Why We Need to Slow Down & Reconnect with Ourselves
You’re allowed to wallow…
Not in sadness but in stillness,
In the weight of your own being.
You don’t have to be anywhere else
You don’t have to be anyone else.
In the rush of daily life, it’s easy to lose touch with ourselves. Between deadlines, screens, and endless to-do lists, we often forget to check in with the one person who needs us most: ourselves.
How am I really feeling?
What do I need more of in my life?
What do I need less of?
Where do I feel most at peace?
What am I grateful for right now?
Nature offers a quiet invitation back.
Whether it’s a morning walk under the trees, sitting by the ocean, or simply feeling the breeze on your skin, being in nature grounds us. It reminds us that life doesn’t always have to move so fast. That we are part of something bigger, and that it’s okay to pause.
When you step outside and let your senses take over… the smell of pine, the rustle of leaves, the warmth of sunlight. You return to the present moment and in that presence, you rediscover clarity, calm, and connection with yourself.
Nature doesn’t rush us. It simply is.
Spending time in nature helps us shed the layers we wear to survive the modern world such as the tension, the pressure, the constant alertness. It creates space for reflection, creativity, and calm. It doesn’t solve all our problems, but it gives us enough distance from them to see more clearly.
You don’t need to escape to a remote mountain or go off the grid. Sometimes, reconnecting with yourself starts with a few minutes under a tree, watching clouds drift by. Sometimes, it’s as simple as leaving your phone behind and noticing the world waking up around you. It doesn’t have to be as complicated as our minds tend to make it.
Wallow in Wonder.
Sometimes, the most radical thing we can do is slow down. To wallow, not in worry or regret, but in wonder. To let ourselves linger in the small, sacred details we usually rush past. The warmth of morning light on your skin. The rhythm of your breath. The first sip of your morning drink. The way the trees sway in the breeze. When we slow down with gratitude, we begin to notice that life is quietly offering us beauty all the time. It’s not about ignoring the hard things because there will always be that but more about making space to remember that joy is always at our fingertips and often found in the simplest moments… when we finally stop moving and start noticing.
This blog post was inspired by a recent campaign I shot for Wallow by Piglet in Bed. I hope something here inspired you to slow down and reconnect with yourself. As always, it begins with self. Healing ourselves is one of the most important and often most courageous thing we can do, not just for our own well-being, but for the world around us. When we begin to tend to our wounds, patterns, and pain with compassion and honesty, we break cycles and create space for growth, connection, and deeper peace. Unhealed hurt often spills into our relationships, choices, and self-worth without us realizing it. Healing allows us to respond instead of react, to love with more openness, and to live with greater clarity and purpose. It’s not about becoming perfect. It’s about becoming whole. And when we heal ourselves, we quietly give others permission to do the same.
All of the film shot for this campaign was developed and digitally scanned by Negative Lab in Los Angeles. I have been sending my film here for 2 years now and I am always pleased with my scans. I cannot express the difference the lab makes! If you’re interested in giving them a try, use ‘WILD15’ for 15% off your first purchase. For transparency, I do not make any money when you use this code but I do receive a discount off my processing services by spreading the word. Whether you’ve read this post or use my code, every little bit helps keep me doing what I love. For more work and easier updates, follow me on Instagram. Until next time. With love, stay wild ~ Jess.
