If you sometimes feel depressed or low on energy, you may be neglecting some of your fundamental needs as a human. If you think something is missing from your life, this may be the answer.
I’m assuming since you are on this website, that you have a variety of social media accounts. Social media is a great source of independent news, as opposed to mainstream media. At least that’s how I mostly use it. But it’s also great for keeping in touch with people you know. I myself don’t have an enormous list of friends on Facebook, because strangers don't need to know what I have for dinner. Not that I post that kind of thing anyway. I tend to use Facebook and other social media mostly for staying informed – whether it be regarding my friends, or events around the world.
Do you ever think that your time online is excessive? Have either your family or friends told you something like “there’s another world outside”?
If you are part of my generation, you grew up around technology. I’ve always had a personal computer, but things somewhat changed once smart phones became common. It was a whole other level. You have access to virtually unlimited information, and can communicate with just about anyone, with a super-portable electronic device.
On one hand, our mobile phones are convenient. It’s hard to imagine life without them. On the other hand, do they drag us into negative and self-destructive patterns? If you often feel depressed, what I explain in this article is something worth considering.
The Usefulness of Technology.
Consider technology is something that is supposed to make our lives easier. Although the strict definition is “the application of scientific knowledge”. Isn’t the application of scientific knowledge supposed to make life easier? Perhaps. But does an easier life always been a better life? No.
For example, consider having everything you ever want, whenever you wanted. It sounds great, at least on paper. Your life will be incredibly easy. Technology certainly has the ability to make our lives easier. But if we have everything we want, then life may become incredibly boring.
Certainly we should have useful technology, but not at the expense of degrading our lives. After all, aren’t we all ultimately seeking a happy and fulfilling life? Or is it all about acquiring wealth and status?
There are a great number of emerging technologies, with my favorite being computer vision. We all know how useful computers can be in our daily lives. And we all know how important our eyesight is. Now imagine a blend between the automation of computers, and the usefulness of eyesight. So it has many practical and invaluable uses. I'm personally waiting for the self-driving car, which has the ability to almost completely eliminate road accidents.
About Outside: The Other World.
The two things I love about indoors are that there are no bugs, you can regulate the temperature. After all, who wants to be either freezing or sweating? I like to be comfortable, and chances are you do too. But at the same time, I absolutely love the outdoors. Yes, it’s a paradox.
As for bugs, I despise the little things. They buzz around everywhere and annoy you senseless.
Now look around you. Chances are you see walls. Compare the two images below.
Where would you prefer to be? If you said the office, I think you have problems. It’s about time you get outdoors.
Which do you think is cheaper?
Well, just about everyone has a desk or table of some kind, and a chair. It’s nothing special really. It’s affordable. But to be out in nature like in the lower image, can cost an absolute fortune. Consider some of the luxury glamping resorts that can cost tens of thousands of dollars per night.
And funnily enough, the natural landscape is the one that is supposed to be free.
Is it just me, or does it seem kind of backwards? I mean most of us work our butts off, all to get back to nature and enjoy ourselves. Maybe trees and lakes aren’t your thing. Maybe you prefer swimming in the ocean. Either way, can’t we just skip the work part and be in nature? At least wouldn’t we prefer this?
The answers to that question, as far as I’m concerned, is yes. However, I would need to consider what I eat, drink, and where I will sleep. There are a variety of other needs I have, so I’m not about to pack my bags and live in the wilderness. But maybe there is something in between. That is to have the benefit of nature, without needing to work so hard to make money, to be able to afford staying around nature.
Where Technology Goes Too Far.
Just about all technology can be used rather a good or bad purpose. For example, the Internet and mobile phones can be used by oppressive governments for digital surveillance. I think it’s safe to say China is a particularly oppressive government, considering their heavily censored Internet.
Digital surveillance does indeed help to keep us safe from criminals. But the technology is still relatively new. Keep in mind that the Internet is literally only decades old. Planet Earth is literally billions of years old. This makes our civilization, and our technology, comparatively like a baby. Our technology has developed far quicker than our level of responsibility. So perhaps it’s inevitable that technology would be used for nefarious purposes.
Another example is online banking. It’s very convenient to be able to pay for products at a department store with a tap of a ATM card. You would think the technology is safe for everyone to use. The reality is when you use an ATM, hackers can duplicate your card, then steal funds directly from your account. This is just one example of the pitfalls of technology. I’m sure one day there will be a blend of convenience with security, but for now, technology is evolving to quickly for solid security. One of the better technologies that may give us security with transactions is blockchain technology like Bitcoin.
Now back to my original point about getting out in nature. We as humans have various senses, which are not very stimulated indoors. If you spend a week inside, then suddenly get outside into nature, you may feel a little overwhelmed. But most importantly, you will feel more alive. If you spend too much time indoors, don’t be surprised if you occasionally feel depressed.
Monitor Your Habits With Technology.
It is way too easy to have your phone with you at all times. It’s portable, and you can access everything you want at any time. The problem is it is too addictive. Mobile phone manufacturers, and social network developers, have done an exceptional job at developing apps and games to maintain our attention. And while I’m a big fan of the convenience of technology, it is paramount that we all remember we are living beings. We need contact with nature, which is where we came from. Okay, so this is the hippie part of me speaking.
What I am trying to say is if you want to feel more alive, make a concerted effort to surround yourself in nature, outside your house. Even if only 20 minutes a day, get outside, listen to the sound of birds and the wind, and you will feel more alive. You will enjoy life more.
