About a month ago I started keeping the blinds open all the time in the living room. Caveat: I do live on the second floor and the nearest neighboring apartment building is quite a ways away. I don’t really feel like I’m lacking privacy.

It’s like I have more freedom and I really like it. I am more aware of what’s going on outside with neighbors coming and going, with contractors as they finish work, and with weather changes. I now know when the sun is shining or when the sky has clouded over. In many ways, I feel less cut off from the world.

Plus, I’ve managed to have a really cool effect on my neighbors. They have started leaving their blinds open too — even the people on the ground floor. It’s like we’re coming out of our insulated shells and inviting our neighbors to have just a glimpse of us as we walk by. It’s sort of like a neighborhood watch developing and it’s not at all creepy feeling. It feels as if we’re bonding as a community in a good way.

So, I’m recommending you experiment with opening your blinds and see if it feels good for you. Try opening your blinds in the living room, or some other public room that faces the street. Let me know what you notice and what you think of the practice.
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