Go Wild

“Why do we live a life so distant from what our ancestors thrived in? To reconnect with our roots is to rediscover health and happiness.”

1. Humans Are Built for the Wild, Not the Office

Humans are not naturally sedentary. Our evolutionary heritage prepared our bodies for physically active lives in the wilderness. Yet, modern lifestyles confine us to desks and screens, sapping our energy and health. This discord manifests as physical and mental illnesses like heart disease, obesity, and depression.

Tribes like the San people of Southern Africa offer a glimpse into how humans once thrived: hunting, gathering, community living, and spending days outdoors. Their physical and mental well-being highlight the disparity between a wild lifestyle and urban living. But even city dwellers can engage in outdoor activities and reconnect with nature to counteract the damaging effects of modern routines.

Staying active and rekindling connections with nature aren't just nostalgic fantasies. They’re vital for aligning with how our bodies and minds have evolved over millennia.

Examples

• The typical office worker spends over 8 hours a day sitting, contributing to health issues.
• The San people’s outdoor, active lifestyle correlates with their low incidences of cancer and diabetes.
• Research links sedentary behaviors with increased risks of depression.

2. Empathy Shapes Human Survival

Our evolutionary success isn’t due to brute strength but empathy, which aids in hunting, caregiving, and social bonding. As hunters, humans understand prey behavior by imagining themselves in the prey’s situation. This skill makes hunting more effective, ensuring survival.

Extended childhoods drive humans to care deeply for offspring and form lasting bonds. This empathy extends beyond families to create intricate communities, where cooperation becomes essential. This unique trait has been crucial in our development as a species capable of collaboration and communication.

Furthermore, empathy supports resilience by fueling social support systems, which are vital in both wild survival and modern challenges like emotional well-being.

Examples

• Tracking prey using predictive behaviors demonstrates human empathy in nature.
• Parental care in humans is longer and deeper than most species, cementing familial relationships.
• Our ability to work as teams comes from putting ourselves in others’ shoes, fostering cooperation.

3. Movement Improves Body and Brain

Humans are designed for a variety of motions—running, jumping, climbing, crouching—skills integral to our survival. Physical activity in the wild not only boosts physical health but sharpens cognitive abilities. Confronting natural obstacles while running or navigating terrains forces the brain to build new connections.

Modern science supports this. A Swedish study showed a link between fitness and higher IQs. Not just physicality but cardiovascular exercise helps forge a smarter, healthier brain. Disconnecting from physical activity in modern life leaves our bodies and minds underutilized—deeply unhappy with monotonous office life.

Restoring health and intelligence can start by moving outdoors, embracing the natural environment to reawaken our instincts.

Examples

• Runners navigating rocky trails stimulate reflexes and spatial awareness.
• Twins in the Swedish study showed higher intelligence when they integrated more cardio exercise into their routines.
• Ancestors naturally achieved both strength and intellect through active lifestyles.

4. Poor Diets Are a Modern Curse

Modern diets hinged on processed foods, sugars, and refined carbs have introduced diseases almost unknown to early humans, such as type 2 diabetes and obesity. Unlike the balanced diets our ancestors had—featuring diverse meats, plants, and fats—today’s eating habits stem from monoculture agriculture reliant on grains like rice and wheat.

The absence of key nutrients, like omega-3s from fish, has amplified issues like heart disease and depression. Meanwhile, fat reduction campaigns misled populations, discouraging the consumption of healthy animal fats that store necessary nutrients. Prepackaged cereals and sugary soft drinks exacerbate such deficiencies.

To reclaim health, a return to diverse and natural foods is necessary, prioritizing organic produce, lean meats, and nutrient-rich fatty fish.

Examples

• Fast foods and soft drinks account for a high percentage of processed sugar consumption.
• Historical hunter-gatherer diets contained omega-3-rich foods, yielding better mental and physical health.
• Societies adopting modern diets see a sudden rise in diseases previously absent from their culture.

5. Meditation Aligns the Brain with Nature

Meditation helps bridge the gap between modern lives and our natural instincts. Regular meditation rewires the brain, improving responsiveness to the environment and fostering empathy. Tibetan monks, for instance, showcase dramatically different brain patterns, with increased flexibility and connectivity.

Daily meditation also helps mitigate stress by connecting us to a calmer rhythm reminiscent of ancestral life. This practice nurtures resilience in hectic modern settings, granting people an opportunity to pause and reconnect internally.

What’s fascinating is that meditation also emphasizes mindfulness, a tool that our forebears naturally honed to stay alert in the wilderness.

Examples

• Studies on Tibetan monks reveal heightened neuroplasticity due to meditation.
• Short meditation practices demonstrate improvements in emotional regulation even among beginners.
• Meditation reignites mindfulness, akin to the alertness needed for tracking animals or gathering.

6. Natural Sleep Can Cure Insomnia

Human ancestors didn’t struggle with electric lights or glowing screens before bed. Sleeping outdoors, dim lighting, and the presence of others created ideal sleep routines. Conversely, modern habits—like being glued to monitors—interrupt natural sleep cycles.

Recreating prehistoric sleep environments can help. Staying away from devices, lowering indoor lighting, and even adopting light-blocking shades help restore melatonin production. Taking small steps toward a “wild” sleep environment promotes deeper rest.

This forgotten rhythm is something anyone can replicate at home for better energy and mental clarity.

Examples

• Sleep issues are less common in tribal societies with “wild” sleep conditions.
• Blue screens impact melatonin, making falling asleep harder.
• Many people find a pet’s company enhances sleep quality due to reduced stress.

7. Humans Thrive Together

Tribal living fosters social bonds crucial for survival. Our ancestors relied heavily on community support for shared food, defense, and caregiving. At the core lies the hormone oxytocin, which reinforces familial and communal attachments.

Even in urban life, building strong networks brings happiness. Social gatherings, shared projects, and group activities replicate our tribal past, enhancing mental and emotional health.

However, clannish instincts also introduce discrimination and fear toward outsiders. While these protective mechanisms aided survival, they’ve contributed adversely to modern societal divides like xenophobia or domestic conflicts.

Examples

• Oxytocin studies on prairie voles highlight its role in strengthening family ties.
• Community rituals around campfires resembled today’s social gatherings.
• Tribal bonds still appear in sports teams or group loyalists.

8. Nature Awakens Our Senses

Spending time in nature reduces stress, enhances focus, and promotes healing. Japanese researchers found even potted plants at offices reduce sick days remarkably. For urban dwellers, reconnecting to nature inspires physiological and mental improvements.

Our affinity for scenic views and open spaces isn’t arbitrary. It’s rooted in evolutionary needs to scout for predators or see escape routes. Modern urban blocks unintentionally evoke discomfort by triggering primal fears of entrapment.

Reviving green spaces in cities and homes can improve well-being—transforming barren spaces with natural life.

Examples

• Japanese “forest bathing” reduces cortisol levels in participants.
• Hospitals with greener views show faster patient recoveries.
• Adding potted plants improved office employees’ reported happiness.

9. Disconnection Wreaks Havoc

The gap between human evolution and modern conditions continues to widen. Disconnection from nature, community, physical activity, or proper diets drives rising illnesses. Our ancestors thrived through balance, and modern life disturbs this equilibrium.

Societal growth often skews safety over health, negating intuitive practices like being outdoors or eating fresh foods. Individuals can—and must—strive to bridge this divide.

The answer lies in small yet impactful lifestyle changes focused on movement, nature, social bonds, and whole foods.

Examples

• Obesity rates have soared in countries embracing sedentary lifestyles.
• Depression is consistently linked to disconnection from nature and activity.
• Tribes living close to nature rarely experience “modern” diseases.

Takeaways

1. Add an outdoor activity, like hiking or running, to your weekly routine—your body and mind will thank you.
2. Make small dietary shifts by replacing processed snacks with fresh, colorful fruits and vegetables.
3. Reserve 20 minutes daily for mindfulness or meditation to calm your thoughts and reset your rhythm with nature.