I’m leaving Reddit tomorrow. Already left Instagram 10 months ago, and life has been so much more peaceful without it. Now, I’ve decided to let go of Reddit too. The constant digital noise, endless debates, negativity, and overwhelming information have taken away the simplicity I seek. I’m fed up.

This is my last 24 hours here. I just want to embrace a quieter, more intentional life - one without unnecessary distractions. Wishing the best to those who stay, but for me, it’s time to move on.

Greetings! As I prepare for extended travel, I'm aiming to adopt a more minimalist lifestyle. For those who've transitioned to living with less, especially on the road, what essentials do you prioritize? How do you decide what to keep and what to let go? Looking forward to your experiences and advice.

I'm a relatively new early riser. After years of sleeping in and thinking I was a night person, I found that I really enjoy sleeping early, so I can wake up and do my hobbies before work (reading, drawing, painting, gaming). This was great for a while since I'm an introvert, but I realized I want to go out and meet more people, especially those that share my hobbies. But it seems like most hobby group meetups are on weekday evenings, for example at the library, and that totally disrupts my entire schedule. I went to them for a while, and found myself getting home late and feeling frustrated, and ruining the next day by either not getting enough sleep or waking up late. I kept scheduling them and canceling until I realized I may just have to find a morning meetup as a more sustainable option. But they are few and far between. Weekends seem the most viable, but institutions like the library are closed on Sundays. Are there social events that happen in early morning hours before work that just aren't on my radar?

For me the main one is technology.

I work in IT and work from home so I have a room dedicated to my home office and I spend up to 16 hours a day working not only on computers but my smartphone as well. I do not have a company smartphone so I have multiple security applications on my phone that I constantly need to use during my working day. Even when I close my office door when I’m finished I can still see those apps on my phone so I can never really getaway from work.

So I’m curious to know what is the one aspect of your life that you cannot simplify at present.

There’s something magical about waking up to the sounds of nature roosters crowing, cows softly mooing, the rustling of trees as the wind whispers through the leaves. No honking cars, no city chaos. Just peace.

I’ve always loved the idea of living on a farm. A simple, joyful, and fulfilling life. Imagine starting your day with the golden glow of sunrise, sipping coffee as you breathe in fresh air, and ending it by watching the sunset paint the sky. At night, the stars shine like diamonds, reminding you how vast and beautiful life truly is.

Fresh, homegrown food, the laughter of children playing freely, the rhythm of nature setting the pace of your day it’s the kind of life I want to embrace. Healthy, slow, and intentional. Away from the noise, but full of life.

I dream of a place where the world feels lighter, where happiness comes from the little things. And maybe one day, I’ll make that dream a reality.

Anyone else feel the same way? Would love to hear your thoughts!

I just turned 33 and am struggling to rest. I have been a single mom for 5 years and finally met a beautiful man who is sharing our lives but struggles to let him held. I micromanage and want to supervise and manage things so they are done when I want them to be done.

I want to surrender and release control because this makes me spread myself too thin and be on the verge of a burnout.

With a demanding 9 to 5, evenings classes 3times a week and an active lifestyle, I sometimes daydream about having less ambition and being happy with the life I have.

Any thoughts/wisdom/advice?

I had a career in tech that I enjoyed (for the most part) and I have tried to balance that with simple hobbies and a quiet peaceful home. I am blessed to be able to retire early and tomorrow is my last day.

For my first week I have plans to do a digital detox (no screens until after dinner, and no social media on my phone), deep cleaning for my home, spend time with my grandchildren, and increase my volunteering at my local animal shelter and at my church.

I have chosen to retire early and enjoy the luxury of more time over the luxury of more money. It won't be a fancy retirement like many of my peers will have. It will be a simple, happy retirement, filled with hobbies that I enjoy (sewing, gardening, baking) and supporting causes that I care about via volunteering.

When I was young my life was a complicated mess (long story that I will not get into here), and I started my journey towards peace and simplicity when I was 40 after I was widowed and financially ruined in the great recession. (I'm 55 now.) I wish that I had the wisdom of simplicity earlier in my life, but better late than never.

Many people will not appreciate the choices that I am making now. I wanted to share my happiness with a group who could appreciate it.

Does anyone have suggestions for simple but decadent foods? For example, I bought a container of honeycomb from my local beekeeper，started subscribing to a CSA box from a local farm, bought extra virgin olive oil from Spain, and salted butter from France. All food types id normally eat, just in a more high quality form. The honey just tastes better than the honey I bought in a plastic container from the store, the vegetables from the local farm are fresher, and olive oil more flavorful, and the butter is just so much better than the normal sticks id spread on bread. I never realized how abysmal the nutrition was on most of the foods sold in grocery stores in the US. For example, I started making my own bread and although this may seem silly, was mildly surprised there's only four ingredients since there's a long list of ingredients on grocery store loaves. I bought eggs from a local egg farm and love cooking with them because of how golden the yolks are. Heirloom tomatoes add another depth of flavor into a dish. I finally understand what professional chefs are talking about when they talk about how much they love food. I've just been eating like shit most of my life and want to enjoy healthier foods. Not sure if I am describing it right, but at its core, just food that is healthy and simple, with fewer ingredients and how they "used to be made" before corporate farming.

I'm beginning my real life and I need tips or information that y'all have acquired. Where do you start?, things I should watch out for?, people I should watch out for, scenarios I should engage in?.

Lately, my son and I have taken up a new rhythm: cooking our way through The New York Times recipe archive, one meal at a time. Every night, a new dish. Some simple, some wildly ambitious. All of them, in their own way, a kind of liturgy.

There’s something about chopping vegetables side by side, waiting for water to boil, or pulling bread from the oven that opens up space for conversation. No agenda. No forced heart-to-hearts. Just the slow work of food bringing people together.

Some nights, we talk about his schoolwork—how he nailed a test, or how history class is kind of a drag. Other nights, it’s video games. The intricacies of strategy, the thrill of competition. And sometimes, in between bites, we wade into deeper waters: friendships, the world, sex, faith. All of it, in its time, as natural as seasoning a sauce.

I didn’t expect this to be so healing. But there’s something profoundly grounding about cooking and eating together. It slows us down, pulls us into the moment, reminds us that life is made up of these small, sacred things.

Maybe this is what Jesus meant when He kept showing up at tables, breaking bread, pouring wine, inviting people to talk, to listen, to be together. Maybe holiness isn’t always found in big moments but in these simple, everyday rhythms—the ones that make up a life.

Don't know if others feel this way but I've found that goals seem to stress me out. I either don't achieve them which is distressing or I'm striving too much to reach them. I recall reading that Leo Babauta said that he lives without goals. Thoughts?

I'm early 30s. My parents were both artists, my whole life I've had some fantasy of becoming some designer or entrepreneur or photographer or musician or travelling writer or whatever. The fantasies are so cozy and exciting to think about. I also struggle with too many interests/ADHD, so I figured this was a lifelong mystery to overcome before I could be happy.

But I'm sitting here trying the "deathbed regret" exercise and I dunno...maybe it's not the best litmus test at my age, but my real regrets seem to be: not spending more time with friends/family, not spending more time in nature, not relaxing and savoring the passage of time more, not having more opportunities to be kind to people.

Sometimes my hobbies can flow into a bit of these things, but fame/success/completion really isn't coming up. I thought those priorities would come up in at least one bullet point, but they haven't.

I've finished things before and the glow never lasts long. I'd rather not juggle 12 different disciplines and burn my life away.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm simply depressed or traumatized or something? But everything on this subreddit resonates with me so much. It's going to be a fine line to figure out. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Love and peace to you all, I recently made a post about giving up facebook. Without getting too “spiritual”, I feel led to go ahead and give up Reddit too for now. Peace and love to you all .

it wasn’t until i got into this way of life that i genuinely noticed how much of my time and mental energy was wasted on things i didn’t need. the whole world is setup so we always want more, and it’s liberating to free yourself from that way of thinking

I skipped out on a trip with my colleagues to rest at home! I was set to go on a remote island and spend the 4 days there, but I got a little sick a couple days before the trip. I considered going (I was not feeling all that bad on the day everyone left the city) but decided it’s not worth it.

So, I got 4 days of vacation time all to myself! Today was the first day. I didn’t do anything notable. I woke up early, read a little bit, fell asleep again. Woke up again, had coffee and breakfast and just read my book and lazed off. I made lunch later and played Kirby and the Forgotten Land after eating. Read some more, lazed off a little more, watched some YouTube videos and I’m listening to an audiobook and doing a sheet mask right now! I feel like I can actually breathe.

Open to ideas about how to make the most of the next 3 days of my staycation! What do you folks like to do?

Hey Everyone. I'm looking for new drinks to try that are supposed to be good for you. There would be times where I could drink a bit of soda and other times where I wouldn't drink as much. But now I want to completely kick the habit of drinking it. I am trying to drink more water and while I know it has some good stuff in it, I'm sure it doesn't have everything I need. Therefore I am looking for ideas of different types of non soda and non alcoholic drinks to try.

Thank you

I think he meant he had nothing going on because it’s winter and during summer he has a lot more to do.

That just made me feel so bummed, because I think I have everything right now. And I don’t even own much or do much.

How do you concurrently have kids and pursue a simple life? Couple here, early 30s, currently no kids, good job and financial stability. When we think of the principles of simple living, we feel that having kids would directly and indirectly affect this lifestyle and add innumerable new complications to our lives. How do you approach this dilemma?

Yesterday I went on a hike and it felt so f-ing good. I used to hate hiking and thought it was “boring”. On my hike yesterday I just felt happy and each turn was a new discovery. It’s the dead of winter where i am and the wind is bad today but i may go on another adventure walk/hike. I can’t believe something so simple filled me with so much joy !

I know this is a vague question but how do i achieve that?

Lately I felt like my life is very chaotic but it may be the city I’m living in. Even simple things create stress for me so I’ve trying to be more minimalistic, once I travel somewhere I truly see how little I need.

But once I’m back it’s just constant worry - about my car and money to pay for gas and maintenance. About rent and how it takes a good chunk of my income in a place where I don’t really like to live. About job stability even though I work in my job 5 years. About career progression and that I’m stagnating

Sometimes I feel maybe my city is claustrophobic and makes me feel this way.

Im conservative on spending money for the most part but I’m thinking of spending $336-360 a month on raw milk (cost of herd share and maintainence) I feel fantastic whenever I drink it and I even dream about having raw milk. Had it for the first time this month.

Now I’m curious to see what others spend their money on that makes their life better

This becomes especially difficult when one is in employment in a job.