There are many benefits to living a more natural lifestyle. People experience tremendous health and well-being advantages including better mental health, fewer incidences of addiction, improved physical health, better relationships, and so much more. Switching to a natural lifestyle from a mostly indoor and unnatural lifestyle, however, can be overwhelming. It’s hard to know where to start, what to learn about first, and what to incorporate into everyday life. The good news is that you simply start with one thing at a time in a way that works for you. Here are simple ways to create a more natural lifestyle.
Spend Time Outdoors Instead of in Front of the T.V.
The more time you can spend in the sunshine and in nature, the better. People experience better mental health, improved moods, better immunity, and more when they get outside. Because most jobs are indoors, and people relax indoors, this can feel overwhelming. Start by taking a walk before or after dinner. Plan weekend activities that get you outdoors. You might try golfing or hiking or taking a stroll through a local park. By prioritizing outdoor activities, it’ll be easier to avoid technology, including the T.V.
Look for Natural Remedies for Common Illnesses
There are many different approaches when it comes to natural health. Some people learn about homeopathy. Others find great help in learning to use food as medicine like in Ayurvedic practices. There are also herbal medicines and tinctures that can help people recover from common illnesses. The best approach is to create a natural medicine cabinet for the things you encounter the most in your home. If you deal with annual colds, sore throats, stomachaches, and even headaches, there are natural remedies that can help. Talk with herbalists and other knowledgeable professionals to learn about the best options for each ailment.
Get Mental Health Help For Unresolved Issues
Seeking out mental health care is one of the most natural things you can do. Getting healing in your heart and mind will help you and your family live a vibrant life. Often people experience unresolved issues that can lead to things like substance abuse, uncontrollable anger, and even anxiety and sleep disruptions. All of these combined can create a hostile environment in the home.
It’s one of the reasons why people participate in Solution Point’s family program near Coachella and other similar programs around the country. They not only help people overcome addiction, but they treat the whole family who has each been affected by one person’s addiction. Getting mental health help may look like individual and group counseling or it may look like rehab and family counseling services.
Source Local Ingredients for Cooking
Natural people love to shop at farmers markets and farms to source their food locally. This means that people eat more in-season items and experience better food quality than they can find in the local grocery store. It’s also a great way to step out into a more natural lifestyle. Look for grass-fed beef, pasture-raised chickens, and even sheep or goats for meat options. Your local farmer probably has something they specialize in.
You can sign up for food co-ops as well to experience different vegetables that are ready when the season says and not before or after it. This creates better health in your body and can improve your immunity as well. Fresh local foods are typically more nutrient-dense because they tend to be farm-to-table.
Take Trips to Visit Outdoor Landmarks
Creating a plan to get outside and be closer to nature might mean you need to find places to go in advance. Instead of vacationing somewhere with an amusement park or indoor waterpark, why not take trips to outdoor landmarks? You can visit places like Mount Rushmore, and Pikes Peak National Park, or hike to the top of Mt. Washington. These landmarks can become your bucket list of naturally beautiful places to visit. If you travel outside the United States, there are beaches and countless landmarks that you could experience. By creating trips and vacations around outdoor places, you’ll spend your time doing things to prepare yourself to go on these trips. It creates more opportunities for going outdoors, even if you simply find a local trail to walk on.
Try Toxin-Free Home and Body Care Products
Another way to create a natural lifestyle with your family is to start using toxin-free home and body care products. In the United States alone, there are 1300 chemicals allowed into the products you likely have around your home that places like the EU and the UK do not allow. This means that you need to become really good at reading labels and understanding what they mean, which can be overwhelming. Not to mention the myriad of green-washed products that line the shelves of retail stores.
Start with one item. Replace your counter-cleaning spray with something like vinegar or a heavily diluted hydrogen peroxide solution. Find a shampoo and conditioner set that only contains natural ingredients. Use soap from a local vendor that doesn’t have artificial fragrance in it. Stop using dryer sheets and use wool dryer balls instead. There are just a handful of simple and affordable swaps you can make for your home and body care products.
Use Blackout Curtains for Sleeping
Have you ever experienced sleep in a pitch-black room before? The difference between it and sleeping in a room with light is like night and day. Pun intended. Blackout curtains help block the ambient light that comes in from streetlights, headlights, and even a full moon. It mimics sleeping in a cave and is extremely beneficial for your health. Just make sure you don’t have any lights from appliances or phones in your room as well.
Turn Off Screens 1-2 Hours Before Bed
Another great way to start a natural lifestyle with your family is to turn off screens 1-2 hours before bed. This helps your body produce natural levels of melatonin which helps you rest easier and improves your immunity. This can help you avoid sickness when people around you are getting sick.