The Two Most Important Things I Do for Successfully Living in My Car
Many people view living in a car as a great sacrifice. I don’t see it that way at all. With proper planning, the right mindset, and a willingness to be resilient, resourceful, and creative, it can be a very inexpensive and enjoyable way to live in relative comfort.
I do two vitally important things to make it work. First and most importantly, I want to ensure that I can consistently get a good night's sleep. Sleep is crucial for health and well-being. It is the foundation for good mental and physical health.
Despite having a small vehicle, I could fit a 75” long camper mattress between the back of the front passenger seat and the trunk. I did this by removing the folding portions of the back seat. Only four bolts held them, so removing them only took a few minutes. I could lie down fully stretched out on a very comfortable camper mattress. I also created my own window covers to block out streetlights, so it is dark inside my car.
After the first two weeks of tinkering with various places to park at night, I found a few reliable spots where it was quiet, and I could sleep undisturbed. I consistently get a good night's sleep in my car. I sleep as well as I would in an apartment or house—maybe even better.
Sleep is the foundation that sets the tone for just about everything I do. Healthy sleep encompasses three major things: how much sleep I get, sleep quality, and a consistent sleep schedule. I have developed a regular routine. I’m a morning person, so I’m usually in bed between 8 and 9:00 p.m. and typically wake up around 4 and 5 a.m.
Besides ensuring I have a comfortable bed and place to sleep, I pay close attention to what I put into my body. I eat a whole-food, plant-based diet. I eat nutrient-dense foods. I avoid processed foods, and I usually avoid anything containing refined sugar. I don’t put sugar in anything and rarely eat anything with added sugar. Diet and nutrition play important roles when it comes to quality sleep.
I don’t drink alcoholic beverages of any kind. I have been sober for over three years. Giving up alcohol has done wonders for improving my quality of sleep, as well as my physical and mental health.
The other vital element for following this lifestyle is spending as little time as possible in my car. I use my vehicle primarily for two things: transportation and sleeping. For everything else, I am outside of my car. If you think about it, I don’t live in my car; I live out of it.
Where do I spend most of my time? I am a firm believer in the healing power of nature. Whenever I walk in the forest, I am in my happy place. I choose to spend as much time as possible in the natural world. I relish stepping away from all the noise, the busyness, and the consumerist rubbish infiltrating and polluting every facet of our artificial lives in modern society.
Modern society separates us from nature. The modern Western lifestyle is a significant contributing factor to declines in physical and mental health. Nature is the primary source of health and healing.
Nature calls me. It is peaceful and refreshing. It calms me, lowers my stress and anxiety, and soothes my introverted soul. It is a wondrous feeling to be free from obligations. Nature lifts my spirit, revitalizes my energy, and provides a pathway to inner peace. Just be present and enjoy the beauty of the moment. Time spent in nature is never a waste of time.
I have a gym membership but still prefer to exercise outdoors. Studies have shown that adults who exercised in nature had lower levels of tension, confusion, anger, and depression than when they exercised indoors. In another study, scenes of nature activated regions of the brain linked to happiness, insight, and free thinking, while urban images stimulated regions associated with stress, fear, and anxiety. Nature is our calling.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans spend 93% of their time indoors, which may explain why this nation has remarkably poor mental and physical health. I want to harness the healing power of nature. I want to spend abundant time outdoors in nature and reap its benefits.
I often go for walks in nature after work. On weekends, I may go on a road trip to a national or state park, hike with a meetup group, go to an animal sanctuary, or walk the trails in and around town.
On those few occasions when the weather doesn’t cooperate, I’ll spend time at the library, where I can write, do research, or catch up on the latest content from my favorite YouTube creators. But I don’t ever hang out in my car.
Doing these two vital things helped lay the groundwork for being able to live in a car successfully. I’m not just getting by; I’m thriving.