Bear Grylls may be famous for giving survival advice, but he is also passionate about how we should all enjoy the outdoors and spend time in nature, rather than just “surviving” it. He has said that his spirit comes alive when he immerses himself in nature.
Bear reminds us that our ancestors spent most of their time outdoors and were connected with nature—life back then was not centered around screens as it is for many people nowadays. Bear says that it’s important to keep grounded and sometimes just set off into the unknown or spend a night camping in the outdoors to truly connect with nature and reawaken the wild part of our inner selves.
“Have you experienced the hypnotic patter of rain on your tent, the clear call of an owl, or the rustling of the wind through the leaves at night? It’s a feeling of absolute freedom and belonging—a chance to reconnect with both ourselves and planet Earth,” wrote Bear in his book A Survival Guide for Life.
Stay Connected with Nature
Bear has often spoken about how it is important to stay connected with nature and how he tries to take early morning walks barefoot whenever he can.
“There is no trick to finding that connection. It could mean a city banker spending their lunch break in a park and taking their shoes off,” he told Men’s Health. “Walking is incredibly powerful . . . It could be as simple as stopping and listening to the birds, rather than looking at our phones. Take a moment to actively disconnect and just be. It doesn’t need to be complicated.”
“Nature and the outdoors are a universal and deep-rooted language that we can all pick up once we get immersed,” he says.
Rediscover Your Wild Self
Bear also believes that outdoor adventures help children to build confidence and pride, and as chief scout, he is always happy to help scouts young and old reconnect with nature.
In his new book, Do Your Best: How to Be a Scout, Bear stresses the importance of rediscovering our “wild” selves so we can live more freely.
He suggests 10 ways to rewild yourself:
- Go barefoot (but watch out for glass and splinters).
- Eat wild—go for fruit instead of crisps [potato chips] and sweets.
- Stay outdoors and only go in when you need to.
- Try some forest bathing.
- Start an allotment.
- Travel to a new outdoor destination near you.
- Get some morning light on your skin every day.
- Listen to the dawn chorus (it gets the day off to such an optimistic start).
- Walk as much as you can.
- If in doubt, go camping.
Do Your Best: How to Be a Scout by Bear Grylls is now available in the U.K, Ireland, and Australia/New Zealand, and it will be published in April 2024 in the U.S. Buy it here.
