For example, I make sure most importantly I don’t check my phone while I’m still in bed. I cuddle my cats, get up, go outside and breathe some fresh air, make tea, and have at least 15-30 minutes of no technology (basically no phone / internet / radio). After I’m up and ready I then do sadly have to re-engage with things like phone, email etc. but I’m very intentional about making sure it doesn’t get my attention first thing in the morning.

I’d love to know some of your morning rituals or routines that help keep you centred and grounded in simplicity for the day :)

Last winter I started this little habit where anytime we got a decent snowfall, I’d get the wood fire going and basically disappear into the sauna for the evening. It started as something fun to try but somehow those snowy nights became the part of winter I looked forward to most.

There’s one night I still randomly think about. Snow coming down really slowly, no wind, everything completely quiet. I stepped outside absolutely roasting and just stood there for a minute. Oh God, that was something I didn;'t know I needed.

Just fresh snow everywhere, steam coming off me and fire crackling behind me. No phone, no cars, nobody around. Just one of those rare moments where you realize you’re completely happy doing absolutely nothing. Now summer’s almost over and somehow I’m actually looking forward to snow again just because I want another night like that..

Since I assume that the majority of people don't like winter as a season I'd really like to know if someone else here has a sauna ritual that completely changed how they feel about winter?

I think I spent a lot of time trying to make my life “better” when what I really wanted was to stop feeling like everything had to be going somewhere. Lately I’ve been enjoying really unimpressive things making the same breakfast, walking to the shop, sitting outside in the evening, having nothing planned for Saturday. None of it is exciting, but I’ve noticed I’m happier on those days. Maybe I got so used to chasing the next thing that I forgot there’s nothing wrong with just having a regular weekend.

For me personally, being away from the crowd and quietness is something that goes hand in hand with living simply.

And I personally find it so difficult to find true moments of quiet when living in a densely populated city. Even places in nature aren't a guarantee. And having roommates/sharing apartment makes it practically impossible too.

Growing up, I took so many ordinary things for granted.

A quiet morning. Sitting and talking with family without looking at our phones. Having an entire afternoon with nothing particular to do. Even the advice from our parents that felt unnecessary or repetitive at the time.

Somehow, as we grow older, these very ordinary things begin to feel less ordinary.

Perhaps we don't really miss the big things from the past. We miss the simplicity of them.

For a long time, I felt the internal pressure to constantly upgrade everything,climbing the next step on the career ladder, pursuing side hustles, or buying newer things just because it was expected.

Once I actively decided to stop chasing a specific goal simply because society defined it as "success," my daily stress levels dropped drastically.

Whether it was stepping away from corporate ladder climbing, downsizing your belongings, or saying no to an overly packed social calendar,what was that shift for you, and how did it change your day-to-day life?

I am 33 years old and I find myself very happy. When I look back, there are so many phases of happiness and it's mostly been consistent with some hardship occasionally but the norm has been a very good life.

Here to give anyone insight on how I believe I do it or answer anything. I don't have any super powers and I've had a standard life lower mid or upper lower class since I was born. Currently probably middle middle class and my happiness level is the same at each socioeconomic class I've been in.

For a long time I treated an empty desk like proof that I was living simply.

If it looked clean and sparse, I felt like I was doing it right.

So I kept putting away the things I actually used every day. Then I’d take them back out the next morning. Then put them away again at night. It became this quiet daily ritual that didn’t feel like work, but it was still effort.

Lately I’ve been questioning what “simple” actually means for me.

I’m starting to think it’s less about how few objects I own, and more about how little friction I create for myself.

Some things just make the day quieter. They don’t demand attention. They don’t need constant managing. Those are the ones I’ve started leaving out.

The desk doesn’t look as empty as it used to. But my days feel lighter.

Curious if anyone else has shifted from “own as little as possible” to “keep what actually reduces noise in your day.”

Did you ever notice how badly the world revolves around capitalism? Either people want to prove their superiority through their work, education, or whatever they possess, or they spend their time trolling and mimicking someone else's appearance, financial position, or life. But beneath it all, the main motive often seems to be the same: “I am superior.” Everyone wants to become better day by day, or at least better than the people around them. Some people are narcissistic enough to assume that they are already the best. And those who actually reach the top live under the constant pressure of staying there and having to prove themselves again and again. Somewhere in the middle of all this nonsense, we have forgotten how beautiful life can feel when we sit quietly in nature and simply feel the cold breeze against our skin. We have forgotten the simple joy of singing, dancing, or drawing just for the sake of it, without feeling the need to turn every passion into a source of income, fame, or validation. We ignore the overwhelming wonder of realising how massive the universe is, that an entire lifetime is insufficient to understand even a fraction of it, and how incredibly small we are in comparison. We have forgotten how tremendous a slow, cozy life in a little cottage could be. Instead, we keep running through an endless race, one that was never natural and perhaps never will be.

What things do you think are important for a good and peaceful life? Is it a good salary, financial stability, work-life balance, living with family, good health, relationships, travelling, owning a house, or something else?

I’d genuinely like to hear from people who are already living the life they wanted. What does a good, happy and satisfying life mean to you?

I love getting stuff in the post. I have Amazon subscriptions for basic stuff like deodorant and shower gel as it saves a trip to the shops but also because I like receiving and opening the packages, even though they're uninteresting items inside.

I also use sites like Vinted for clothes and toys and books for the kids, and again I really enjoy receiving and opening the parcels.

How have others been able to reduce or replace this buzz of getting stuff in the post with something that doesn't involve buying stuff?

i believe we really need to do this more often. the kids are riding their bicycles and playing outside with no gadgets on their hand. the teenagers are playing basketball. the old people are doing their thing. everyone's going on and about. it's crazy i dont see this much people when the electricity is on. i was crafting a personal artwork, and noticing people around the neighborhood just makes me feel great. it's supposed to be this way.

Hey, sorry this is gonna be quite a rant. I grew up with social media. And no matter how hard i try to ignore it, i keep seeing people shilling bragging selling get rich course (i know its a scam and they make money by telling people to be rich basically selling dreams as product) but it slowly kinds rot my brain to the point that

The idea of simple living slowly fades away from myself. Makes me always thinking about trying to be so rich to the point that if i enjoy myself just live a simple live which I fucking love it tbh, i REALLY love simple living! But sometimes those stupid thougths hit me randomly and makes me feel like shit! I hate it!

Again sorry, but i just dont have the ick to travel, i just enjoy my life, working on my own business living simple live, making enough to retire and such, furthermore i dont take things for granted, been blessed with many things, but still everytime i see people on social media i just cant help but hate them and also hate myself why im just living my life like this and not like them travelling 24/7 having mansion and stuff

Which i know its all fake but man its exhausting sometimes i still got hit by this feeling

Thank you so much for being able to bare with my post, i seek words or wisdom or advice maybe some feel the same?

like i genuinely don't understand. been using the same spoon for 3 years now

I understand being a moderator is thankless and it's near impossible to act on each and every post. You can't even put a restriction of "don't allow new accounts to post" because these 2-5 year old accounts with zero recent activity get bought up to be able to spam/advertise.

Just an example of some recent posts in the past week that are AI/spam:

OP pushes AI apps

AI generated text

Ai app 'developer' gathering info

4 year old account with no activity until 2 months ago, suddenly talking about tracker apps to help

text is most likely AI

That's all I have the energy to do at this time. It's not just this sub but reddit as a whole. People easily and freely responding to engagement posts feeding the AI LLMs out there.

We live in a world that makes us feel that happiness is very expensive. That I have to buy something to feel happy or a big business, a dream that I have to chase all the time.

Oh my divine this is so tiring! But you know what? when you pause for a moment, you will find that happiness actually lies in simple small things. Just like this flicker of flame!

Try sitting quietly with just a small, flame in a brass bowl. In Hinduism, it's called 'Tratak'. It relaxes your mind if you watch it for 5 minutes.

No scrolling, no background noise, no rush to be anywhere else.

Just a simple reminder that the happiest moments in life cost nothing at all.

We complicate things so much, but peace usually lives in the simplest corners.

Hoping you all a calm, unhurried day.

Edit: many hours later I realise “less obvious” changes is a more accurate wording.

For some context: earlier today I had realised that the clothing I wore made me feel very uncomfortable. Only to realise that none of the clothes that I wear made me feel comfortable or feel confident in myself (that is, I didn’t feel aligned at all wearing them or my authentic self).

It made me realise in a different kind of way how, in focusing so much on how I’m behind or how to progress and hurry up, I neglected myself and something like clothing. Some people fall victim to consumerism for sure but for me clothing was something I completely neglected. That doesn’t mean I will splurge on clothing all of a sudden, but it got me thinking about how my mind often falls into this pattern “a new pair of shoes will not make you progress in any way”. If anything, i would impulsively buy clothing at times that in retrospect did not really align with me at all.

So I’ve decided I’ll invest in some of my needs like a new pair of shoes, some genuine staples and replacing things that are worn out or not comfortable.

Have any of you had an experience of changing a less obvious thing like this? I word it this way because when we think of simple living we think of slow days and slow mornings and leaving the rat race, doing no spends or spending less, never the other nuanced manifestations of it usually.

WDYT ? 🌒💫 I feel like taking more time to learn, keep going, and admire it. Do you often find yourself photographing the night sky?

I have negotiated a seven week PAID sabbatical at the end of the year: the week of Thanksgiving through the first week of January.

I will not be traveling, hosting, or having guests. I live alone. I live in a small cottage, and will have managed all of my tasks, appointments, etc. so nothing is scheduled or open during sabbatical.

My goal is restoration, to fully rest and recover from working pretty much straight for 26 years.

I enjoy cooking, baking, taking care of my home, reading, etc.

If you had seven uninterrupted weeks paid, what would you do? What would your days look like?

not like im some minimalist monk about it just. stopped needing stuff i guess. the dopamine hit from a new thing lasted like 20 minutes anyway so whats even the point

I've noticed this pattern repeatedly in my life and was interested in people's thoughts.

An example - I have two pairs of FatFace shorts, one blue, one green, that I love. I have three other pairs of shorts that are fine but don't fit quite so well and I don't like as much.

I'm thinking of getting another pair of the same FatFace shorts in beige, to replace the three pairs I'm not so fond of.

Then I'd have three pairs of the same shorts I love, in different colours.

Pros -

- I'd really like all the shorts I have.

- I'd have fewer pairs, so easier to choose, less to store etc.

Cons -

- I'm aware this is partly an excuse to just buy something new (well, used, but new to me), dressed up as a way to have less overall.

- I'd be buying something else I don't really need. I could even just rotate the two pairs of FatFace shorts I already have and donate the other three pairs anyway.

Any thoughts?

Have you found yourself in similar patterns?

like, i removed half my stuff, labeled the same three bins, and somehow i still spend nights deciding which version of "simple" im doing tomorrow

tbh i tried to track it in Notion for a week, and the irony is i used the tracking to procrastinate on actually resting. i even set a 15 minute timer and ended up making a whole "simple rules" page. dont ask me why...

so is the point of living simple supposed to feel easier, or does my brain always turn it into another decision loop? kinda curious if im the only one

I am usually an avid gamer. Multiple nights a week I will hop online to play some video games, but sometimes it leads into the night.

Packing is going slower than anticipated and I packed up my PC prematurely, but it might be permenantly now.

I've started up old hobbies. I was a musician for many years and I've played more music these last 2 weeks than I have in years. I tackled songs that gave me trouble, learned new scales and licks, etc. I started juggling again just because I feel I had ample time now.

I love video games, but it's certainly a wake up call that I might be in a moment of my life that I am better without them. I'm wanting to take more walks, read books, cook, and re-explore my old hobbies again.

It's been... eye opening. No shade to anyone that plays games but having a break made me realize how much I've neglected other hobbies I've had.

How often do we trade our peace and time just to build a life filled with material things, only to realize later that real happiness was in simplicity all along? Would love to hear your thoughts on this.