What is simple living?
Simple living isn’t about removing yourself from modern life, but making the changes to live simply in a modern environment.
Can we actually live simple in the modern world?
Yes. Living simply is a way, a thinking, de-cluttering and living with not necessarily nothing but just the essential and be content with it. Living simple requires a whole mindset change. It is not just a thing done because being minimalism may sound cool to you but it requires a personality change if you’re not already practicing the art of living by the bare minimum.
The needs of one aren’t a lot and if you actually thing about it the people of today are hoarding junk that would bring them no joy nor have any practical worth in the future but the urge to get more is just a by product of peer pressure and doing what others are doing.
Living simply doesn’t work out overnight but is a gradual process of transformation which little by little gets you to the stage of contentment.
What makes us want to live simple?
The urge to live simply doesn’t develop overnight but many things could lead to this want which may be
- Stress from having to work a lot to gain material things that don’t really bring you happiness and life could eve run without them.
- Not having enough time to connect with your loved ones in the race of acquiring more and more.
- Mental pressure anxiety and constant mental fatigue.
- The want of not having to make decisions.
- Straying for your real purpose of life.
How to live simple?
Here are the steps you need to take:
Don’t make drastic changes in your life you may regret it in the future because although you may be down with the idea of cutting out most if not all some things might actually be needed and lead to a stressful and non-simple complex life in the near future.
Cultivate contentment. Inculcate the habit of being grateful for everything and everyone so as to value the things you already have. This would eliminate the urge to get more in the name of fulfillment.
Simplify your calendar. Do not commit to more or bite off more than your mind can chew.
Engage in meditation or mindfulness exercises. Sit down in solitude and ruminate over nature and nothingness around you. Train your mind for a healthier and less cluttered life style. Go for a walk every day.
Stop depending on tech for simple daily tasks. Train your mind to remember more plan more calculate more.
Cancel your TV subscription. Not watching tv and spending so much time watching some stressful and biased news is just a waste of brain cells and only brings you unnecessary anxiety.
Delete social media. Aimless scrolling on social media is just a waste of time neither brings joy more contentment rather the most of the anxiety of the present modern world comes as a byproduct of this vice. So, it’s better to seclude yourself from the urge to see what others are up to and start living your own life. In 2019 texting/app-ing, watching television and using social media were among the most popular daily media activities in the Netherlands. Just over 78 percent of people surveyed indicated that they watched television daily, while an additional 73 percent spent time on social media on a daily basis. Check stats here.
Reduce material and sentimental attachments. Having more interactions with people you actually don’t value and with things you actually accord no vale to is just baggage and hoards of junk.
Stop worrying about what others might think of you. Stop comparing yourself with others.
Refrain from useless discussions at work. Politics whether it be country politics at home or workplace and rather arguments over things that don’t concern you personally should not be thought or discussed about because they only just pile up and lead to unnecessary conflicts.
Kill your ego and the jealousy that comes with it. Stop wanting a thing that is of no value to you just because your friend on social media posted about having those stuff makes them happy. There’s more to life than just feeding your ego.
Mind your own business. Stop the habit of sticking your nose into every piece of gossip you come across and just practice staying quiet Conserve your energy and thus your peace of mind.
Plan ahead. Planning the future doesn’t actually make your life complex but gives you a clear direction of where you are, where you’d want to be and what little steps you could do everyday to get there. This eliminates clutter and hustle and brings a peace of mind with it.
Acquire only what you actually use. Getting a new pencil sharpener just because it looks good has no value if it has the same function as the one you already have lying on your desk. Get clear about what you want, and say no to more things. The more money you spend, the less likely you will embark on a simple living journey. Learn to understand the facts that “Less is more” and “All that glitters is not gold”.
Eliminate debt and minimize use for credit. Living in debt would force you to work long hours, reduce the time to actually live and keep you held to a work that you might want an escape from.
Don’t let go of things that make your life worth livable and bring joy to you. As in if reading books makes you happy try e-books instead of complexing your life in order to go to the market and buying and bringing home a book. Setting up a good reading space and lightening = in order to do that. There are easier and less costly methods in the modern world that do actually make your life simpler.
Remember that personality and behavior are what dictates your self-worth. Realize that your self-worth is not determined by the amount of wealth you have. According to Socrates, “He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature” and “Men are to be esteemed for the virtue, not their wealth”.
Priorities things. Life is filled with distractions and issues that will complicate your life. If you address them quickly and don’t let them pile up on you, there’s nothing to worry about.
Focus on your spirituality. Live in harmony with your spiritual nature and with all of life. Contemplating over your spiritualism and your religion guides you through what is important and what isn’t.
Remind yourself that life isn’t a competition. It is a struggle and everyone has their own war to fight but your war is your own and there’s not a finish line and who would get there faster. You should have your own study pace and be okay with that.
That is how Ive embarked on the journey of living clean and simple and hope that if you’re wondering how you could do it too, this would surely help you!
