How to Touch Grass: A Beginner’s Guide

“Touch grass” has become internet shorthand for “log off and experience reality.” But for many of us, it’s been so long since we’ve meaningfully interacted with the outside world that we genuinely don’t remember how.

That’s okay. We’re going to figure this out together.

What Is Grass?

Grass is a green, plant-like substance that exists in the physical world. It grows from the ground (that flat thing under your feet). It’s been there the whole time, we promise.

Key features:

Usually green (sometimes brown, but that’s okay)
Soft but slightly scratchy
Has no opinions about your tweets
Cannot ratio you

Step 1: Locate Grass

This is harder than it sounds if you live in a city. Options include:

Parks: Dedicated grass zones, often with bonus features like trees and birds
Lawns: Smaller grass patches, usually in front of buildings
Fields: Large grass installations, common in suburban/rural areas
Your backyard: If you have one, congratulations, you have on-site grass access

Not grass:

AstroTurf (imposter)
Green carpet (nice try)
That moss growing in your bathroom (concerning, but also not grass)

Step 2: Prepare For Outside

The outside is different from inside. Here’s what you need to know:

Weather exists. It’s not always 72°F out there. Check the temperature before leaving. Dress accordingly. Yes, this means wearing actual pants sometimes.

The sun is real. It’s that bright thing in the sky. It will hurt your eyes if you stare at it. (Don’t stare at it.) You may need sunglasses. You definitely need sunscreen.

Other humans are there. Real people. In 3D. They can see you. This is not a drill.

Step 3: The Journey Outside

Locate your front door (or back door, we’re not picky)
Put on shoes (important - grass is soft but the journey may involve concrete)
Take a deep breath
Open the door
Walk through it

Do not:

Bring your phone (okay, bring it for safety, but PUT IT AWAY)
Livestream this
Post about it (yet)
Turn back

Step 4: The Approach

You’ve found grass. It’s right there. You can see it. Now what?

Advanced technique:

Walk toward the grass
Stop when you’re standing on/near it
Look down
Acknowledge that this is grass

You’re doing great.

Step 5: Physical Contact

This is it. The moment we’ve been building toward.

Option A: The Classic Touch

Crouch or sit
Extend your hand
Place palm on grass
Feel the texture
Notice how it’s… grass

Option B: The Full Experience

Take off your shoes (brave)
Stand on grass with bare feet
Feel the sensation
Realize your feet have been in socks for 6 months straight
Question your life choices
Keep standing on grass anyway

Option C: The Committed Approach

Sit on the grass
Lie down on the grass
Become one with the grass
This is your life now
You are grass-adjacent

Step 6: The Experience

What you might feel:

Strange
Vulnerable (you’re not behind a screen)
Peaceful (no notifications)
Bored (this is normal, sit with it)
The urge to check your phone (resist)
Actually kind of okay?

Common reactions:

“This is nice?”
“Why don’t I do this more often?”
“I should take a picture” (NO)
“Wait, when did seasons change?”
“I can hear… birds?”

Step 7: Extend The Visit

Now that you’ve touched grass, consider staying a while. Radical activities include:

Sitting: Just… sit there. No phone. No purpose. Just existing in a place.

Walking: One foot in front of the other. No destination required. You’re not trying to hit 10,000 steps. You’re just… walking.

Observing: Look at things. Trees. Sky. Clouds. Other people living their lives. The world is very big and you are very small and somehow this is comforting.

Breathing: That thing you do automatically? Do it consciously. Fresh air is different from recycled indoor air. It’s weird. It’s good.

Step 8: Resist Documentation

Every fiber of your being wants to post about this. “Just touched grass for the first time in months lol.”

Don’t.

Let this moment exist without content. Let it be real without being performative. The grass-touching is for you, not for engagement.

Step 9: Return Inside

Eventually, you’ll need to go back. That’s okay. Outside isn’t going anywhere (climate change notwithstanding).

Re-entry protocol:

Say goodbye to the grass (mentally, don’t be weird)
Walk back inside
Feel the temperature change
Notice how inside smells different
Sit with the fact that you just… existed… for a while

Step 10: Repeat

The first time is the hardest. Each subsequent grass-touching gets easier. Eventually, it becomes routine. Maybe even enjoyable.

Recommended frequency:

Daily (ambitious but admirable)
3x per week (realistic)
Weekly (better than nothing)
“Whenever I remember outside exists” (honest)

Advanced Grass Activities

Once you’ve mastered basic grass-touching:

Grass sitting: Extended grass contact, 10+ minutes Grass lying: Horizontal grass experience, watch clouds Grass picnic: Combine grass-touching with eating Grass reading: Books exist in physical form, you can read them on grass Grass napping: This is just napping outside, it’s surprisingly nice

Troubleshooting

“There’s no grass near me”: Trees work. Dirt works. A park bench works. The point is being outside, not specifically grass substrate.

“It’s raining”: Rain is also outside. This counts. Umbrella optional.

“People will see me”: They’re also outside. They’re dealing with their own stuff. Nobody cares that you’re touching grass.

“I feel anxious without my phone”: That means you need this more than you thought. Start with 5 minutes. Build up from there.

“I went outside and immediately wanted to go back in”: Valid. Try again tomorrow. It gets easier.

The Truth About Grass

Touching grass won’t fix everything. It won’t solve all our problems or make us different people.

But it reminds us that there’s a world beyond the timeline. That we have bodies that exist in physical space. That the internet isn’t everything.

Sometimes that’s exactly what we need.

Ready for more? Check out our Recovery Resources for additional ways to reconnect with reality.

Want to understand your patterns? Take our quiz to see where you’re at.

Now close this tab and go outside. We’ll still be here when you get back.

(But maybe take your time.)

How to Touch Grass