What comes to your mind when you hear the words simple living? Living in a cave, without your favorite gadgets or the Internet? Cooking with firewood? Well, relax, you got it all wrong, but maybe closer.
If living in tiny homes off the grid is not your cup of tea, today, we’ll share with you other ways you can achieve simple living within your limits. We will also discuss how this new lifestyle will be beneficial to you and our society at large.
But first;
What Is Simple Living?
Let me start by clearing the myths. Simple living is not about having very few items or living in a home without furniture. Not at all! You start your simple living journey by identifying what adds value to your life, and what makes you happy. Then you start doing away with the clutter that distracts you from focusing on what you enjoy most.
So Why Is It Becoming Essential for Modern People to Switch to a Simple Life?
We will answer this by first asking you a simple question: Why do you wake up very early each morning and retire to bed late in the evening? You’re probably thinking, I’ve got bills to pay, I want to drive the latest jeep, my kids need to go to the best schools and the list is endless, right?
Now, this is what the modern lifestyle has preconditioned us to believe.
That’s why depression and suicide are on a high rise especially in this era of social media. We’re also experiencing high levels of environmental degradation because eventually, manufacturing companies have to keep up with all these demands.
So how do you detach yourself from the crowd?
How To Start A Simple Living Lifestyle: Beginner Friendly Tips
#1: Identify Your Motive
First, it’s important that you understand your motivation or the reason you need to change your current lifestyle. Are you trying to save more money, or creating space, or reducing the clean-up burden? Hang on to that thought because change is not always easy. However, understanding your reasons makes the transition smoother.
#2: Set Goals
You don’t just wake up one day and trash all your belongings. Or delete all your phone apps. You will get overwhelmed with emotions. But with reasonable goals, you can start say with your purse. Sort out the old receipts. Then transition to your office. Next to your closet, and eventually your kitchen pantry. Before you know it, your entire home will be fitting your new lifestyle.
#3: Create New Habits
After decluttering, the last thing you want is to start bringing in new things. Are you addicted to books? Create a habit of reading in the library or install a reading app. The latter is not really advisable because now your phone becomes the new home of clutter. However, for the lovers of books living in remote areas, it’s a better option.
Start a meditation routine to calm your anxiety instead of resulting in negative countermeasures. Changing your lifestyle can be stressful and it’s even worse when the people around you don’t understand or appreciate it. Luckily, it is most important when you’re just getting started. After you fully transition to simple living, your anxiety naturally disappears.
Similarly, join a gym instead of creating a fitness room full of gym equipment in your home. See, we all get excited at every new purchase we make. But this joy usually lasts for a few weeks because then a better gadget hits the market. So, unless you stop this vicious cycle internationally, you will never live the less is more lifestyle.
#4: The Power of Gratitude
Be grateful for what you already have. Be grateful for your kids. Be grateful for having a meal each day. Be grateful for all the small things you own. Gratitude opens you up to reality. And unless you are content and can create happiness in your current situation, you will never understand the joy of simple living.
#5: The All Under One Roof Rule
Why do you need a toaster when you already have a pan and an oven? Why do you need a steamer when you already have a rice cooker? Why do you need a tablet when you already have a smartphone and a laptop? These are basic examples to help you understand that we don’t need to own everything.
We live in a world designed to make us want to spend more than we need or even realize. When your social media icon advertises a new gadget, you also want it. In the end, you just dump them in your garage and probably dust them up once in a year when special guests show up.
What Are the Benefits of Simple Living?
#1: Real Happiness
Imagine coming home to an airy living room without all the clutter and irrelevant furniture. Or going through a well-organized closet with just enough outfits for the day. Or never having to worry about saving up to buy a bigger home because your clutter makes you think you’ve outgrown the current home.
That day when you finally get to live a truly meaningful and rewarding life. Having more time for your spouse and children as well as enough time to reconnect with your friends because you don’t have to do your laundry the whole day. What can be more rewarding than this?
#2: Financial Freedom
It goes without saying that once you break the habit of bringing in stuff into your home, you end up saving more of your income or even using it in projects that really matter to you. Again, you no longer feel the pressure to keep saving your salary in order to buy some trending designer outfits.
#3: Better Health
When you break away from doing what everyone else is doing, life stresses no longer bother you. You can simply sit by the river, listen to the birds chirping and happily wander away without feeling guilty about wasting your Saturday afternoon later.
Similarly, when you finally manage to declutter your pantry and indulge in healthy home-cooked meals, your body will reward you. And you no longer have to worry about the regular medical checkups we’ve all been conditioned to accept as a part of our life.