How To Live A Little Wilder
When I was studying for an animal behavior degree in college, I learned that the healthiest ecosystems on the planet are the ones with the most biodiversity. Scientists have also found that living in biodiverse environments increases our life satisfaction just as much as an increase in income. And while mindset and genetics are responsible for large percentages of our overall happiness, not much focus is placed on environmental factors. I think that’s because we assume the environment is out of our control, but what if it isn’t?
Employees who sit near windows report higher energy levels even after they leave the office. Hospital patients in sunnier rooms are discharged sooner and need less pain medication. People who spend more time in parks have greater psychological well-being. And adding a few plants to a windowless room can decrease blood pressure.
“There is plenty about your environment that is within your control, and maybe even small changes can help awaken the roots of our wilder humanity”.
I think about ancient and tribal communities a lot. When I picture a community of people living off the earth, all the nectar of life flows together. With thin walls and open windows, you feel changes in the crispness of the air, you smell microscopic botanicals in the air changing with the seasons. Without natural lighting and alarm clocks, you wake up to sunlight and birds singing. The dip in temperature at night lulls your body and your mind to sleep. Art, music, and dance are woven into the fabric of daily life. They are not fractured into special rooms or scheduled classes. Fires are a source of warmth, but also a way to cook food, and a place to gather. They are a source of gratitude, sustenance, and connection that can’t be replicated by a heating system or a stove.
That way of life, unfortunately, is not realistic for most modern humans. But there is plenty about your environment that is within your control, and maybe even small changes can help awaken the roots of our wilder humanity.
With that goal in mind, here are my ideas on ways to live wilder.
Set your thermostat to lower at night
If you have a programmable thermostat, set the temperature to drop at night and think about ways to make your bedroom more cave-like. Most humans sleep best in dark, cool rooms with good humidity. That could mean painting your walls a darker color, getting black-out curtains, replacing bright lights with dim, ambient lighting, or getting a humidifier.
Let in sunlight
Think about ways to let in sunlight during the day. That could mean sheer curtains or blinds or getting full-spectrum lighting that mimics sunlight. Look for lights with a kelvin of around 3,000 or a CRI (color rendering index) of around 100. Look for dark shadowy corners of your home and think about how to you full them with pools of soft glowy light. Put chairs or hammocks outside where you can bask in sunshine. At night, leave off the bright lights and use more dim lighting. As windows have gotten more energy-efficent, they also let in less sound from outside. On nice days, open the windows so you can hear the birds singing and wind blowing through the trees.
Get plants
A few good plants can help blur the edges of indoors and out. They clean the air, and even just the color green can have a calming effect on our nervous systems. If you have pets, you can check the ASPCA’s website for a list of toxic vs non-toxic options. Orchids, ferns, succulents, and air plants like bromeliads are usually safe options that come in many different colors.
Add nature-themed decor
This is an easy way to add biodiversity to your home. Think about art, sculptures, pottery, and other elements that can symbolize a whole spectrum of taxonomy. Mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, crustaceans, insects, plants, flowers, trees, fungi, crystals, and landscapes can bring in feelings of wildness, abundance, and diversity.
Get a pet
Getting a pet is an important decision that should be made for the right reasons. But if you’ve been thinking about getting a pet anyway, consider this a nudge. Pets can help decrease stress and increase the love hormone, oxytocin. They can be a welcome distraction that pulls us out of the monotony of our daily routine and remind us to live in the moment.
Aromatherapy, incense, and candles
Outside, the smells are always changing and there is a special magic to the air in nature that’s missing in other places. I picture oils and tiny botanicals floating like glitter through scattered columns of sunlight, filling our nostrils and giving each wild place its own unique perfume. Our homes now are designed to filter out dust and allergens to help us breathe, but they also filter out the smells of the dirt and the rain, and the trees. You can replicate some of that sensory experience with essential oils, incense, and scented candles.
Find community
In druid school, we learned a term called Anam Cara. It translates to soul-friend, and it means a friend who can listen without judgment. For me, support groups have been the best space I’ve found for sharing all the gnarliest moments of life without receiving judgment or unhelpful advice. To me, that’s what real community is. People who accept you exactly as you are, where your feelings are valid, where no one tries to rescue you from the story you are here to write. Therapy, life coaching, church, or just a good group of friends can serve this purpose depending on who you are and what you need. Community is important because our way of life has created a separateness. We spend more time inside. We have no wise elders to guide us. We have no We have lost wisdom and how to deeply listen.
Music, dance, and art
In Nature-Based Expressive Arts Therapy, the author, Sally Atkins, notes how in tribal cultures; music, dance, art, and life all bleed and flow together. They are not segregated into separate rooms, separate classes, or separate times. So fill your home with art, play music while you work, and dance on a whim.
