22 Jun How to Live Simply
The popularity of minimalism has boomed in the last decade or so.
And quite rightly.
Research, and experience, clearly suggests that more is not necessarily better, when it comes to money or material possessions, and that less is very often more, when it comes to health and happiness and wellbeing.
Living simply, quite simply, often equates to living well; as this Psychology Today article by Tchiki Davis illustrates …
KEY POINTS
- Many find greater well-being from owning fewer things, reducing the pressure to work to buy more and gaining time to do what brings joy.
- Think about the things that you let into your life that don’t need to be there and start saying no to them.
- You’ll quickly discover how much extra time and headspace you get when you set limits with technology.
Source: Omar Lopez/Unsplash
Do you sometimes feel like life is more complex than it needs to be? Do you feel like society expects you to buy more than is necessary, own more things than you need, or do more work than you want? Then you may want to find ways to live more simply.
Wikipedia defines living simply as voluntarily engaging in a number of practices to simplify one’s lifestyle. Others define this lifestyle as “a tool to eliminate life’s excess, focus on the essentials, and find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom” (Millburn and Nicodemus, 2016).
Some argue that living simply (or minimalism) is a reaction to materialism (Par, 2021). Others propose that it is a part of “alternative hedonism”—or a movement that arose in response to the destructive models of capitalist consumption (Caruana, Glozer, and Eckhardt, 2019).
Approaches to Help Us Live More Simply
- Minimalism. This involves simplifying life by reducing one’s possessions and consumption. Sometimes it also includes artistic minimalism (which focuses on clean, uncluttered design).
- Self-sufficiency. This involves simplifying life by providing for oneself as much as possible without modern systems. For example, one might live off the grid, grow their own food, sew their own clothes, and make their own self-care products (like soap).
- Digital minimalism. This involves simplifying life by reducing or eliminating access to certain technologies like cell phones, social media, or the Internet.
- Connection with nature. This involves spending more time outside, camping, or in wilderness environments.
- Slowing down. This involves simplifying life by reducing a sense of urgency or busyness.
Your definition of living simply can involve a mixture of some or all of these approaches. In fact, it may be helpful to try different approaches out to see how they make you feel so that you can adopt the new habits and lifestyle that you feel will best boost your well-being…
… keep reading the full & original article HERE