Nature Deficit Disorder: Why Young Leaders Need to Reconnect with Nature

A note to young leaders.

Are you feeling fatigued, worn out, worn down?

You may be suffering from “nature deficit disorder” – a common ailment for us city-slickers.

It’s time to restore your body, mind and soul by immersing yourself in nature.

And please don’t tell yourself that you don’t have time. Because if you don’t take time off to be in nature, your body will make time off. It will shut you down through injury or disease.

Having just come back from a 2-week holiday in Whistler, I can attest to the transformative power of nature.

Skiing on the slopes of Whistler was, for me, a form of extended meditation. Your spirit instantly quietens in awe at the majesty of the mountain, the wind and the sky.

Indeed, it felt as though the mountain was constantly seducing me to meditate along with it. Body like the mountain, breath like the wind, mind like the sky.

So, if you’re feeling down, why not give yourself a little “Shinrim-yoku” – a “forest bath” or “nature bath” – it’s the surest way to restore your energy.