By Dr Sandra Bredell
What does it mean to “live a simple life”?
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes it as “a manner of living in which a person does not own many things or use many modern machines and usually lives in the countryside”. According to Calvin Holbrook, “choosing simplification creates a life filled with meaning, a life lived on your own terms”. He continues by saying that in crowded cities and locations, life can become hectic and somewhat overstimulating, overwhelming our minds and sometimes making us feel anxious about our own lives. The benefits of leading an “outwardly simple, inwardly rich lifestyle” are covered by Duane Elgin in his book Voluntary simplicity.
Simplifying your life does not mean that you have to give up everything you own, including your house, car, and belongings, and relocate to a secluded island where you will be living alone. Additionally, it does not at all imply that your life should become monotonous. You can read and learn more about simplifying your life by using the resources listed at the end of this article. Some of the points they agree on are as follows:
- Decluttering: Reduce the amount of stuff in your house and arrange it so that there is a better flow of space and fewer things for you to maintain and clean. A cleaning and organizing schedule is crucial to the decluttering process. Decluttering also applies to our thoughts, helping us to replace negative ideas with more upbeat ones.
- Put yourself first: Recognize what works for you, what you enjoy or dislike, and what brings you joy and relieves anxiety or negative thoughts. You will be able to make some changes as a result of doing this because it can give you some direction and make your life simpler and happier. Self-care is still the most crucial thing to do.
- Donate items: In addition to helping you with the decluttering process, giving things away that you no longer need or use frequently will also make you feel good about yourself by improving someone else’s life.
- Set boundaries and maintain them: In addition to taking care of yourself, you must develop the ability to say “no” to requests and things that make you uncomfortable or that you know will make you feel stressed or unhappy.
Please take the time to read more about this topic by consulting some of the resources listed below. Take care and remember that making changes takes courage!
I’ve deleted this mention of a film because it’s too unclear what is being highlighted. I know that the film’s title is “A simple life”, but the content of the film is not mentioned in relation to the topic of the article. If the image here pertains to that film, please delete it.
Resources
Antonia. 2023. 15 simple living tips for less stress and more freedom. Balance through Simplicity. https://balancethroughsimplicity.com/simple-living-tips/
Elgin, D. 2010. Voluntary simplicity. 2nd edition. New York: HarperCollins.
Gardner, B. 2023. Simple living: 7 ways to live simpler in a modern world. Becoming Minimalist. https://www.becomingminimalist.com/simpler/
Happiness.com. ©2015–2024. https://happiness.com
Holbrook, C. 2023. Living a simple life: 6 science-backed benefits. Happiness.com. https://www.happiness.com/magazine/personal-growth/six-key-benefits-of-living-a-simple-life/#:~:text=up%20your%20possessions.-,Choosing%20simplification%20creates%20a%20life%20filled%20with%20meaning%2C%20a%20life,indifferent%20about%20and%20eliminating%20multitasking
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Sv “the simple life”. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20simple%20life