. New versions of ourselves.

But what if this year, instead of trying to do more, we chose to feel more connected to Nature?

In Ireland, we are surrounded by nature and yet many of us feel disconnected from it. A recent large-scale international study exploring nature connectedness across 61 countries found that access to green space alone does not guarantee a strong sense of connection to nature (1). Being near nature is not the same as feeling connected to it. Early indicators from commentary on that global research suggest that Ireland ranks among the less “nature-connected” nations in the world, sitting toward the lower end of the scale in terms of people’s emotional and psychological relationship with nature, despite our rich landscapes, coastlines and green spaces (2). That doesn’t mean Irish people don’t love the outdoors — far from it — but it does highlight a gap between having nature nearby and feeling truly part of it.

This distinction matters because research consistently shows that feeling connected to nature is linked to improved wellbeing, better mental health, stronger social bonds, and a deeper sense of meaning and belonging (3).

This New Year, perhaps the most nourishing resolution is not about self-improvement, but about remembering our place in the living world.

Many people believe they need to identify birds, trees, or wildflowers to truly connect with nature. Not knowing can feel like a barrier. However, research suggests that knowledge about nature is not the main driver of nature connectedness (4).

Just like any meaningful relationship, our relationship with nature is not built on facts and figures alone. Studies investigating whether learning about nature increases connection have found little sustained effect (5). In some cases, a strong focus on facts can even distract from emotional engagement, which may explain why arts-based and sensory approaches are often more effective at fostering connection than knowledge-heavy educational interventions (6).

Instead, research shows that nature connection develops through sensory experience, emotion, beauty, meaning, and care (4).

So how might this look as a New Year intention?

Connecting through the senses often begins by slowing down. Feeling the ground beneath your feet, listening to birdsong, noticing changes in light or air. Practices such as forest bathing are specifically designed to support this kind of sensory reconnection.

Emotion plays a central role too. Spending time in places that feel calming or restorative, walking quietly with someone you care about, or simply noticing how you feel outdoors can gently strengthen your bond with nature. Interventions focused on emotional engagement have been shown to increase nature connectedness and wellbeing (7).

Moments of beauty often draw us into connection effortlessly - mist on the hills, frost on grass, sunlight through bare branches. Pausing for these moments, whether through photography, sketching, or stillness, can deepen appreciation and care.

Meaning grows through familiarity and time. Returning to the same woodland, path, or shoreline throughout the year allows nature to become part of your own story, reflecting cycles of growth, rest, and renewal.

Finally, compassion strengthens connection. Simple acts matter: feeding birds in winter, allowing wildflowers to bloom, or being mindful of other lives sharing the space. Research shows that when care and emotion accompany knowledge, nature connection is more likely to deepen (8).

You don’t need to change everything. Connection rarely asks for more, only for attention. Doing something new this year might be as simple as slowing your pace, stepping outside without your phone, or making space for unhurried time outdoors with people you care about.

If the beginning of the year feels rushed or heavy, nature offers another rhythm, one of slowing down and remembering how to be. Nature doesn’t ask you to be better, only to arrive.

Our mindful hikes, forest bathing sessions, and nature-based workshops are there when you’re ready, gentle, accessible experiences designed to support reconnection without pressure or performance.

References

1. Richardson, M., Lengieza, M., White, M. P., Tran, U. S., Voracek, M., Stieger, S., & Swami, V. (2025). Macro-level determinants of nature connectedness: An exploratory analysis of 61 countries. Ambio.

2. Pritchard, A., Richardson, M., Sheffield, D., & McEwan, K. (2020). The relationship between nature connectedness and eudaimonic wellbeing. Journal of Happiness Studies.

3. Capaldi, C. A., Dopko, R. L., & Zelenski, J. M. (2014). The relationship between nature connectedness and happiness. Frontiers in Psychology.

4. Lumber, R., Richardson, M., & Sheffield, D. (2017). Beyond knowing nature: Contact, emotion, compassion, meaning, and beauty are pathways to nature connection. PLOS ONE.

5. Ernst, J., & Theimer, S. (2011). Evaluating the effects of environmental education programming on connectedness to nature. Environmental Education Research.

6. Bruni, C. M., Fraser, J., & Schultz, P. W. (2015). The value of arts-based engagement for connecting people with nature. Visitor Studies.

7. Passmore, H.-A., & Holder, M. D. (2017). Noticing nature: Individual and social benefits of a two-week intervention. Journal of Positive Psychology.

8. Braun, T., & Dierkes, P. (2017). Connecting students to nature through emotion and compassion. Environmental Education Research.