How to Live Natural Lifestyle Without Losing Your Mind (Or Your Netflix Subscription)
Practical, realistic steps for how to live natural lifestyle with whole foods, cleaner products, and more time outside—no off-grid cabin required.
When I first started googling how to live natural lifestyle, I pictured myself churning butter in a sunlit farmhouse while birds braided my hair like a Disney princess. Reality check: I live in the real world where emails exist, laundry multiplies like it’s got a side hustle, and sometimes dinner is “whatever is fastest that still counts as food.”
And that’s exactly why this matters.
Because how to live natural lifestyle isn’t about becoming a different person with a different zip code and a pantry full of powders you can’t pronounce. It’s about making a few smarter, calmer choices—ones that reduce your exposure to junk (chemical, processed, mental), increase your connection to real life, and still leave room for, you know, fun.
Also, if you’ve ever tried to “change everything” on a Monday and then rage-ordered takeout by Wednesday… hi, welcome. You’re in good company.
One reason natural living works so well is that it often gets you back to the basics your body already likes: real food, fresh air, movement, sleep, sunlight, and less weird stuff. For example, a well-cited randomized controlled trial in Cell Metabolism (2019) found that when people ate ultra-processed diets, they consumed about 500 more calories per day than when they ate minimally processed foods—even when meals were matched for calories, sugar, fat, and fiber. Translation: food that’s engineered to be irresistible… tends to succeed at being irresistible.
So let’s make this practical. Here’s a friendly, doable guide on how to live natural lifestyle—without turning your life into a nonstop DIY project.
What Does “Natural Lifestyle” Actually Mean?
Before we talk about how to live natural lifestyle, let’s define it in a way that doesn’t require buying a $48 jar of “ancestral dust.”
A natural lifestyle (at least the sane version) is basically this:
- You reduce exposure to overly processed foods and unnecessary chemicals.
- You increase things that support health: whole foods, clean air, sunlight, movement, time outdoors.
- You choose products and habits that are simpler, less toxic, and more sustainable—for your body and the planet.
It’s not purity. It’s not perfection. It’s more like a dial you turn gradually.
When I started learning how to live natural lifestyle, I stopped thinking, “I have to do everything,” and started thinking, “What’s the next small upgrade that won’t make me quit?” That mindset is the whole game.
The Foundation: Why Bother?
If you’re wondering why how to live natural lifestyle is even worth your time, here’s the short version: convenience has hidden fees.
That “fresh linen” air spray? Often a cloud of fragrance chemicals (including VOCs) that your lungs didn’t sign up for. The “quick” snack that comes in a shiny wrapper? Usually engineered to keep you snacking.
And it’s not just vibes—there are real reasons to care about indoor environments and daily exposures. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has long warned that indoor air can be significantly more polluted than outdoor air because of building materials, household products, and ventilation habits. That’s one reason natural living often starts at home.
Starting With Food: The Gateway to Natural Living
If you want a high-impact starting point for how to live natural lifestyle, food wins—because you do it every day, multiple times a day. Small shifts here actually show up in your energy, mood, and cravings.
Ditch the “Food Product” Trap (Without Becoming the Fun Police)
A simple rule I like: eat more foods that still look like what they were.
- An apple? Great.
- Apple “flavored” gummies shaped like tiny cartoon apples? That’s more of a candy situation wearing a fruit costume.
I’m not here to confiscate your snacks. I’m saying: when most of your meals come from real ingredients, the occasional treat doesn’t run the whole show.
Shop the Perimeter (Most of the Time)
You’ve probably heard the “shop the perimeter” tip. It’s popular because it works.
The perimeter is where most whole foods live: produce, eggs, dairy, meat, fish. The center aisles aren’t automatically evil, but it’s where foods often become shelf-stable by… becoming something else.
When I’m trying to stay aligned with how to live natural lifestyle, I do a quick mental check: “Is this feeding me, or is it just entertaining my mouth?” Sometimes the answer is “both,” and honestly? That’s fine.
Add One “Upgrade Meal” a Day
If changing your entire diet sounds exhausting, try this instead: one upgrade meal.
That could be:
- Breakfast: oats + fruit + nuts instead of a sugary cereal
- Lunch: a simple salad + protein instead of fast food
- Dinner: a sheet-pan meal with vegetables and chicken instead of frozen pizza
One better meal a day is a quiet flex. And it’s a gentle way to practice how to live natural lifestyle without flipping your life upside down.
Grow Something (Even If It’s One Herb That Refuses to Die)
I started with a basil plant on a windowsill. That’s it. Not a homestead. Not a farm-to-table fantasy. One green plant trying its best.
And weirdly, it changed how I cooked. Fresh herbs make basic meals taste like you tried harder than you did. Plus, growing even a little food connects you to seasons and makes you appreciate what “fresh” actually means.
If you want to practice how to live natural lifestyle in a way that feels satisfying fast, growing herbs is one of the easiest wins.
Cleaning Up Your Cleaning Products
If food is the gateway, cleaning products are the plot twist.
Because once you start exploring how to live natural lifestyle, you eventually open the cabinet under your sink and realize it’s basically a tiny chemical nightclub down there.
The “Smell Test” Is Not a Health Test
A lot of conventional cleaners smell “fresh” because of added fragrance—often made of many undisclosed ingredients.
I learned this the hard way: I used to deep-clean with strong sprays, and I’d end the day with a headache and scratchy throat like I’d been lightly punched by a lemon-scented ghost. When I switched to simpler options and improved ventilation, those symptoms eased up.
Simple Swaps That Actually Work
Here’s what I keep on hand because it’s effective and not fussy:
- Vinegar + water for counters, glass, and basic cleaning
- Baking soda for scrubbing sinks and tubs
- Castile soap for general cleaning and floors
- Microfiber cloths (they pick up a shocking amount without extra product)
Does this cover everything? Not always. If you have mold, serious grime, or a stomach bug running through the house like it pays rent, you may need stronger disinfectants. Natural living isn’t about refusing tools—it’s about using the least intense tool that gets the job done.
That mindset is a big part of how to live natural lifestyle: practical, not performative.
Rethinking Personal Care Products
This is where how to live natural lifestyle gets personal—literally.
Your skin isn’t a brick wall. It’s more like a selective sponge, and what you put on it can matter.
Start With the Daily “Leave-On” Products
If you’re going to swap anything, start with what:
- touches your skin every day, and
- stays on for hours.
For most people, that’s deodorant, lotion, moisturizer, sunscreen, and maybe makeup.
When I started, I didn’t throw everything away (that’s expensive and wasteful). I used what I had, then replaced items as they ran out. That’s a more sustainable way to learn how to live natural lifestyle.
A Quick Word on Natural Deodorant (Yes, There’s a Phase)
Natural deodorant can work really well… after an adjustment period.
I’m not saying you’ll suddenly smell like a meadow. I’m saying your body may need time to stop relying on antiperspirant ingredients, and you might have a couple of “huh, interesting” weeks.
But then it often levels out.
If you want help picking products, the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database is a common starting point for ingredient transparency. (It’s not the only resource, but it can be useful when you’re learning to read labels.)
Creating a Natural Home Environment
If you’re serious about how to live natural lifestyle, your home environment is a big deal—because you spend a lot of time in it, breathing it.
Indoor Air Quality: The Quiet Influencer
The EPA has noted that indoor air can be more polluted than outdoor air due to building materials, household products, and poor ventilation. That’s why “natural living” sometimes feels like it starts with… opening a window.
I know. Revolutionary.
Easy Fixes That Feel Good Fast
- Ventilate daily: even 10 minutes helps
- Skip artificial air fresheners: many release VOCs
- Use exhaust fans: especially when cooking and showering
- Add a few hardy houseplants: snake plant, pothos, spider plant
Houseplants won’t solve everything, but they do something valuable: they make your home feel alive. And that emotional shift—feeling calmer in your space—is part of how to live natural lifestyle, too.
Furniture, Paint, and “New Stuff Smell”
That “new” smell from furniture and paint? Often VOCs off-gassing.
You don’t need to panic-replace your couch. But when you buy new items:
- look for low-VOC paints
- choose solid wood and natural fibers when possible
- let new furniture air out (open windows, use fans)
It’s a long game. Natural living tends to be.
Connecting With Nature (The Part That Fixes More Than You’d Expect)
If you ask me what the most underrated piece of how to live natural lifestyle is, it’s this: go outside.
Not as a chore. Not as a fitness punishment. Just… outside.
The 120-Minute Rule (Backed by Research)
A large study in Scientific Reports (2019) found that people who spent at least 120 minutes per week in nature were more likely to report good health and higher wellbeing. That can be a couple longer walks, a weekend park visit, or a daily 20 minutes.
I love this because it’s specific and forgiving. You don’t need to move to the mountains. You just need a plan that fits your life.
Make Nature an Appointment You Don’t Cancel
I started scheduling outdoor time like it was a meeting with someone important—because honestly, it is.
When I’m consistent, I’m more patient, I sleep better, and my brain doesn’t feel like 27 browser tabs are open at once. When I’m not? I get crunchy in the personality department.
This is the soft, sneaky magic of how to live natural lifestyle: it improves your nervous system, not just your pantry.
Forest Bathing (Less Weird Than It Sounds)
Shinrin-yoku—forest bathing—is basically “be in a forest and actually notice it.” Research out of Japan has linked it to reductions in stress markers like cortisol and improvements in mood.
You don’t need a forest, though. A park works. A trail works. Even a tree-lined neighborhood street works.
The key is presence: no rushing, no multitasking, no doomscrolling. Just you and the outdoors being… outdoors.
Reducing Toxic Exposure in Everyday Life
At some point in the how to live natural lifestyle journey, you start noticing how many modern conveniences come wrapped in plastic, fragrance, or mystery coatings.
You can’t control everything. But you can control a few high-impact things.
Plastic: Don’t Aim for Zero—Aim for Less
Plastic is useful. It’s also everywhere. Microplastics have been found in oceans, soil, and even the human body (research is still evolving on what that means long-term).
My approach is simple:
- avoid heating food in plastic
- use glass or stainless steel when it’s easy
- don’t stress about the rest
That’s a sustainable way to practice how to live natural lifestyle without becoming the person who brings their own mason jar to a wedding.
Water Quality: A Boring Upgrade That Pays Off
If you want one “adult purchase” that supports how to live natural lifestyle, it’s a quality water filter.
Not because tap water is always terrible—many places have decent municipal water—but because filtering can reduce contaminants and improve taste, which makes hydration easier.
And hydration is one of those unsexy habits that quietly improves everything.
EMFs and Screens: Focus on What’s Certain
EMFs can be a heated topic, and the research isn’t simple. What is clear is that constant screen exposure messes with sleep, focus, and stress.
So my natural-living compromise looks like:
- don’t sleep with my phone by my head
- take screen breaks
- get sunlight in the morning when possible
Even if you never think about EMFs again, these habits still support how to live natural lifestyle.
The Mental Side of Natural Living (Yes, It Counts)
If your idea of how to live natural lifestyle is all food and products, you’re missing a big piece.
Natural living is also mental hygiene: reducing noise, making space, and letting your brain stop sprinting.
Slow Down in a World That Sells Speed
We’re trained to treat busyness like a personality. But constant stimulation isn’t normal for humans.
I’ve started taking small pockets of quiet: a walk without headphones, a few minutes sitting outside, a “no phone in the bathroom” rule (which is healthier than it sounds and less gross than it is).
This isn’t about being zen. It’s about giving your nervous system a break—something that fits naturally into how to live natural lifestyle.
Mindfulness That Doesn’t Make You Roll Your Eyes
Mindfulness is just paying attention to the present without immediately judging it.
And it’s not fluff. A review in JAMA Internal Medicine (2014) found mindfulness meditation programs showed moderate evidence for improving anxiety and depression.
You can practice mindfulness while washing dishes, eating lunch, or watering plants. The point isn’t to become a monk. The point is to stop living your whole life in “next.”
Making It Sustainable (Because Burnout Isn’t Natural)
If I could tattoo one thing on the internet’s forehead about how to live natural lifestyle, it would be this: don’t do it like a sprint.
Start Small. Then Stack.
Pick one category:
- food
- cleaning
- personal care
- home air
- outdoor time
Work on that until it feels normal, then add another. This is how habits actually stick.
When I tried to change everything at once, I lasted about as long as a New Year’s resolution at a donut convention.
Don’t Let “Perfect” Bully “Better”
You’ll forget your reusable bag. You’ll eat fast food on a road trip. You’ll buy the non-organic strawberries because the organic ones cost the same as a small used car.
That doesn’t mean you failed.
How to live natural lifestyle is about direction, not perfection.
Find Your People (Even If It’s Just One Friend Who Gets It)
Natural living is easier when you’re not doing it alone.
- swap tips with friends
- join a community garden
- take a local class (cooking, composting, foraging)
Community keeps the whole thing lighter and more fun—and fun is underrated in how to live natural lifestyle.
The Bottom Line on How to Live Natural Lifestyle
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably not looking for a gold star. You’re looking for a way to feel better in your body and your life without turning every purchase into a moral philosophy exam.
That’s why how to live natural lifestyle works best when it’s practical:
Eat more real food. Open windows. Use simpler cleaners. Read labels when you can. Spend time outside. Sleep like it matters. Forgive yourself quickly. Repeat.
You don’t have to do all of it. Pick what fits your life right now. Start small. Let it grow.
And if your natural-living journey includes a store-bought deodorant, a freezer pizza, and a park walk that counts as “forest bathing” because there were trees nearby… honestly? I think you’re doing great.
