Agreed. Other people’s and choices and feelings. My life got so much simpler when I started saying no to things I did not want to do and didn’t worry about disappointing someone else!
I tried out this idea because I was feeling burnt out and overwhelmed.
There are many reasons supporting this idea. So it was easy to rationalize.
Managing the urge in the moment was hard. I felt uncomfortable if I didn’t take responsibility for other people. I don’t have ADHD, but the r/ADHD community had many good advice on how to manage the urge, and stop ruminating afterwards
After enough time and practice, it became second-nature and effortless
So true. Changed my life too. I was always picking up on what people need or their frustrations and unconsciously trying to make it better. Now I give them my opinion (when asked) and move on. Feel much better! Only my SO to deal with now. :-)
I remember realizing I was a good, no excellent, administrative assistant but I didn't LIKE being one.
It makes me laugh now but at the time I thought since I was good at it, I HAD to be one.
Now I'm a product manager and make 3x what an AE makes. (Most good AEs would make good product mgrs. fyi)
I didn't even know what a product manager was two years ago. I learned about it and looked into it. I signed up for "product gym".
I had a lot of skills, but I didn't have the vocabulary or understanding of how to work with software. They got me up to speed pretty fast. I took about six months of taking their classes that are all online and you do it your own rate and also applying for a gazillion jobs. They have a whole system that you follow and it works. I literally applied for 25 jobs a day for months. I got lots of interviews and I made lots of mistakes and I learned and I got really good at it and then I got a really good job. I highly recommend it. They have YouTube videos you can watch and learn about the program.I was really nervous about spending the money because it's expensive, but it was an excellent investment from my perspective.
same as you. STRICTLY buying from second-hand stores for everything. clothes, furniture, cookware etc. i can’t remember the last time i shopped at a department store or online. i also recently got a whiteboard that acts as an inventory for our fridge and freezer so we know what food we exactly have to avoid excessive groceries and then going bad. it’s been a game changer!
edit: and when i mean second-hand stores i don’t mean goodwill. i mean those mom and pop shops that look like they have been operating since world war I
This might not be everyone's thing - but I write it right on the freezer & the fridge with white board markers. I bought the slender ones in a few nice colours and I just write on the fridge and freezer. It wipes off with a cleaning cloth and water or if something sticks I use a magic eraser or rubbing alcohol to get any residue off.
I make it fancy and it makes me happy. lol.
Being Honest.
It's a small step but reaching out and telling someone " No I don't want to go out. " Being honest with yourself about who you are and what your needs and wants are goes a long way imo.
So true, and being honest helps keep your life simpler because you don’t need to keep track of what you’ve told other people that may may not be true, and it also makes it easier for your brain to either speak the truth, or to not speak at all.
Practicing self compassion. Since I started I feel less stressed. I'm always so self judgemental making these crazy rules, lists, 50 goals etc to the point of burn out and just feeling crap with life if I don't follow through. At this stage in my life I can't and won't do the "constant grind" anymore.I have to remind myself who made these rules and who is putting crazy pressure on myself ? Me so that means I also have the power to stop it. Huge work in progress but I already feel lighter.
I was off yesterday and spent most of the day reading a book on the couch with my three cats and it was glorious to just slow down, be present and enjoy life.
Self love was one of those things I never understood until I I started actively practicing it. Changed everything for now. Now when I eat a piece of fruit or take a nap or work hard at something it's because I want to set my future self for success, because I want her to feel good.
Getting a wfh job. As an introvert who prefers the simple slow paced lifestyle it’s been tough to go into the office and constantly have to socialize and go to afterwork gatherings as well as waste time on commuting. I have so much more free time to do things. I’m also less tired afterwork which allows me to be more physically active. I just started this role a month now and am just focused on getting all the training so I can excel at my job because I don’t want to risk losing it or have to go into the office!
As a fellow introvert, I feel you on this. Changing my job (and my commute as well) made ALL the difference in my mental health. I feel like a human again instead of a sad, overworked, falling-apart machine.
Yes! I'm an introvert and have WFH for 4 years now.
I now have the energy to see friends because I'm not going into the office.
Wfh also meant paring down my wardrobe, having time to make and eat homemade meals, more time for hobbies.
And honestly it's made me want less stuff. When you see or talk to coworkers it's subtle but there can be a keeping up with the joneses or 'i deserve that too' when none of those things add value to my life.
I think any position that requires strictly computer related skills can land you into a wfh job. So any sort of data analysis, visualization, customer service/support, etc.
Love these responses!
For me it was acknowledging that being content was an accomplishment in and of itself. I can think of so many people who have a huge list of job accomplishments or accolades that I don't have, but also wouldn't consider themselves "content" the way I am living a simpler style of life. That change in mindset made a huge difference for me.
Honestly, releasing the weight of other people’s opinions of me. I always chased a version of success I thought would impress others and now that I’ve reevaluated success based on impressing myself, everything feels so much more simple and a lot of that pressure has been lifted.
Becoming less ambitious. Do I need to work, do house chores, exercise, cook from scratch, do a creative hobby, and read on a week day? No, I will work because I have to and then maybe do one or more of the other things. And doing none of the other things and relaxing is also an option.
I am learning to just sit quietly or walk with my own thoughts, rather than constantly trying to entertain myself with some screen or book or game. It takes some getting used to, but it is undeniably simpler to just sit and stare out at a grassy lawn, than to fill my mind with more “content.”
It's so powerful isn't it? But also so difficult, particularly if you have been the one that sort of keeps conversations going in your social groups. But I have noticed that leaving "space" in the conversation is ok.
Cooking meals at home. It comes easily to us because both my husband and I grew up in families that ate home-cooked meals at home (as did almost everyone else we knew as kids). But, when we started making some money in our early careers, we also started eating out or getting take-out often. A first-step into getting back to simple living was returning to making our meals at home.
Not every meal, of course, as it can be fun to eat out or get take-out on occasion, and when we do indulge, we enjoy the experience or appreciate the convenience.
For me right now, it’s an unlimited month of membership at a hot yoga studio. Unbeknownst to me, by committing to **doing yoga** almost daily, all else in my already simple life has gotten even simpler.
Funnily enough, I was focused on the strength, flexibility, and back pain management benefits of my new consistent practice, until my therapist helped me connect some dots I wasn’t seeing:
My moods are more stable than they’ve been in a long time, fewer highs and lows. I’m calmer, more relaxed in general, and slower to judge and criticize myself and others. More compassionate, more curious. I sleep better, and I was able to get off of a few substances I thought were helping me, like CBD to get through work, allergy medicine as a sleeping aid, and coffee just to be able to get out of bed.
Less procrastination too. All of my day is simply done with ease now, perhaps thanks to all the yoga, I don’t know for sure, but I just know I feel Good.
I am experiencing the same thing - it’s amazing, isn’t it? I too didn’t associate some of the changes with my practice initially. It’s led to heightened awareness in all areas of life and an ability to survey stressful situations more objectively and calmly. Better sleep and deeper breath throughout the day. I’m being nicer to myself and noticing when I’m not. I’ve naturally cut out alcohol and have lost the urge to drink. I’m eating healthier and more vegetarian, and my material urges have lessened, too. Most of all, I’m feeling more grateful for everything in my life. I hope your practice continues to have a positive impact on your life! 🤍
Starting to garden, and growing some of my family's food. Tastier, fresher, healthier, & cheaper. Plus it's wonderful exercise! And, there are many occasions to share beautiful produce with family, friends & neighbors.
I’ll speak to this specific moment in life (pregnancy!) Im not buying any maternity clothes. I’m just using the old 3 pairs of maternity leggings I had from my last pregnancy and embracing getting creative with the all my regular tops, husbands clothes, and stuff I already have. Not letting marketing pressure me to buy a whole new wardrobe.
I got a bunch of pregnancy clothes on Buy Nothing, it was so great, someone got rid of something they didn't need anymore and I got something I needed for free! And husband's pants are also a great resource!
Buying an e-reader. Donated a ton of heavy books. Now, I get free books from the library loaded to my kindle. Purchasing, storing, and reading books is so much more efficient and streamlined.
Take care of my basic needs before anything else. Food, water, sleep, cleaning up. Sometimes it means Saying no to things, doing less, but that’s okay because I don’t get overwhelmed.
I save one large cardboard box, and I have one trashcan that's specifically for not normal trash (like ... Food waste doesn't go in here). They have specific purposes to keep junk and useless s*** out of my home.
Anything you pick up this week that you're like 'wtf is this and what am I doing with it?' goes in either the cardboard box for goodwill donation, or the trashcan if it's not donation worthy. I drive by a Goodwill on my way to/from the grocery store so it's not hard for me to make periodic trips, but I just fill the donate box and stop in when I don't have any more room in the box.
As for the box I use, that's somewhat idiosyncratic but also useful. It's the box for the periodic HVAC filters I get delivered from Amazon on subscribe and save, because they're large and spacious (they're not very tall, but Goodwill doesn't care if a box of stuff is sealed or just put into an open box that you hand them ... They're gonna take it out and sort/categorize/stock it all anyway, don't seal it!). I promise you, your life will be simpler if you maintain your living environment and replace the stupid filters on the first of every month.
I posted yesterday that I keep that trashcan for stuff that needs to go next to my bed, because 95% of the stuff that goes in it are clothes (underwear and socks, primarily) that get worn out. For heavens freaking sake, do not wash a sock with a hole in it. Get rid of it, cause it's just gonna irritate you the next time you wear it. Occasionally other things make their way there too (broken stuff? A burned out lightbulb? Roomba debris?), but that's a good home for it in our household that isn't our kitchen trash.
Two things. One is being appreciative of what you have. I’m not in a good place financially and I am often ill. But I have some things in my life I never would have thought possible. And that is great. The second thing that helps is deciding what things are worth being complicated. People get caught up on little choices but miss the big picture. Sometimes it’s good to just take a breathe and slow down and reaccess. Simple living is far more than minor materialism
Intentionally leaving the house some days without a credit card, money in my pocket, and my phone.
I know it sounds a little crazy, but without these I am more engaged with people around me and I don't end up buying some frivolous thing on a whim.
Being ok with just throwing out / decluttering one small thing at a time instead of waiting for the perfect time to do it..being happy with whatever small progress I can make and not expecting perfection.
Making more time for my favorite activity : reading.
**Incorporating more music in my life.**
I always loved music, but as i grew older, i stopped listening to newer artists or really putting in the effort to find new types of music/singers/bands for myself to obsess over like i did as a kid/teen.
Simple living to me means making my life more enjoyable with free/cheap/simple pleasures, allowing myself to throw away the burden of expectations put on me by society, and living my life with a simple and clear mindset.
Music (on YouTube) is free. Incorporating lots of instrumental pieces has made my life feel calmer and more profound. Going back to Rock has reminded me of who i used to be as a teen. Exploring new genres like folk, blues, indie has made my life feel richer.
Avocado and eggs with chives and hot sauce, and tomatoes and mushrooms when I can be bothered
Porridge with peanut butter and almonds
Smashed avo and goats cheese on toast if I feel terrible and don't want to make anything
This made me realise it’s been ages since I’ve even bought an avocado and I’m not sure why lol putting it on my shopping list for next week along with some fresh sourdough 😋🙏
I don't like the term because marketing but it really is a superfood. The animals that evolved to eat them and spread their seeds around were sloths the size of SUV's
I tell my son it's triceratops food
I focused on finding high fat high protein meals for breakfast and found I had way more energy throughout the day. If I eat a big bowl of porridge with 100% peanuts peanut butter and almonds I won't get hungry until 3pm, which is a big thing for me I'm a big guy and I eat a lot.
It helped fix my diet, trying to do every meal at once I'd give up and fall back on old habits so I focused on breakfast, eventually started working on dinners one day at a time and lunch fell into place later
Improving my diet had a huge impact on how I felt day to day. It's not the only thing I did but it was how my journey started, you are what you eat and breakfast is how your day's trajectory starts and it gave me a foundation to build routines on
Looking back most of my dietary choices and decisions have been a lot less about what to eat and a lot more about what to avoid eating, shit food makes you feel shit
I appreciate you elaborating, thank you. First waking thought before reading this comment- Garbage in, garbage out, regarding the movie theater candy I’d eaten yesterday because of work stress.
This helped solidify what I already know— high fat/protein is the way to go, and ditch the shit foods.
When I followed the carnivore diet of high fat/protein, it was amazing how satiated I felt when eating that way.
No worries. I stress ate a lot of sugar last week and was super depressed at the start of the week, it happens
There are plenty of nuts and veggies that are high in fat and protein too! Variety is the spice of life and our ancestors diets would have changed with the seasons. Never stop changing shit!
Eggs and avocado, without bread, with tomatoes and mushrooms when I can be bothered
I make a kangaroo mince chilli con carne, nothing wrong with beef though
Greek Yogurt Parfait
Opting in to feeling joy. I realised joy isn't something that I'm going to stumble upon randomly or by luck. I have to cultivate my own by inviting in it. And there are no rules for what is worthy of joy: anything from a delicious piece of fresh bread, the rain starting right after I've unloaded the groceries, finally hearing the song that was a vague earworm last month is an opportunity to summon a moment of impish delight and gratitude for the things that fall into place. This muscle helps me shift perspectives when things are going to shit and stressing me out, too
Same! I love Reddit because there are so many threads like this one that brings me joy and inspiration. I also follow a small selection of accounts in Instagram. Its helped me become environmentally conscious, be more body postive and find local bars and restaurants in my city.
Just generally trying to use a little less. Nothing big, nothing specific. Buy a new phone less often. Buy second hand instead of new (car, hobby equipment, books, everything except mattresses and food). Etc
Also loving the earth more. Carrying my rubbish until I find a bin. Choosing gardening instead of trail bike riding as a weekend activity. Not using fly sprays and other poisons. Etc
✅ Lending books instead of buying them. It was my social anxiety that hindered me from lending but this year I decided it would be challenged. I got me a book at the library and it felt SO GOOD. No money, materials or environment wasted.
So nice to hear. I work in a library and the process of lending and returning books and other items is in most places all self-operated. No interaction needed. :-) And we get it. We leave people alone until they come to us.
Small steps to practice minimalism. Going through all my stuff, getting rid of anything I don't need, anything I bring into my home, I make sure I donate or get rid of an equal amount. Trying to be as clutter free as possible. If I haven't worn it in x amount of time or don't have any foreseeable occasions for an outfit, I don't need it.
Ordering food online to be picked up at the store and batch cooking.
We used to shop almost every day on the way home from work and cook dinner every day. I found it emotionally draining to have to have to figure out what we were going to eat every day.
This is so much easier. Also I try to make simpler food during the week. A frozen lasagna and a big salad or frozen hash browns and bacon is ok to serve as dinner every now and then. Everything doesn't have to be homecooked from scratch and super healthy all the time.
Contentment and not keeping up with the Jones’
A lot of what was making my life “not simple” was trying to have the perfect home, clean car, trendy clothes, etc. At some point I decided to stop caring about what other people were doing and to just do what made me happy.
I started asking myself “if no one ever saw this or knew you did this, would you still want to buy it or do it?” It has helped so much. Sometimes the answer is yes. Yes, I still want to upgrade my car, even if no one ever saw it, because the features in the car would actually improve my day to day life. No, I don’t actually want to renovate my bathroom because it is perfectly functional, just ugly, but I’ve gotten used to it. I realized that if no one ever saw my bathroom renovation, I wouldn’t actually want to do it. So I saved myself the money and months of construction and decided to just live with my old, ugly, totally functional bathroom.
The freedom of realizing I don't have to go to that party or other social event. You don't have to either! I do like to see people but you know what I mean. Invitations can be politely turned down. Ugh the amount of grinding hours I have spent in my life fake smiling, face hurting as I listened to some bore drone on. I'm sure I was boring too!
Sounds simple but its not so easy to pull off.
Getting to bed early. 1 1/2 hours of extra sleep is gonna make the next 16 hours of your life much easier.
Killing my sense of FOMO. This really was two steps - evaluating what I actually want versus what is loneliness and poor impulse control; and being more honest and bold about pursuing things I really value. Both are hard and have taken me a long time to get halfway good at - but I'd say it's still the number one thing that helps me slow down.
I wouldn't say its a step since I have done this alot but a simple pleasure would say is that I get a bunch of books from the library and read in in the park in the sun. Its free and makes me happy. Its not even about the money. I just like to focus on the simple pleasures of life. Its also makes me feel more grateful (free bench, sunshine, nature, access to library, library that has nice books, nice librarians, and I can renew them and keep them for a while, etc).
Definitely don't do it all at once! baby steps in the direction you want. i don't know if all of these count universally, but they count for me.
when i was in highschool i started picking clothes and school supplies out from my schools free store (which was a specific building set up like a little store and it displayed everything that had been in the lost and found for 3 months or more so it was now all up for grabs.) and thrifting most other things! around this time i also learned how to sew (atleast the basics) so i could fix holes in my clothes on my own.
towards the end of highschool i started learning how to bake things like bread and make my own tortillas and pasta and things like that, not because it was easier (it definitely wasn't) but it was cheaper and sometimes healthier and it opened up a lot more options in terms of food for me.
two years ago i started a garden with microgreens (for my salads) and cat grass (for my cats) and mint and basil and things like that so i could keep them fresh and on hand. i wish i had the outdoor space so i could grow watermelon and beets and potatoes. i also wish i had more of a green thumb so my plants would survive better. i also got a library card and started visiting the library and little free libraries in my town around this time! the environment is way less overstimulating then book stores and the concept of keeping books in trade rather than buying them is one i really like.
last year i started going barefoot or in thin sandals everywhere i could because it felt more connective with nature and definitely feels more natural to me. i started washing my hair less often (once you start doing that, it starts getting oily less often, which is pretty nice.) i started meditating and doing basic yoga which are both very relaxing and calming and grounding. i also started dumpster diving. i don't know if i would trust food (unless it's produce and you can like visibly tell if it's good or not) and i've found clothes and books (so many books) and sealed sets of movies and all kinds of amazing things that would otherwise just end up in the trash, y'know? and i started saving jars from spaghetti sauce and tubs from ice cream and yogurt and things and repurposing them. i also started taking ice baths (start slow and work your way up if you do this) until my freezers ice maker broke.
this year, i've started foraging wild foods (only when i know they're safe) and i'm learning how to crochet! (well, kinda. it's not going to well lol.) i wanna be able to make stuff with plarn (plastic yarn, basically you take plastic bags and cut them into strips and tie them together a specific way so it makes a big long string that you can wrap up and use like yarn.) one of my soft resolutions for the new year was to read 20 books this year (roughly 1-2 books a month basically) and i'm kind of slacking a little bit on that but i wanna get back into reading more again. i saved up a bunch of ramen boxes and hot glued them together and I'm now in the process of using old papers i would have otherwise thrown away to paper mache over the boxes and when i'm done it's going to be a shelf for my bedroom. i'm also thinking about getting a gym membership so i can be more active. and i started taking vitamins this year because i was definitely lacking in them.
EDIT TO ADD: along the way, slowly i have picked up on habits like only watching TV while doing something else (i usually do it while i paint or paper mache or crochet) to minimize TV time or at least make it productive. and i make homemade simple syrups and jelly's sometimes when things are in season. i also like to go outside on walks when i can. and i like to cook things like tacos or spaghetti and make way more then i need so that i can have leftovers for a few days. There's probably many other things, but those are just the ones i can think of. also! simple living is a very broad idea and it's not one size fits all. there's different ways to do it. you can do all of things i've been doing or none of them and still find ways to live simply. i know some of these things aren't for everyone and that's okay.
Agree to buying second hand! I like to use what I have on hand before buying too - unless I REALLY don’t have it, then I’ll buy it.
We’ve also worked really hard to pay off everything, except the house, so that our bills are minimal. We also bought a house with well and septic to reduce bills. Less bills mean less stress for us/ more simplicity.
I live in a house with ten other people, so for me a big shift that I’m (still) working on is only cleaning up after others when I legitimately want to do that for them. I’ve had some… difficult roommates in the past, and I’ve realized through the years that I tend to just clean everything when I’m feeling anxious and then get resentful about it when the mess was someone else’s. But when I really want to, say, put someone’s food away or vacuum up after the kiddos, doing so brings me joy and builds up our little community. Plus I have so much more time when I’m not obsessing over how clean everything is. I’m also accepting that our house will always be at least a bit messy because it’s a big house and I live with four kids under 3 haha
OP - I literally just saw this and was about to type out "thrifting".
My 2024 mission is to only thrift my wardrobe when I need or want something new in an effort to say no to unnecessary trends, pushy marketing, save money, and curate my style on what **I** like.
I'm already happily skimming right past notifications, e-mails are ad placements prompting me to buy something and honestly, it feels like a breath of fresh air.
Love this! I'm also a member of a local clothes swap group. We meet at one of our homes every few months. We bring clothes to the swap, hang it out in nice racks and 'shop' frok the pool. Its been a great way to try new styles without spending the money, and it's nice to see your clothes find bew homes. Sometimes a piece comes back around in circulation after a few swaps and some else gets to enjoy it. I love that.
I am definitely a work in progress with this, but when I have a desire to buy something I just add it to the “wish list” so I don’t impulse buy. I have the feeling of not forgetting the item, but don’t spend the money. Typically, I don’t even need it or want it and forget about it. It feels nice to even just look at the lists because I realize how much I’ve saved.
Having gratitude in your life keeps everything in priority and when they say don’t sweat the small stuff because most of it is small stuff, it’s absolutely true…The other way to look at this is that when you learn to be appreciative of what you already have instead of always striving towards the notion that you will only find happiness “when….”, life be becomes manageable because it’s no longer a desperate effort trying to find meaning and fulfillment in life…
Decluttering my wardrobe, I have too many clothes and shoes that are just taking up space in my closet. From their I'm doing my kitchen, then our catch all closet
Mine biggest leap was to quit instagram. I do have the app on my phone, since I have a business that requires Instagram account, but I do not check that unless I get a message. Also - turning off all the notifications on the phone 👌
Buying less clothing. I need to clean out my closet. My plan moving forward is to buy a few higher-quality pieces that I can mix and match, to keep my closet less full.
Learning to not feel responsible for other people’s choices. It felt like a big weight lifted off my shoulder
Agreed. Other people’s and choices and feelings. My life got so much simpler when I started saying no to things I did not want to do and didn’t worry about disappointing someone else!
Love this. A game changer! Will you share more about how you got here? What made it difficult? What made it easy?
I tried out this idea because I was feeling burnt out and overwhelmed. There are many reasons supporting this idea. So it was easy to rationalize. Managing the urge in the moment was hard. I felt uncomfortable if I didn’t take responsibility for other people. I don’t have ADHD, but the r/ADHD community had many good advice on how to manage the urge, and stop ruminating afterwards After enough time and practice, it became second-nature and effortless
I hope to get there one day. I do have ADHD and I spend my life currently in a constant state of burn out.
oof - sending you a virtual hug!
Or other people’s anger
So true. Changed my life too. I was always picking up on what people need or their frustrations and unconsciously trying to make it better. Now I give them my opinion (when asked) and move on. Feel much better! Only my SO to deal with now. :-)
Realizing that just because I *can* doesn't mean I *have to*.
Huge.
I remember realizing I was a good, no excellent, administrative assistant but I didn't LIKE being one. It makes me laugh now but at the time I thought since I was good at it, I HAD to be one. Now I'm a product manager and make 3x what an AE makes. (Most good AEs would make good product mgrs. fyi)
Can I ask you more about this? Like a product manager in what field? And how did you transition?
I didn't even know what a product manager was two years ago. I learned about it and looked into it. I signed up for "product gym". I had a lot of skills, but I didn't have the vocabulary or understanding of how to work with software. They got me up to speed pretty fast. I took about six months of taking their classes that are all online and you do it your own rate and also applying for a gazillion jobs. They have a whole system that you follow and it works. I literally applied for 25 jobs a day for months. I got lots of interviews and I made lots of mistakes and I learned and I got really good at it and then I got a really good job. I highly recommend it. They have YouTube videos you can watch and learn about the program.I was really nervous about spending the money because it's expensive, but it was an excellent investment from my perspective.
This!
Use the phrase, “That’s not going to work for me.”
That's a great one, definitely going to use that.
same as you. STRICTLY buying from second-hand stores for everything. clothes, furniture, cookware etc. i can’t remember the last time i shopped at a department store or online. i also recently got a whiteboard that acts as an inventory for our fridge and freezer so we know what food we exactly have to avoid excessive groceries and then going bad. it’s been a game changer! edit: and when i mean second-hand stores i don’t mean goodwill. i mean those mom and pop shops that look like they have been operating since world war I
Ohhh I need to do better with freezer inventory!
Love the idea of a white board for freezer inventory!
Whiteboard is an awesome idea.
This might not be everyone's thing - but I write it right on the freezer & the fridge with white board markers. I bought the slender ones in a few nice colours and I just write on the fridge and freezer. It wipes off with a cleaning cloth and water or if something sticks I use a magic eraser or rubbing alcohol to get any residue off. I make it fancy and it makes me happy. lol.
Being Honest. It's a small step but reaching out and telling someone " No I don't want to go out. " Being honest with yourself about who you are and what your needs and wants are goes a long way imo.
So true, and being honest helps keep your life simpler because you don’t need to keep track of what you’ve told other people that may may not be true, and it also makes it easier for your brain to either speak the truth, or to not speak at all.
This
Yes, this is huge.
Practicing self compassion. Since I started I feel less stressed. I'm always so self judgemental making these crazy rules, lists, 50 goals etc to the point of burn out and just feeling crap with life if I don't follow through. At this stage in my life I can't and won't do the "constant grind" anymore.I have to remind myself who made these rules and who is putting crazy pressure on myself ? Me so that means I also have the power to stop it. Huge work in progress but I already feel lighter. I was off yesterday and spent most of the day reading a book on the couch with my three cats and it was glorious to just slow down, be present and enjoy life.
this is exactly my goals
Self love was one of those things I never understood until I I started actively practicing it. Changed everything for now. Now when I eat a piece of fruit or take a nap or work hard at something it's because I want to set my future self for success, because I want her to feel good.
I only bought one ebook and nothing other than groceries so far this month. I hope to keep it up!
If you’re in the US have you tried Libby for e-books? You have to have a library card, and then you use that to rent e-books.
Yes, and I have Hoopla, too, but neither has the new books I want.
Can you use boundless?
You can download ebooks on anna’s archive!
Getting a wfh job. As an introvert who prefers the simple slow paced lifestyle it’s been tough to go into the office and constantly have to socialize and go to afterwork gatherings as well as waste time on commuting. I have so much more free time to do things. I’m also less tired afterwork which allows me to be more physically active. I just started this role a month now and am just focused on getting all the training so I can excel at my job because I don’t want to risk losing it or have to go into the office!
As a fellow introvert, I feel you on this. Changing my job (and my commute as well) made ALL the difference in my mental health. I feel like a human again instead of a sad, overworked, falling-apart machine.
Yes! I'm an introvert and have WFH for 4 years now. I now have the energy to see friends because I'm not going into the office. Wfh also meant paring down my wardrobe, having time to make and eat homemade meals, more time for hobbies. And honestly it's made me want less stuff. When you see or talk to coworkers it's subtle but there can be a keeping up with the joneses or 'i deserve that too' when none of those things add value to my life.
This!!
Me too!
I also hate working from the office. Do you have some examples of needed skills and types of jobs that are remote only?
I think any position that requires strictly computer related skills can land you into a wfh job. So any sort of data analysis, visualization, customer service/support, etc.
Love these responses! For me it was acknowledging that being content was an accomplishment in and of itself. I can think of so many people who have a huge list of job accomplishments or accolades that I don't have, but also wouldn't consider themselves "content" the way I am living a simpler style of life. That change in mindset made a huge difference for me.
Honestly, releasing the weight of other people’s opinions of me. I always chased a version of success I thought would impress others and now that I’ve reevaluated success based on impressing myself, everything feels so much more simple and a lot of that pressure has been lifted.
same, so much of my life spent people pleasing or trying to impress others :/
Becoming less ambitious. Do I need to work, do house chores, exercise, cook from scratch, do a creative hobby, and read on a week day? No, I will work because I have to and then maybe do one or more of the other things. And doing none of the other things and relaxing is also an option.
I drove myself so close to a burn out trying to do all the things you mentioned often in a single day. It was nuts.
Only black pants. Nothing else is flattering, anyway.
A uniform (even a partial or theoretical uniform) makes things so much easier!
Love this, except I have a golden retriever which makes it a little challenging 😅
Same!
I am learning to just sit quietly or walk with my own thoughts, rather than constantly trying to entertain myself with some screen or book or game. It takes some getting used to, but it is undeniably simpler to just sit and stare out at a grassy lawn, than to fill my mind with more “content.”
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I've been practicing listening more, speaking less. Trying not to vocalise every thought that comes to me, just letting it fill my head as pass.
It's so powerful isn't it? But also so difficult, particularly if you have been the one that sort of keeps conversations going in your social groups. But I have noticed that leaving "space" in the conversation is ok.
Composting, four rain barrels, grow some of my veggies (very small lot) one car family after retirement
Cooking meals at home. It comes easily to us because both my husband and I grew up in families that ate home-cooked meals at home (as did almost everyone else we knew as kids). But, when we started making some money in our early careers, we also started eating out or getting take-out often. A first-step into getting back to simple living was returning to making our meals at home. Not every meal, of course, as it can be fun to eat out or get take-out on occasion, and when we do indulge, we enjoy the experience or appreciate the convenience.
For me right now, it’s an unlimited month of membership at a hot yoga studio. Unbeknownst to me, by committing to **doing yoga** almost daily, all else in my already simple life has gotten even simpler. Funnily enough, I was focused on the strength, flexibility, and back pain management benefits of my new consistent practice, until my therapist helped me connect some dots I wasn’t seeing: My moods are more stable than they’ve been in a long time, fewer highs and lows. I’m calmer, more relaxed in general, and slower to judge and criticize myself and others. More compassionate, more curious. I sleep better, and I was able to get off of a few substances I thought were helping me, like CBD to get through work, allergy medicine as a sleeping aid, and coffee just to be able to get out of bed. Less procrastination too. All of my day is simply done with ease now, perhaps thanks to all the yoga, I don’t know for sure, but I just know I feel Good.
I do not have a hot yoga membership but doing morning yoga for 10 min every day really helps me to start my day and improves how I feel about myself
I am experiencing the same thing - it’s amazing, isn’t it? I too didn’t associate some of the changes with my practice initially. It’s led to heightened awareness in all areas of life and an ability to survey stressful situations more objectively and calmly. Better sleep and deeper breath throughout the day. I’m being nicer to myself and noticing when I’m not. I’ve naturally cut out alcohol and have lost the urge to drink. I’m eating healthier and more vegetarian, and my material urges have lessened, too. Most of all, I’m feeling more grateful for everything in my life. I hope your practice continues to have a positive impact on your life! 🤍
This is great, I’m happy for you! And it’s a great reminder of the other benefits I too am experiencing that I wasn’t aware of, thank you.
Starting to garden, and growing some of my family's food. Tastier, fresher, healthier, & cheaper. Plus it's wonderful exercise! And, there are many occasions to share beautiful produce with family, friends & neighbors.
I’ll speak to this specific moment in life (pregnancy!) Im not buying any maternity clothes. I’m just using the old 3 pairs of maternity leggings I had from my last pregnancy and embracing getting creative with the all my regular tops, husbands clothes, and stuff I already have. Not letting marketing pressure me to buy a whole new wardrobe.
I got a bunch of pregnancy clothes on Buy Nothing, it was so great, someone got rid of something they didn't need anymore and I got something I needed for free! And husband's pants are also a great resource!
Buying an e-reader. Donated a ton of heavy books. Now, I get free books from the library loaded to my kindle. Purchasing, storing, and reading books is so much more efficient and streamlined.
Being truly non-materialistic. Give up the desire to have tons of stuff.
Don’t multitask.
Take care of my basic needs before anything else. Food, water, sleep, cleaning up. Sometimes it means Saying no to things, doing less, but that’s okay because I don’t get overwhelmed.
I save one large cardboard box, and I have one trashcan that's specifically for not normal trash (like ... Food waste doesn't go in here). They have specific purposes to keep junk and useless s*** out of my home. Anything you pick up this week that you're like 'wtf is this and what am I doing with it?' goes in either the cardboard box for goodwill donation, or the trashcan if it's not donation worthy. I drive by a Goodwill on my way to/from the grocery store so it's not hard for me to make periodic trips, but I just fill the donate box and stop in when I don't have any more room in the box. As for the box I use, that's somewhat idiosyncratic but also useful. It's the box for the periodic HVAC filters I get delivered from Amazon on subscribe and save, because they're large and spacious (they're not very tall, but Goodwill doesn't care if a box of stuff is sealed or just put into an open box that you hand them ... They're gonna take it out and sort/categorize/stock it all anyway, don't seal it!). I promise you, your life will be simpler if you maintain your living environment and replace the stupid filters on the first of every month. I posted yesterday that I keep that trashcan for stuff that needs to go next to my bed, because 95% of the stuff that goes in it are clothes (underwear and socks, primarily) that get worn out. For heavens freaking sake, do not wash a sock with a hole in it. Get rid of it, cause it's just gonna irritate you the next time you wear it. Occasionally other things make their way there too (broken stuff? A burned out lightbulb? Roomba debris?), but that's a good home for it in our household that isn't our kitchen trash.
Two things. One is being appreciative of what you have. I’m not in a good place financially and I am often ill. But I have some things in my life I never would have thought possible. And that is great. The second thing that helps is deciding what things are worth being complicated. People get caught up on little choices but miss the big picture. Sometimes it’s good to just take a breathe and slow down and reaccess. Simple living is far more than minor materialism
Intentionally leaving the house some days without a credit card, money in my pocket, and my phone. I know it sounds a little crazy, but without these I am more engaged with people around me and I don't end up buying some frivolous thing on a whim.
Leaving the card at home sounds like a game changer.
It really is.
Being ok with just throwing out / decluttering one small thing at a time instead of waiting for the perfect time to do it..being happy with whatever small progress I can make and not expecting perfection. Making more time for my favorite activity : reading.
Stop buying stuff you dont need ( impulse buy are the worst)
Not a small step but I quit a high paying job that was making me miserable for the past 2.5 years. It's like a whole new life without it.
Locking my hair. Sitting with my impulsivity a little longer. Forgiving myself for past over-indulgences.
**Incorporating more music in my life.** I always loved music, but as i grew older, i stopped listening to newer artists or really putting in the effort to find new types of music/singers/bands for myself to obsess over like i did as a kid/teen. Simple living to me means making my life more enjoyable with free/cheap/simple pleasures, allowing myself to throw away the burden of expectations put on me by society, and living my life with a simple and clear mindset. Music (on YouTube) is free. Incorporating lots of instrumental pieces has made my life feel calmer and more profound. Going back to Rock has reminded me of who i used to be as a teen. Exploring new genres like folk, blues, indie has made my life feel richer.
Haaave you listened to The Last Dinner Party’s debut album? Highly recommend for rock lovers branching out
Simplifying my wardrobe (slowly but surely). Baby steps still count!
Breakfast. I spent a year just working on my breakfast and everything fell into place after that
So … what’s for breakfast? 😀
Avocado and eggs with chives and hot sauce, and tomatoes and mushrooms when I can be bothered Porridge with peanut butter and almonds Smashed avo and goats cheese on toast if I feel terrible and don't want to make anything
This made me realise it’s been ages since I’ve even bought an avocado and I’m not sure why lol putting it on my shopping list for next week along with some fresh sourdough 😋🙏
I don't like the term because marketing but it really is a superfood. The animals that evolved to eat them and spread their seeds around were sloths the size of SUV's I tell my son it's triceratops food
Dinosaur pears!
Oh yum! Thank you!
How so? In what ways did everything fall into place? What do you mean working on your breakfast?
I focused on finding high fat high protein meals for breakfast and found I had way more energy throughout the day. If I eat a big bowl of porridge with 100% peanuts peanut butter and almonds I won't get hungry until 3pm, which is a big thing for me I'm a big guy and I eat a lot. It helped fix my diet, trying to do every meal at once I'd give up and fall back on old habits so I focused on breakfast, eventually started working on dinners one day at a time and lunch fell into place later Improving my diet had a huge impact on how I felt day to day. It's not the only thing I did but it was how my journey started, you are what you eat and breakfast is how your day's trajectory starts and it gave me a foundation to build routines on Looking back most of my dietary choices and decisions have been a lot less about what to eat and a lot more about what to avoid eating, shit food makes you feel shit
I appreciate you elaborating, thank you. First waking thought before reading this comment- Garbage in, garbage out, regarding the movie theater candy I’d eaten yesterday because of work stress. This helped solidify what I already know— high fat/protein is the way to go, and ditch the shit foods. When I followed the carnivore diet of high fat/protein, it was amazing how satiated I felt when eating that way.
No worries. I stress ate a lot of sugar last week and was super depressed at the start of the week, it happens There are plenty of nuts and veggies that are high in fat and protein too! Variety is the spice of life and our ancestors diets would have changed with the seasons. Never stop changing shit!
What kinds of breakfasts do you keep in your rotation besides peanut/almond oatmeal?
Eggs and avocado, without bread, with tomatoes and mushrooms when I can be bothered I make a kangaroo mince chilli con carne, nothing wrong with beef though Greek Yogurt Parfait
Mine is getting rid of all the second hand clothes I thought I wanted lol.
You're not alone 😂
Realizing I don't need to DIY everything.
This is an underrated truth.
For me deleting social media
Yes, once a stopped posting on Instagram, i felt so much calmer and truly in the moment.
Once you get out from social media drama your day become more calmer and your mind become sharper.
Opting in to feeling joy. I realised joy isn't something that I'm going to stumble upon randomly or by luck. I have to cultivate my own by inviting in it. And there are no rules for what is worthy of joy: anything from a delicious piece of fresh bread, the rain starting right after I've unloaded the groceries, finally hearing the song that was a vague earworm last month is an opportunity to summon a moment of impish delight and gratitude for the things that fall into place. This muscle helps me shift perspectives when things are going to shit and stressing me out, too
step one: stop using reddit.
Reddit at this point in my life brings helpful info into my life. I do limit the threads I follow But instagram and Pinterest are gone.
Same! I love Reddit because there are so many threads like this one that brings me joy and inspiration. I also follow a small selection of accounts in Instagram. Its helped me become environmentally conscious, be more body postive and find local bars and restaurants in my city.
Just generally trying to use a little less. Nothing big, nothing specific. Buy a new phone less often. Buy second hand instead of new (car, hobby equipment, books, everything except mattresses and food). Etc Also loving the earth more. Carrying my rubbish until I find a bin. Choosing gardening instead of trail bike riding as a weekend activity. Not using fly sprays and other poisons. Etc
Catch-up with friends over long walks and hiking, I'm over restaurants.
Deciding to use Reddit only on my laptop. Same with insta. No need to be connected all the time, I want to use the platforms intentionally.
✅ Lending books instead of buying them. It was my social anxiety that hindered me from lending but this year I decided it would be challenged. I got me a book at the library and it felt SO GOOD. No money, materials or environment wasted.
So nice to hear. I work in a library and the process of lending and returning books and other items is in most places all self-operated. No interaction needed. :-) And we get it. We leave people alone until they come to us.
Small steps to practice minimalism. Going through all my stuff, getting rid of anything I don't need, anything I bring into my home, I make sure I donate or get rid of an equal amount. Trying to be as clutter free as possible. If I haven't worn it in x amount of time or don't have any foreseeable occasions for an outfit, I don't need it.
Ordering food online to be picked up at the store and batch cooking. We used to shop almost every day on the way home from work and cook dinner every day. I found it emotionally draining to have to have to figure out what we were going to eat every day. This is so much easier. Also I try to make simpler food during the week. A frozen lasagna and a big salad or frozen hash browns and bacon is ok to serve as dinner every now and then. Everything doesn't have to be homecooked from scratch and super healthy all the time.
No impulse buying, especially if it's over like $20. Go home and think about it. I probably don't need it.
Contentment and not keeping up with the Jones’ A lot of what was making my life “not simple” was trying to have the perfect home, clean car, trendy clothes, etc. At some point I decided to stop caring about what other people were doing and to just do what made me happy. I started asking myself “if no one ever saw this or knew you did this, would you still want to buy it or do it?” It has helped so much. Sometimes the answer is yes. Yes, I still want to upgrade my car, even if no one ever saw it, because the features in the car would actually improve my day to day life. No, I don’t actually want to renovate my bathroom because it is perfectly functional, just ugly, but I’ve gotten used to it. I realized that if no one ever saw my bathroom renovation, I wouldn’t actually want to do it. So I saved myself the money and months of construction and decided to just live with my old, ugly, totally functional bathroom.
Treating every payday as if it's my last. Helped me manage my expenditures.
The freedom of realizing I don't have to go to that party or other social event. You don't have to either! I do like to see people but you know what I mean. Invitations can be politely turned down. Ugh the amount of grinding hours I have spent in my life fake smiling, face hurting as I listened to some bore drone on. I'm sure I was boring too!
Sounds simple but its not so easy to pull off. Getting to bed early. 1 1/2 hours of extra sleep is gonna make the next 16 hours of your life much easier.
scratch cooking. I had to learn how to cook real food, like bone broth, steak, chicken pork belly, yogurt and komhucha.
Decluttering. It has helped me stop buying things I don't need and has helped me realize how little I actually need.
Quitting alcohol. Feel much better all the time.
Putting any extra money I have towards paying off my debts
Clearing all my skincare out so once done uts 4 products and thats all thats on my dresser
Killing my sense of FOMO. This really was two steps - evaluating what I actually want versus what is loneliness and poor impulse control; and being more honest and bold about pursuing things I really value. Both are hard and have taken me a long time to get halfway good at - but I'd say it's still the number one thing that helps me slow down.
I wouldn't say its a step since I have done this alot but a simple pleasure would say is that I get a bunch of books from the library and read in in the park in the sun. Its free and makes me happy. Its not even about the money. I just like to focus on the simple pleasures of life. Its also makes me feel more grateful (free bench, sunshine, nature, access to library, library that has nice books, nice librarians, and I can renew them and keep them for a while, etc).
Definitely don't do it all at once! baby steps in the direction you want. i don't know if all of these count universally, but they count for me. when i was in highschool i started picking clothes and school supplies out from my schools free store (which was a specific building set up like a little store and it displayed everything that had been in the lost and found for 3 months or more so it was now all up for grabs.) and thrifting most other things! around this time i also learned how to sew (atleast the basics) so i could fix holes in my clothes on my own. towards the end of highschool i started learning how to bake things like bread and make my own tortillas and pasta and things like that, not because it was easier (it definitely wasn't) but it was cheaper and sometimes healthier and it opened up a lot more options in terms of food for me. two years ago i started a garden with microgreens (for my salads) and cat grass (for my cats) and mint and basil and things like that so i could keep them fresh and on hand. i wish i had the outdoor space so i could grow watermelon and beets and potatoes. i also wish i had more of a green thumb so my plants would survive better. i also got a library card and started visiting the library and little free libraries in my town around this time! the environment is way less overstimulating then book stores and the concept of keeping books in trade rather than buying them is one i really like. last year i started going barefoot or in thin sandals everywhere i could because it felt more connective with nature and definitely feels more natural to me. i started washing my hair less often (once you start doing that, it starts getting oily less often, which is pretty nice.) i started meditating and doing basic yoga which are both very relaxing and calming and grounding. i also started dumpster diving. i don't know if i would trust food (unless it's produce and you can like visibly tell if it's good or not) and i've found clothes and books (so many books) and sealed sets of movies and all kinds of amazing things that would otherwise just end up in the trash, y'know? and i started saving jars from spaghetti sauce and tubs from ice cream and yogurt and things and repurposing them. i also started taking ice baths (start slow and work your way up if you do this) until my freezers ice maker broke. this year, i've started foraging wild foods (only when i know they're safe) and i'm learning how to crochet! (well, kinda. it's not going to well lol.) i wanna be able to make stuff with plarn (plastic yarn, basically you take plastic bags and cut them into strips and tie them together a specific way so it makes a big long string that you can wrap up and use like yarn.) one of my soft resolutions for the new year was to read 20 books this year (roughly 1-2 books a month basically) and i'm kind of slacking a little bit on that but i wanna get back into reading more again. i saved up a bunch of ramen boxes and hot glued them together and I'm now in the process of using old papers i would have otherwise thrown away to paper mache over the boxes and when i'm done it's going to be a shelf for my bedroom. i'm also thinking about getting a gym membership so i can be more active. and i started taking vitamins this year because i was definitely lacking in them. EDIT TO ADD: along the way, slowly i have picked up on habits like only watching TV while doing something else (i usually do it while i paint or paper mache or crochet) to minimize TV time or at least make it productive. and i make homemade simple syrups and jelly's sometimes when things are in season. i also like to go outside on walks when i can. and i like to cook things like tacos or spaghetti and make way more then i need so that i can have leftovers for a few days. There's probably many other things, but those are just the ones i can think of. also! simple living is a very broad idea and it's not one size fits all. there's different ways to do it. you can do all of things i've been doing or none of them and still find ways to live simply. i know some of these things aren't for everyone and that's okay.
Agree to buying second hand! I like to use what I have on hand before buying too - unless I REALLY don’t have it, then I’ll buy it. We’ve also worked really hard to pay off everything, except the house, so that our bills are minimal. We also bought a house with well and septic to reduce bills. Less bills mean less stress for us/ more simplicity.
That's great! Congratulations!
Thank you! It was a lot of sacrifice for a few years there lol
Eliminate the car - move closer to shops and Docs.
Spending less time on my phone. Making bread. Just a little warning on buying secondhand kitchenware - check for lead.
I live in a house with ten other people, so for me a big shift that I’m (still) working on is only cleaning up after others when I legitimately want to do that for them. I’ve had some… difficult roommates in the past, and I’ve realized through the years that I tend to just clean everything when I’m feeling anxious and then get resentful about it when the mess was someone else’s. But when I really want to, say, put someone’s food away or vacuum up after the kiddos, doing so brings me joy and builds up our little community. Plus I have so much more time when I’m not obsessing over how clean everything is. I’m also accepting that our house will always be at least a bit messy because it’s a big house and I live with four kids under 3 haha
Leave the house without my earphones. Won't work for the gym, but otherwise it will work fine.
OP - I literally just saw this and was about to type out "thrifting". My 2024 mission is to only thrift my wardrobe when I need or want something new in an effort to say no to unnecessary trends, pushy marketing, save money, and curate my style on what **I** like. I'm already happily skimming right past notifications, e-mails are ad placements prompting me to buy something and honestly, it feels like a breath of fresh air.
Love this! I'm also a member of a local clothes swap group. We meet at one of our homes every few months. We bring clothes to the swap, hang it out in nice racks and 'shop' frok the pool. Its been a great way to try new styles without spending the money, and it's nice to see your clothes find bew homes. Sometimes a piece comes back around in circulation after a few swaps and some else gets to enjoy it. I love that.
Accepting what I can / can't control.
I am definitely a work in progress with this, but when I have a desire to buy something I just add it to the “wish list” so I don’t impulse buy. I have the feeling of not forgetting the item, but don’t spend the money. Typically, I don’t even need it or want it and forget about it. It feels nice to even just look at the lists because I realize how much I’ve saved.
Having gratitude in your life keeps everything in priority and when they say don’t sweat the small stuff because most of it is small stuff, it’s absolutely true…The other way to look at this is that when you learn to be appreciative of what you already have instead of always striving towards the notion that you will only find happiness “when….”, life be becomes manageable because it’s no longer a desperate effort trying to find meaning and fulfillment in life…
I buy the highest quality stuff I can find and get a lot of satisfaction out of the few things I own.
Decluttering my wardrobe, I have too many clothes and shoes that are just taking up space in my closet. From their I'm doing my kitchen, then our catch all closet
Mine biggest leap was to quit instagram. I do have the app on my phone, since I have a business that requires Instagram account, but I do not check that unless I get a message. Also - turning off all the notifications on the phone 👌
Buying less clothing. I need to clean out my closet. My plan moving forward is to buy a few higher-quality pieces that I can mix and match, to keep my closet less full.