1. Book recommendations for simple living?

2. Do any of you keep a blog (or something similar) recording your journey and progress in simple living? *

• You don’t have to share your info, as I understand this could be seen as self-promotion. I am genuinely just curious if it’s something you do. Thank you!

These are what I consider the real luxuries in life and most are not available for purchase:

time, heatlth, a quiet yet quick mind, the ability to adequately provide, a sense of purpose, restorative sleep, mornings that last all day, meaningful conversations, healthy delicious homecooked meals, living things that love you and most important, living things to love.

Did I miss any? What are yours??

32M. A year back I had a fast paced lifestyle. Fast track in management consulting. Traveling everywhere. I barely had time to stop. Around this time, I started noticing my hair thinning way earlier than I expected.

My hair was everything to me (weird as it may seem), and I was desperate to reverse this. I booked an appointment with a dermatologist who recommended immediate action. It involved daily applications of minoxidil, high dosage oral finasteride, and frequent micro-needling sessions. I liked this solution (and I wasn’t averse to popping pills if it meant a quick fix). Looking back, the pushiness from my dermat also should have been a red flag because we never discussed fixing root causes.

For the first few weeks, I thought I could handle it. But by Month 3, things started spiralling in ways I hadn’t anticipated. I developed weird symptoms that affected my mood, my energy and my mental health. There was a deep sense of sadness over my mind that I couldn’t shake off. I don’t know if it was just the meds, or that combined with what was becoming a lonely lifestyle.

I was constantly stressed, feeling more and more isolated, and obsessing over every strand that fell. About 5 months in, I had a break down and decided once and for all to stop this manic trainwreck that was my life.

The first thing I did was start letting my hair define my worth (r/bald is a very nice resource for anyone looking!) I wasn’t quite ready altogether to give up on it, but I decided to fix my lifestyle and other aspects of my life as a start. I looked up an Ayurveda expert to guide me in some holistic ways and natural solutions.

She asked to focus on five (what I now can categorize as simple living) steps daily to fix some root causes. Here’s what my new routine looked like:

1. Oiling my hair: A weekly routine (also a core memory of childhood, getting my head massaged and oiled by my mother), with natural herbs. A calming, meditative process that became a way to reconnect with myself.

2. Meditation: Just emptying my head for 15 mins. My Ayurveda expert had a really nice quote that stuck with me: “Cool heads seldom lose hair.” Keeping calm was just as important as any physical treatment.

3. Yoga and movement: It was simple at the start, to trigger blood flow to the scalp. By the fourth month, I was doing shirshasana (headstands). I can write a whole other post about the benefits of doing this, by the way.

4. Nutrition and removing sugar: I shifted my diet, focusing on whole foods and removing sugar as much as possible. Fixed my gut microbiomes. Added protein. Reduced carbs (and junk food especially).

5. Regular sunlight, reduced blue light at night and other magical stuff: Turns out, I’d been low on Vitamin D (something my Ayurveda expert had accurately predicted). Made it a point to get at least 20 minutes of sunlight daily, a habit that also lifted my mood. Reduced blue light and screen time after sundown. Fixing circadian rhythm was another turning point in my life.

Honestly, a lot about my life had to change before my hair grew back. And it did, about six months in. I feel connected to myself in a way I haven’t felt in years. This simple, natural regimen restored my peace and a deeper respect for what my body truly needs. I still have some bald patches, but stress-related hair loss has significantly reduced and the hair I have has become thicker.

If you’re feeling pressured into invasive treatments, I’d encourage you to pause and consider. Reconnect with nature, tune into yourself, and remember that the journey to health doesn’t have to be harsh. It can be gentle, slow, and, most importantly, sustainable.

Most of all, feel free to let go.

UPDATE 1: Thank you for your feedback, clearly I'm not alone in this. My prescription side effects were something called post-finasteride symptoms. The research is still ongoing on this topic (with EU regulators even planning to ban these drugs). Links in the comments below.

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UPDATE 2: On questions about what oils/platforms I used. Following (in order of my preference) : muni Veda (who also have ayurvedic guides), Kerla Ayurveda, or simple coconut oils like parachute.

I was at the gym with a friend discussing his new job and our careers. I currently work in the city where I was born and raised, in a simple administration job that does not require certification. My friend lives in the same city where he was born, but he works 30 km away three times a week and has obtained a certification to work in IT; he studied for about two years.

Like me, he has had experience in many jobs across different sectors before settling into his current role. Every time I talk to someone like him, I feel something inside me and think: "Okay, you gave it your all, and I congratulate you on the skills you have acquired and the job you have found. You are a person who works hard." I see this as a positive thing.

Then I ask myself, "But is it really necessary? Getting a certification that will only last four or five years means you have to study again and again. In the world of companies that hire, it’s like this: you never really know if what you've learned will be useful for the next 25 or 30 years."

Instead, I think about those who run local businesses—like the butcher, the fishmonger, or the owner of a bar or restaurant. They’ve focused on one thing in life and are often much richer than someone who studies hard but faces an uncertain future while overcoming many obstacles.

So I wonder: is being sophisticated really better? I've always believed that opening a local business near my home, creating a local social circle, and having a job for more than 20, 30, or even 40 years, if I'm lucky, could be an incredible thing. It offers the opportunity to truly enjoy life and watch my family and children grow. That’s the most beautiful thing that can exist.

That’s why every day I stay in this mediocre job—still in my country—it feels like I'm saying, "Yes, I'm missing something, but it's not that certification or that commuter job. I want to find a way to start my own local business." Is that wrong? Did anyone go through this process?

My first time posting here, but would love some opinions on this!

A friend of mine recently became a career coach alongside their normal job, and they are quite successful and stuff in their day job so of course I support them doing what they want to do. However, since they got involved in this I noticed just how many career coaches there actually are - all over LinkedIn and stuff - all preaching about having a plan and setting your goals and your career steps and stuff. They all promise to help you create a plan to improve your career. People can do what they want to do as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else, but does anyone else here feel a really strong sense of ick about it all? I know I'm a simple living person and I don't care about a career or anything, I just want a job that pays my bills and I feel comfortable in. But there seem to be so many people out there ready to coach you into taking "next steps" and "up-levelling your career" and stuff, and I can't describe why I feel ick about it, I just do???

I know my friend is working from a place of positivity and wanting to help people but... I don't know, I just feel weird. Maybe it's just that it's the antithesis of what I care about?

Thanks in advance for your opinions 🙂

Help! I want to block myself from purchasing ANYTHING from Amazon and Amazon Kindle, but still have access to digital purchases (ebooks, music, movies, and TV shows)

I want to stop myself from purchasing ANYTHING from Amazon/Amazon Kindle starting now for a long while (at least for most/all of this year I am hoping) so that I can save some money.

Even though I have bought BOTH physical items and digital items from Amazon over the years (for over 10 years now,) I really have an OBSESSION with buying digital stuff on Amazon from my Kindle over the years (especially ebooks as I have THOUSANDS of them!)

Now I still do want to have access to all of the ebooks, music, movies, and TV shows that I have purchased.) So how do I block myself from any purchases on the Amazon website and on my Kindle, but still have access to all of my purchases? Thank you all so much and soon-to-be HAPPY HOLIDAYS & HAPPY NEW YEARS 2025 to everybody!

Go there every time we visit 😊

For years, I chased promotions and higher paychecks, thinking it was the only way to succeed. But last year, I decided to slow down—intentionally.

I chose to focus less on climbing the ladder and more on living a life that feels balanced. The result? Lower stress, more time for things I love, and a deeper sense of contentment.

Has anyone else taken a step back in their career? How has it changed your life?

Staff at my local bookstore recently recommended Marlen Haushofer’s The Wall, which has been such a wonderful meditation on the beauty of the mundane and everyday life that I wanted to suggest it for the folks here that may be looking for a good fiction book focused on simple living.

The premise is that a woman mysteriously finds herself trapped within an alpine valley that she was visiting on a brief vacation. An invisible wall separates her from the rest of the world (and in this dystopia, it is assumed that all other life beyond the wall has been obliterated), so she must make do with the resources and animal companions that she finds within the boundaries of the wall. It is written as an account of her experience, almost like one long diary entry, and there are such beautiful themes on nature, humanity, loneliness, and mindfulness. 

Here is a passage I wanted to share:

“I worked on peacefully and evenly, without overtaxing myself. I hadn’t managed that in the first year. I simply hadn’t found the right rhythm. But then I had very slowly learned a little more, and adapted to the forest. In the city you can live in a nervous rush for years, and while it may ruin your nerves you can put up with it for a long time. But nobody can climb mountains, plant potatoes, chop wood and scythe in a nervous rush for more than a few months. The first year, when I still hadn’t adapted myself, had been well beyond my powers, and I shall never quite recover from those excessive labours. On top of that, I had been absurdly proud of each new record I broke. Today I even walk from the house to the stable in a leisurely woodlander’s stroll. My body stays relaxed, and my eyes have time to look around. A running person can’t look around. In my previous life, my journey took me past a place where an old lady used to feed pigeons. I’ve always liked animals, and all my goodwill went out to those pigeons, now long petrified, and yet I can’t describe a single one of them. I don’t even know what colour their eyes and their beaks were. I simply don’t know, and I think that says enough about how I used to move through the city. It’s only since I’ve slowed down that the forest around me has come to life. I wouldn’t like to say that this is the only way to live, but it’s certainly the right one for me. And so many things had to happen before I could find my way here. Before, I was always on my way somewhere, always in a great rush and furiously impatient; every time I got anywhere I would have to spend ages waiting. I might just as well have crept along. Sometimes I became quite clearly aware of my predicament, and of the demands of that world, but I wasn’t capable of breaking out of that stupid way of life. The boredom that often afflicted me was the boredom of a respectable rose-grower at a motorcar manufacturers’ congress. I spent almost my whole life at just such a congress, and I’m surprised I didn’t drop dead with weariness one day. I was probably able to live only because I could always escape into family life. In the last few years, in any case, it often seemed to me as if the people closest to me had gone over to the enemy side, and life became really gray and gloomy.

Here, in the forest, I’m actually in the right place for me. I bear the motorcar manufacturers no grudge now; they ceased to be of interest long ago. But how they all tormented me with things that repelled me. I only had this one little life, and they wouldn't let me live it in peace.”

I hope that someone finds this read as beautiful as I have - it is a wonderful thought experiment on what is truly important in life when all is stripped down. I feel the book evokes the same feelings as reading Mary Oliver's poem "The Summer Day":

Who made the world?

Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean —
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down —
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

Be aware that many items which come from Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia/Myanmar/etc. are also made in China, but sent to other nations to get assembled/have a tag stitched on in order to appease American tastes.

I think you’re free to do whatever you like with your money, but it’s a bit ridiculous to put a blanket ban on all products from one of the largest producers on Earth. Just go product by product.

That is all.

(Context: OP u/failures-abound shared in a recent popular post about their refusal to buy products from China for fear of adulteration.)

Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have nicer things than not but it doesn't make me as happy as I thought. Sure its nice to drive an expensive sports car, stay in nice hotels, and eat expensive food but at the end of the day I actually feel really empty inside.

My problems follow mentally and physically still follow me and the feeling of having nice things isn't as great as I thought . After a while the feeling is fleeting. I see why people get caught up in a cycle of wanting more because you think you'll eventually reach the place you thought only to be disappointed over and over. I still like nice things but I realize its not the answer.

In a way though I feel its a blessing in disguise because now Im aware, I can really focus on finding my true purpose,find meaning in something else, live how I really want to, and not put so much emphasis on luxury because I know the grass isn't greener on the other side.

Hey all.. so i'm trying to figure out how to better live my life more simply. As the question goes, life is pretty chill for me. I make over 200k, live with famnily not having to pay any money and i have no responsibilities, no partner, no kids, no pets, no nothing...

But sometimes I feel like i should a more simpler life and chill out more... Idk, i just feel like something is wrong. I have hobbies, interests, friends, and been trying hard to meet new people and honestly I hope to meet a girl that I will spend the rest of my life with...

But idk if that will happen... I just want to live a simpler life... Any advice?

What are your thoughts on decorating for the holidays?

I love this enough to delight & relish in the fantasy of riding the rails back home from “Uni.” The English accents, also, really do a calming number. However, I’m a non-fictional leaner (so far). So as I listen, I am hit in the noggin with the reality that I was raised in, and have returned to, small-town Arkansas, USA. And all of a sudden, I am longing to actually relate. I wonder about pulling ourselves together through sharing our own cultural holiday traditions & rituals, calmly… Oh wait, I just remembered ‘This American Life.’ But! I invite further suggestions. Furthermore, I invite us American podcast lovers, likely lead by the younger of our living generations, to create a version of this for next year’s holidays… To calm & unite our many cultures throughout the US during the holidays. Ira Glass can’t do it all! Come in kids! Come on, me… 😬🙃 Peace & Love ya’ll! May you zero in on some peace for yourself this season. And ask for help if you can’t! It’s ok to can’t!

Last year, after reading yet another story about adulterated products coming out of China (honey in this case), I made the decision to stop buying anything made in China. This has greatly reduced the number of impulse purchases. Rarely have I wanted something so bad that I took the time to source a non China-made version.

I’m not sure how this post sparked debate. I’m not sure what I’m missing.

Here’s my take:

When the main values/principles for “simple living” are: reducing the number of possessions one owns, depending less on technology and services, and spending less money. To put it simply, it can be considered the opposite of materialism.

And with “principle” defined as: a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior,

And since the fundamental truth is that they have to do whatever they can to survive without a home or reliable income,

And since their fundamental truth serves as a foundation for all of the behavior exhibited by homeless people. You could argue that homeless individuals who partake in drug use violate simple living values, but if you take into consideration that they’ve become biologically dependent on those substances, you could make the counter argument that drug use does not violate the principles of simple living,

(To elaborate on values and principles, the definition of the word “values” is: a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life.)

And whether the values were chosen or forced on them, they still adapted to have those values. Dire circumstances don’t disqualify your principles from being simple. Yes, I do also believe the principles of simple living applies to inmates and clergymen, regardless of whether those positions should be aspired to or not.

Then, who has a simpler life than the homeless?

Please keep in mind that my interpretation is that “simple living” contains “simplicity” as a key component, which is a scalar trait, meaning it is on a scale or spectrum, and is not “black and white”, in my opinion. To me, a simple life doesn’t need to adhere to all simple living values, and not everyone who lives a simple life necessarily lives a life you should aspire to emulate for yourself. The emotions experienced by the homeless and incarcerated are certainly unfavorable, but reaping the emotional and mental benefits of a simple life is not a requirement in determining whether your lifestyle is simple. I think some of people in the comments may have confused “simple life” with “perfect life”.

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Back to the original point of the post, it is the following:

I was thinking about what it would be like to have unfathomable wealth, as it was a topic in another sub, and it got me thinking about all the possibilities billionaires have. It got me thinking about homeless people, and I randomly thought, I wonder if the cost of producing a Marvel movie would be enough to feed the homeless population of NYC for a year. Of course, I had no clue how many there were. Google said this:

According to recent reports, feeding the homeless population in New York City would cost roughly $2.4 billion per year based on the current budget allocation for homeless services, which is around $2.4 billion within the city's overall budget. However, this figure can fluctuate depending on the number of homeless individuals and the cost of food provision.

That’s FUCKED! 2.4 BILLION?!

Even though that answered my question, I still looked into the cost of Marvel movies and the median seems to be around $240 million.

While that isn’t nearly enough to feed the homeless for a year, it seems so excessive and wasteful to spend that much money to make a movie. Don’t these people know there are far better ways to use that money? Even if your heart is set on making money, there are much better ways to contribute to the world and make money, I think. I guess to them it’s all about maximizing profit, instead of providing something meaningful to the world. I guess it’s hard to blame them anyway. But I digress, I love those movies, I just think it’s a shame that they cost that much for something that is essentially meaningless. Hopefully AI will mitigate production costs of movies over time, but that’s not going to make a notable difference to the world. We’d probably just have even more movies as a result.

Anyway, as a simple life advocate, what would you do with unfathomable wealth?

Edit: Added a pretty long winded justification for the claim that homeless people “live simply” due to the comments primarily focusing on that aspect even though it wasn’t the point of the post and I just used it to qualify it as an appropriate post for this sub, while not realizing that I had achieved that with the main point of the post, which was the question it ended with.

Hey there,

I'm looking for youtubers who live in a way that is centered on wellness, and whose content is wholesome, uplifting or emotionally enriching.

I'm open to all kinds of topics, as long as they somehow relate to simple living or a value-driven life, such as homesteading, sustainability, frugality, cooking, repairing stuff, etc. I'm not interested in channels that only offer technical knowledge or people who commodify the pursuit of wellness.

Two youtubers that fit these criteria are Robin Greenfield and Just Alex. If you don't know them, you're in for a treat! If you speak Spanish, Minimalistamente is another option.

I'll appreciate your recommendations.

Thank you!

Funny little writing exercise for everyone. Say something that speaks to you, even if someone has mentioned it already. You can even say the opposite of what somebody has written if that thing has made life simpler for you.

What kind of living have you implemented that has made your life simpler? I made a post about Healthy living, but there is a couple extras:

• Mindful living is Simple living
• Slow living is Simple living
• Peaceful living is Simple living
• Joyful living is Simple living
• Authentic living is Simple living

I have curly hair and for a while I’ve wanted to shave off all my hair. The school holidays just started so this would be a good time to do it as I have a month till school starts again but I’m kinda worried it’ll look bad and everything. I have more of a square face and I was a c-section baby so my head is also quite bumpy. My hair is also quite thick and a friend of mine told me that when her mum shaved off all her hair it felt like carpet cause she also had quite thick hair. I want to do this so I don’t have to worry about this but I really don’t know if I should.

Imagine carrying a backpack every day, but instead of books or supplies, it’s filled with all your unresolved emotions, unspoken words, past experiences, and fears. This emotional backpack can become heavy over time, impacting how you show up in relationships, at work, or even how you feel about yourself.

Sometimes, we’re so used to carrying it, we don’t even notice the weight anymore—until it slows us down or stops us from moving forward. Unpacking it means identifying what’s inside, processing those emotions, and letting go of what no longer serves us.

So, I’d love to open this up for discussion:

What’s in your emotional backpack? Have you ever tried to unpack it, and if so, how?

Had to run some errands today and stumbled upon these adorable rabbits munching away and basking in the sunlight. It’s crazy how such simple moments can instantly brighten up your whole day.

https://preview.redd.it/95cj2y6jml6e1.png?width=1816&format=png&auto=webp&s=4135bd0b7dc2a7faf3afa0cb099790598d148bc0

Personally, I've found that to be the case with so many things. I'm not a shopaholic but I can look at some of my past purchases and I'm like man I don't use this as much as I thought I would, it doesn't bring me joy, why did I buy it? I seriously think I don't need much more than a roof over my head, a car, clothes, food, water, good company, and to do things/hobbies I'm interested in. More stuff especially luxury items have always brought me disappointment or not give me the fulfillment I thought it would. I feel I can save a lot of money and truly live how I want if I don't give those things importance.

As a disclaimer, I don’t approve that everyone, in fact, most people to become health nuts. There is a reason why tasty food exists; would be a shame if we never got to try it out.

With that said , I suggest that everyone has a goal to make healthier choices next year. Doesn't have to be a huge leap, but a small step forward. Health is multi-faceted, from mental to physical to beyond. Drink a little more water, walk a few more steps, taking more time to breathe and appreciate. Every bit counts.

By making healthier choices today, you are investing in yourself tomorrow. You will have less complications to deal with as you age, and more energy to dedicate towards the things you love. This, in fact, makes living simpler.

Feel free to comment below if you would like any suggestions and advice, and the sub will help try to fit in healthier living into your goals of simpler living. There are easier ways than making elaborate meals and buying expensive machines if you aren’t into that haha.

If you needed to hear this today, here, I said it: you don’t have to go to the gym to feel like you’re taking care of your health in 2025. If you truly like the gym and found value in it, just keep scrolling, this post isn’t meant for you. This is meant for people who struggled for years forcing themselves to do activities that they hate because they were told they’re “supposed to.”

Here’s the thing: just like many of you, I was a big victim of hustle culture and toxic productivity, so I felt like I also had to go to the gym and have “fitness goals.” I was convinced that if I’m not making it to the gym in the morning or after work, I’m doomed to be a miserable loser.

I tried everything, from weight machines, treadmill, zumba group classes, functional fitness/crossfit, pilates to private “boutique” studios with “community”, and I hated them all equally in the end. At first, of course, I had a sense of accomplishment, but when the novelty wore off, I was dreading it. I felt guilty paying for something I didn’t enjoy doing. I felt ashamed for skipping when life was busy. I was acting weird around food and constantly worried about calories and protein content. When I did make it to the gym, I felt like it sucked my energy out and I wasn’t able to do anything else that day. I wasn’t overweight or sedentary, so I couldn’t understand why it was so damn hard all the time. Eventually, I simply realized that not everyone enjoys the gym, and not everyone gets the “endorphins” and that’s fine. My “fitness journey” took up way too much time that I could have spent on things I actually loved, and when I started doing that I felt so much happier.

Today I get my exercise outdoors mostly and I don’t have unnecessary step count or a diet, and I feel so much more at peace. There are plenty of ways to get daily movement for health, like being outdoors, biking, doing house chores, or doing a quick workout at home, or parking your car further down. When I exercise I make sure it’s at least 30 minutes. I enjoy walks, biking, and rollerblading and simple at-home workouts. I don’t have to bulk and “build muscle”, drink protein shakes and count my macros, or post my body on social media.

Having a reasonable amount of physical activity without making it your whole personality is okay. Skipping a week of exercise is okay. I eat a balanced diet and don’t worry about having a body of a 20 year old anymore. This mindset does come with a sacrifice of not having a body of a fitness influencer, but that doesn’t mean you’re unhealthy, in fact, after spending years around fitness crowd I would argue that many of these “perfect people” are deeply, deeply insecure.

I think hustle culture and social media made people take everything way too seriously: we’re being told that you can’t just do some exercise at your convenience; instead you have to have this elaborate routine which distracts from other things in your life. I think fitness industry is a money-sucking machine that prays on people’s insecurities. That is why many people who sign up in January are gone by March. They do not enjoy it. They would have a better time if they engaged in types of exercise and activities that actually bring them joy. This was my first year without going to any gym and, believe me, that’s completely okay to do!