simple living

People falsely believe that simple living  either involves white walled homes with an array of greenery and a hammock, or living off grid on a farm milking your own cow, and homeschooling your ten children. Now of course for some it may involve these things, but there is no one size fits all to simple living.

Simple living does not mean you have to become self sufficient, or be the ‘perfect’ domesticated housewife. It is about knowing yourself on a deeper level, knowing your core values and living authentically. It is about ‘not’ conforming to others expectations of you, because if it doesn’t feel right for you, then most likely it isn’t.

If we try to live by other peoples ideals and dreams we can not expect to find deep happiness, or live simply.

To live simply you have to live by the standards you set yourself, you need to know your core values. Simple living involves making lifestyle choices that fit comfortably with your way of thinking, and the stage of life you are currently in.

Rather than boxing you in, simple living actually gives you more freedom to be yourself.

Life is only worth living when we are being authentic. If you have ever tried to fit a mould you will know how difficult it is, and also how limiting! Trying to live up to others standards or way of living will never make you truly happy. But by living by your own beliefs you are opening yourself up to a simpler life. We are living in a diverse world, so to try and live with a one size fits all mentality you are opening yourself up to failure, to being let down, and  to disillusionment with the world around you, and within yourself.

I can not offer you a list that will tell you how to live simply, because as I have pointed out, one size does not fit all when it comes to living with authenticity, or living a simpler life. What you desire, what stage of life you are in, and what your values are will all be different to those of the person next to you. You can share common beliefs, but even your parents, siblings or best friends will have a different answer to what simple living means to them. The beauty of the world we live in is that we are all unique, so instead of trying to fit the mould in order to be happier, try and live the life you truly want to live.

Some ideas you can think about. (Please use this list as a guide only, you must really take time to figure out what things truly matter to you, what things will make you happier.)

• question yourself before you buy things. Don’t simply buy out of habit. This will help you buy less, and buy better.
• try to cook more meals at home, involve your partner, or the kids.
• plant a herb garden.
• recycle.
• use less plastic where possible.
• cook in bulk and freeze meals for later, you will save money and time this way.
• spend more time with your pets.
• re-connect with things that made you happy as a child.
• get more rest.
• play more board games.
• look after the environment, be more conscious of water usage, and waste disposal.
• mentor those younger than you.
• spend more time really listening to the elderly.
• garden more, plant some trees.
• try a new sport.
• sit down and start writing and see where it leads.
• plan your weekly meals before grocery shopping.
• take five minutes to stop and drink your coffee/tea in the cafe instead of on the run, it slows you down and also benefits our environment, did you know that many takeaway coffee cups can not be recycled? Check with your local area or council.
• Try eating at the table instead of in front of the TV. Not only does it make us more mindful of what we eat, our food tastes better too, and if we are sharing a meal it means we are more likely to talk to the person we are with. This goes for phones too, pop them on silent whilst you eat.

As I said these are just ideas to help you start thinking about what ways you might like to live more true to your beliefs and values. You can now begin start your own list, thinking about the things that really matter to you! If you do have someone you share a home with, or you have children, asking them their opinions can be so enlightening. We often don’t discuss these things with our loved ones as we are so busy, and often stuck in our routine. But sometimes the routine that worked for us 10 years ago, 3 years ago, or even 1 year ago may no longer be the best routine for us. Life changes constantly, we need to evolve with it. By being true to ourselves and by following our own unique path we can live happier, healthier, and simpler.

I’d love you to leave me a comment, or send me an email with your thoughts. If you are on Instagram please feel free to join my community Living Fearlessly Authentic by tagging your real life photos #livingfearlesslyauthentic

Thanks for joining me, love Mac xx

live beautiful, live simple, live fearlessly authentic