A Reminder: Touch Grass

There’s a popular meme on crypto Twitter where people remind each other to “touch grass.” Often, it’s used in a snarky way. “You’re bitter because you spend too much time staring at screens. Go outside.” Every now and then, however, someone also issues a plain, friendly reminder: “Hey! Don’t forget nature. Get your dose of sunshine.”

When my girlfriend’s aunt learned that we had a garden, she said: “Oh, great! You can do earthing.” Now, the earth’s electric charge somehow drastically altering our physiology is probably a stretch, but it doesn’t take a research team to guess that, yes, being in nature is good for you.

Of course, six weeks after the move, I’ve been outside only a handful of times, and that’s why I’m now typing these words while touching some grass. Your own little patch of nature is a great luxury, but it’s by no means necessary. Most of us have access to some kind of green within walking distance, and I can only recommend to you — as to myself — to make use of it.

While I’m working outside, I get less flustered. The nature all around me will inevitably do its thing. It doesn’t get distracted. The grass grows whether the sun shines or it rains. It’s a nice reminder that there’s a bigger world with a bigger plan beyond the edges of my screen — and I can see it, right beyond the edges of my screen. I’m a small piece of the universe, doing its thing. What happens to me matters little — but I should continue as doggedly as the grass grows all around me.

There are enough days when nature makes going outside uninviting. Don’t knock away its extended hand when it reaches out. Touch grass — and everything you touch afterwards will come a little more naturally too.

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This post was previously published on Niklas Göke’s blog and is republished on Medium.

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You may also like these posts on The Good Men Project:

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The Lack of Gentle Platonic Touch in Men’s Lives is a Killer

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Photo credit: iStock