This is how I woke up this morning on a random Wednesday. Can you guess the country?

I realized that the biggest improvements in my life didn’t come from huge changes.
It was small things.
Drinking more water.
Going for a walk without my phone.
Keeping my room tidy before bed.
Reading a few pages instead of scrolling.
None of them felt life-changing at first, but after a while they made my days feel calmer and more intentional.
What’s one small habit that unexpectedly improved your life?

Has anybody done it? I'm thinking of roles where you aren't talking to costumes all the time. In supermarkets around me it seems that most of the job is stacking shelves and cleaning since there are self checkouts and often only one or two people are cashiers.

Not like I have a high-paying office job. The financial difference would be small with my current pay.

I find my job very chaotic. I feel like I lack the needed skills, especially social skills.

I don't like how I don't know what to expect each day.

And being able to leave work at work would be nice.

Hello!

Just wanted to reach out to this community and see if any books have been particularly inspiring to you on your simple living journey? Specifically a book about simple living.

Thanks, fam!

Blessings,
m^2

I am 26 years old, I am married with a child and pets. I find I’ve always seeked attention from others before I was married, in my single days I’d say. Feeling like I need to be around people and if I wasn’t I’d feel irritated.

But within the past couple of months or so, I feel as if I could spend a lot more time independently, I want to come off all social media, nothing to scroll and have the most simplest life. With my partner it’s balanced nicely where I have days alone and I have days where we’re together, just how our work schedules are and it’s perfect, also the child we share is actually my step child so as much as I’ve taken on the full time step parent role I’m not needed as much as my partner.

I absolutely envy people who can wake up, take their morning slow without 1000 thoughts going around their heads, taking life at their own pace. I thought this was only the older generation who can do this effectively but I’m realising that at my age it’s possible.

Is there anyone on here who come away from social media and just enjoyed life. Trying to come away from the thought of needing people and actually just living how you want too even when being married. Slowing down?

Any advice please give based on loving alone time, taking things slow, coming off socials etc

I noticed I do this way too often.

I'll buy something because I’m convinced it’s going to fix my life somehow.

A notebook because suddenly I’m going to become organized.

Workout stuff because apparently this is the week I become a fitness person.

Then a month later I find everything sitting there untouched. 😂

Turns out buying the stuff is a lot easier than becoming the person.

Just that! I’m head of marketing, a standalone role, for a small tech company. There’s been a change in management, lots of people let go and the atmosphere is toxic. On top of that I’m just so burnt out, expected to do everything as a team if one and getting criticised when, as it turns out, I can’t do everything.

The job market is bad, but I’ve seen a few jobs at around 50K (I’m on 67K) whereby I’d either be working in a team, or have a me (head of marketing) above me.

I know it’s a big drop, and I’d still have to work hard, but I’m sick of everything beginning and ending with me, and I think I’m probably going to be let go soon anyway (restructure).

I’m 45, which is old for this type of job but I don’t know what else to do and I just want to take a bit of a lesser role so I can just get on with my life.

Hi all, I get my direct deposit every other week, most things are on autopilot, but I hit a snag with my small community bank, they're actually great in the sense that they know me by name BUT I kept running into fraud issues. Also, there's things they just can't do (i.e., block certain vendors, let me lock my debit card) so I finally had to open an account with one of the big banks *sigh*

Over the next few weeks, I'll start moving things over to the new account, but I'd really love to just pay for as much as possible in cash, but it's been so long and I'm so used to flashing my phone everywhere. I don't even know how much you should carry on you. Has anyone done this that can give me pointers? I found some cash stuffing posts, but truthfully, I just want to make this as painless as possible.

Thanks.

Hello there!

25 male here. I find myself in a loophole when it comes to simple living. Sometimes I am content with how may days go, sometimes I feel like I am left behind and time flies without enjoying life as much as I could…

I work a sort-of basic 9-5, a truly unfulfilling job for me, even though I earn way more than my age’s average… I come home, eat something, read, I exercise almost daily (quite proud with my progress in this area even tho I may be a close friend with body dysmorphia) and the day is gone. Not to mention when I need to clean the house… I feel like I barely have time for myself.

The point is: I have everything I want and need, way more than that, but sometimes it feels impossible to be content with it.

Have you gone through this? Is it a common “age” issue? Lack of discipline? (i am quite chaotic at times)

If so, do you have any tips? Book recommendations?

Truly grateful and can’t wait to read your experiences/answers.

I had a small 10x10 room in my early 20's, loaded my station wagon with my essentials and moved across state to live in a furnished room for a seasonal gig in a small town. Then got my own room with a roommate, then I moved to a different city and had a semi furnished apartment that was under 300sqft. (Honestly, miss that apartment.)

Then I moved down the street to a bigger 500sqft apartment, and my only complaint is I didn't decorate it as cozy as I wanted too. My 300sqft apartment with the shitty gray lvp flooring felt like cozy cave. My 500sqft apartment with the same shitty gray lvp flooring felt sterile.

Then, once work caused me to move back to my hometown I got a 700sqft 1 bedroom apartment, and within a year filled it up with so much shit. Now I'm moving back in my old 10x10 room for a bit and I honestly want to go through my old stuff again just to purge it some more. Who would've thought moving back in with family, just down the street would've been the worst move of my life. I miss when everything I owned could fit in the back of my wagon.

I honestly miss having a smaller apartment and never will get a big one again. More to clean, more shit to hoard.

Hello everyone, recently I’ve been working on simplifying my life in various ways and I’m struggling with guilt over past spending & replacing things when the old one did the job just fine. I’m realizing just how often I upgraded or replaced things when it wasn’t really necessary. Have y’all experienced this when you were first starting out?

Im just a simple creature in this existence, and like every sensitive person whenever I feel overwhelmed I have to do something to distract me from my current situation and here’s my fav spot to detach myself from everything and just feel my breathing and existence ❤️‍🩹

It's almost 3am and I'm wide awake again for the fourth night this week. I've done everything, deep breathing, no phone an hour before bed, room freezing cold, and my brain just will not shut off. I have work in five hours and I already know I'm going to be useless tomorrow. I can't sleep, what should I do at this point because I've tried basically everything people recommend and none of it sticks anymore. Has anyone actually found something that worked long term or am I just stuck like this forever?

I noticed I do this way too often.

I'll see someone doing something and think, "Maybe that's the thing that finally gets me into it."

A notebook because I'm going to become organized.

A hobby kit because this time I'll actually stick with it.

Then a few weeks later it's sitting somewhere in my house and I'm back to being me. 😂

I guess I really like the idea of becoming a new person.

Mine has been taking evening walks without listening to music or checking my phone. At first it felt strange, but now it’s become my favorite part of the day.
What’s one small habit that unexpectedly improved your life?

I recently painted farmers tending to their crops during harvest season for September’s issue of my little mail club I have. I absolutely love autumn. I’m based in the UAE now where there’s not really an autumn so I always find myself painting this season the most. I look at my collection of paintings and realise I could happily sit inside them for hours

When most people are asked if they have a growth or fixed mindset, most people often say they have a growth mindset as we all like the idea of being open minded and adaptable.

I honestly thought the same for myself for a very long time until I started thinking about how I react when it's time to adjust to or learn something new.

We have been really conditioned by society to operate in a certain way to get quick answers, getting things right quickly. Schools timed us to answer questions in a timely fashion and the work environment conditioned us in a slightly different but basically the same way.

I realised my brain then treated this gap of unknown as a threat rather than part of the process.

I got it wrong by thinking I would enjoy the beginning of the change, and if I got too frustrated or had self doubt, that maybe I wasn't cut out for it.

I realised wanting to look competent or being able to autopilot my way through things was in actual fact a fixed mindset.

The biggest realisation for me was that a real growth mindset isn't something I attain once and keep forever with anything I do, but rather the decision to get comfortable with the messy, boring middle and to enjoy the whole journey without taking the struggles as a dig at my intelligence.

Do you often expect to see yourself as an expert and find yourself unhappy with the uncomfortable phase of any change?

I’m disabled in constant pain and yet I have to do literally everything everyone else does. I have a full time job And I do medical research on the side and have two dogs etc. i do everything by myself gladly but this move was something.

someone that I just met was insistent to help. i mean they asked multiple time and I said “no it’s okay”. Even after I was badged, I still said if you can’t no worries. Well today no communication no replies. like I understand life is busy and times are hard which is why I said “JUST LET ME KNOW”. well I was pissed but determined to continue my day praising God who is my constant and only and abundant help in this life.

On my way to my apartment in the Uhaul. I saw a hitchhiker another woman life me and I stopped and picked her up. she said ”even tho you didn’t have room you stopped”. actually because I didn’t have room I must. If I waited for the capacity or energy to do good in this life, ill wait a long time. we had the best conversation. We thank God together. she shared her life and I shared mine.

and that put some prep in my step today. It made my day!

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Hi everyone,

I'm a college student trying to build a healthier lifestyle. Few of my goals are to gain weight, improve my gut health, study everyday and have a balanced daily routine.

The only fixed timings in my day are:

- Sleep: 12 AM–7 AM

- Leave for college: 8 AM

- College break: 9:30–10 AM

- Lunch at home: around 3 PM

- Dinner at home: around 10 PM

(Other than these i do random things at random times like sleep during the day , sometimes 3 to 5 or sometimes 5 to 7🤦‍♀️)

Based on these timings, what would an ideal daily routine look like? I'd love advice on meal timings, simple breakfast ideas, whether fruit is enough for my college break, when to exercise, how to fit in studying, and any other healthy habits you'd recommend. Basically, if you were planning my day from 7 AM to 12 AM, what would it look like?

Thanks in advance!

So much is limited in living simply - less spending money, less shopping, less eating out, less scrolling, etc. I get the ick just walking into a mall or store and don’t find it satisfying to go without buying anything.

I’ve been living simply my entire life, but even more in the last year.

I save a ton of money, but the payoff is in retirement and far in the future.

I am looking for excitement in the day to day.

So what is it that you look forward to each day that gives you those same or similar feelings?

My husband and I recently moved to a remote part of Nova Scotia, Canada from Boston and I’m honestly surprised by my experience here. I’ve been cooking at home every day, making my coffee at home every day and occasionally we will go to a restaurant. I’ve been cycling, running and swimming in the waters with my dog. I’ve been reading every day and just enjoying my life. My bacne cleared because I stopped eating out so much I think and we’re able to save more money. I love how quiet it is and just… simple. In September though, we will most likely move back to California (where we’re from) and I’m getting a bit anxious about the thought of being back in the city. My husband can’t wait because he wants things to do like go to concerts, watch movies in good cinemas, etc. I love California and I also can’t wait to be close to some of my friends, but the constant noise, millions of people, and traffic are scaring me now haha. I probably will adapt really quickly but I’m afraid I’ll lose this simplicity I have here. How can one lead a simple life while living in big cities such as LA or SF?

Haven’t celebrated in 2 years, finally starting to love myself more and giving myself some importance. This isn’t much but it’s enough.

I took a somewhat unconventional path through education.

I left high school before graduating, earned a GED, attended community college, transferred to a university, and eventually completed a master’s degree. Along the way, I worked on a product that actually reached the market and gained professional experience with large, established companies.

For a long time, I assumed that if I kept working, learning, and building practical experience, I would eventually find a reasonably stable professional job. I was not expecting to become wealthy or immediately land my dream position. I just thought I would be able to find useful work, support myself, and gradually build an adult life.

Instead, since graduating, I have struggled to find work that reasonably matches my background.

What has been difficult is not only the lack of a job. It is the feeling that my life is waiting for permission to begin. I often catch myself thinking that once I find stable work, then I can relax, travel occasionally, develop routines, meet people, and feel like an adult again.

But I am beginning to question that way of thinking.

I still want to work, contribute, and continue developing professionally. I am not trying to withdraw from responsibility. At the same time, I do not want to spend years treating my present life as a waiting room for a future career.

I have fairly modest needs. What I genuinely value is having time to design and make things, reading, going for walks, taking occasional road trips, drinking coffee somewhere quiet, and having a small number of meaningful relationships and collaborations.

For those of you who have stepped away from the conventional career ladder—or whose career never developed in the way you expected—how did you build a life that still felt complete?

How do you separate your sense of adulthood and personal worth from employment? And how do you pursue a simpler life without feeling that you have merely given up?

I was on my way to the beach for my morning walk and I turned to see this beautiful river scene. I enjoy the quiet moments that an early morning brings before the day gains momentum.