how do you like to end your day?

hi! recently ive been trying to improve on being in the present and treasuring the passing of time. how do you think about time and what have you done to change the way you think about it? its been hard for me to slow down because then i feel stuck and it becomes difficult to continue doing things after. right now ive had a lot of momentum/motivation, but then i also have moments in the day where i realize i hadnt been there at all and have just been going through the motions.

for one thing, i just really need balance between doing work and not. i feel like im either the most motivated person on the planet or i cant get out of bed. (i am bipolar so that definitely plays into it though)

anyway what are some things you do to stay grounded, mindful, and aware of the present?

His name is Chester. Because of his little patch of white chest hair.

Do it every year for the rest of your life. You’ll have volumes of memories and observations preserved for generations. I’m on year 3. Two books handmade so far.

Share some knowledge you have gathered all along, I might learn something new today. Thanks in advance!

I'm the sort of person who would just eat meat-grain-veggie (e.g. chicken breast, rice, broccoli) every night; something that's nutritionally balanced, made of fresh foods, yet super easy to make. I'd prefer more flavour and variety, but not enough to spend energy on it.

I can accept, however, that this is an unreasonably plain diet to expect my partner to share, and my children too need to be exposed to a wide variety of flavours. So for the most part I go along with what my partner wants to make: a mix of repeat meals we know we like, and new ones found in cookbooks.

My problem is that this fills the kitchen with ingredients that mostly go unused until they're thrown out. We make a Thai dish so we need Thai red curry paste, we use two tablespoons, it goes in the fridge, it sits there for 6 months. Repeat for countless other dishes that each require some kind of relatively unique ingredient.

I want to cut back on this, both to reduce waste and to reduce the burden of cramming all these things into a fridge/pantry. But I also don't want to restrict the variety of what my family eats.

Does anyone have any strategies that help you in the kitchen? I've wondered about using a website that suggests recipes based on the ingredients you tell it you have. Or of having a special shelf in the fridge and pantry for "non-standard" ingredients, and requiring that we find recipes to use up what's there in order to make room for something new.

Since it’s almost summertime, what are some things you all enjoy doing routinely every summer? Doesn’t matter how big or small it is, but something that you consider a simple pleasure that you enjoy doing every summer. Looking for some inspiration since I’ll have a lot of time on my hands this summer.

i always love reading experiences of others with chronic illness/disablity trying to simplify!

in my case, and i think it’s the same for many of us, i’ve been forced to live a smaller life. it has been (and still is) hard as my illness keeps getting progressively worse and i have to keep adapting. i try to somehow both allow myself to feel all the feelings about it and find little joys and find ways to enjoy a slower pace of life!

some practical ways in which i’ve simplified, over the past few years:

• decluttering (and adjusting shopping habits too)

• finding a weekly routine that helps me consistently do the things that keep me more or less sane. when energy allows on mondays i try to tidy up, on tuesdays i try to learn something new, thursdays are home spa days, fridays are for community/creativity, sundays are for planning the week ahead

• deleting instagram. instagram did help me to find friends in similar situations initially! but eventually it started to overwhelm me.

• finding new fun low energy activities (still in progress! but i enjoy writing post cards and letters to friends at the moment. in winter i made lots of peanut garlands for the birds)

• adjusting my wardrobe to suit my actual life and size

• meditating every day

• being more aware of the seasons. i like reading lia leendertz almanac, learning a bit about the celtic wheel, learning about what’s happening in nature and which vegetables are in season each month, and adjusting to that.

my main challenge at the moment: i’m stuck in bed with very little energy a lot of the time and i’ve been trying to distract myself from difficult feelings, so my screen time has been going through the roof! it’s something i want to change but i simply don’t have the energy for much else than scrolling my phone. e.g. reading books is very hard for me cognitively, i like to draw or be creative but it quickly tires me too. i’m trying to listen to podcast more often but it’s also not something i can do endlessly!

anyway, would love to hear other peoples experiences! in my case, i realise i’m quite privileged as i live with my mom who now takes care of the household and cooking etc.

edit: thank you to everyone who has replied! i love reading your replies, it's wonderful and relatable

How do I not feel pressured to do other things and just enjoy the time I have here on Earth outside of my 8-5? I just got my first full time job after college. However, I always feel like I am in hustle culture, and I have to be learning something new, and that I am never complete or satisfied. Hanging with friends has always made me anxious, because I feel like I have other more pressing things that I should be doing. Going to the gym I feel the same way. Spending time alone with God I feel the same way. Even at work I feel anxious about personal items. All these worries make me more isolated, a worse employee, worse religiously, and worse physically.

My 5 year goals are: 1. Become a manager at work 2. Get a SO (I have never had one because I spend most weekends researching productivity and organization in my room) and 3. Get the body of my dreams (I am not overweight but I don't work out enough, I haven't gone to the gym in 16 days).

These tasks all require work that doesn't pay me. I have been raised frugally and I am breaking free of scarcity mindsets. I have to get out with friends in my free time more than 1x a week if I want to find an SO. and not be anxious. I have to make time to go to the gym to have the body of my dreams. I have to not feel stressed at work so I can give 100% and not make empty promises to my manager.

I have delegated small items I used to sell online to be donated, and my mechanic to do work on my car instead of me. Even though I am losing money doing this I believe in the long term it will benefit me for my free time. This loss on both less than 1% of my take home pay annually so I don't see it as relevant that I would spend my free time doing these things.

Living a balanced life will help me accomplish these things. What can I do to not worry about these items that will push me towards my long term goals?

I’ve tried other suggestions on this sub - setting up custom focus settings on my iPhone, deleting social apps when I’m done and re-downloading when I want to use them. I’ve also tried screen time.

I need something that protects me against myself.

What is working for you when you are getting in your own way?

What simple living activity do you do when you’re feeling anxious to make yourself feel better and calm down?

Hello there!

I'm someone who likes video games, TV watching, YouTube watching and the 18+ content online. I've been trying to break away from these additions, but my efforts have been in vain. I've recently found out about simple living and want to give it a try. Mainly to get away from screen watching and doing more relaxing/fulfilling things.

What's the best way to get into it? And how can I maintain it after getting started? Thank you for reading!

I've wanted a big, front porch as long as I can remember. My family home didn't have a porch, nor did my grandparent's house or my first apartment. I come from a long, strong line of city stoop sitters.

I own land now and a massive front porch with a metal porch swing that groans as it swishes through the spring breeze. I've very recently made a habit of sitting on the porch swing in the evenings after work.

Sometimes I crochet.

Sometimes I read.

Sometimes I do nothing at all.

I'm here now. I'm drinking a glass of strawberry wine from a winery down the street and I'm listening to song sparrows and robins sing as the evening comes to a close. As time passes, the birds quiet and the peepers begin their summer anthem. I'm quietly watching a movie amongst the natural chorus and catching up on my crocheted temperature blanket. It sure has gotten warm recently.

I love it.

Hello Simplifiers!

So I have several kitchen gadgets and plates I have not used for a couple years. I am certain I will never use them and am thinking of just donating them! A couple pots, utensils and trays. Keep them or ditch them? I usually cook with my air fryer exclusively and stove top!

Love all these little things.

I SO badly want to live a simple and quiet life. I've cut back drastically at work since my babies were born and am fortunate to only have to work part time in a remote role, which is amazing. I have inattentive ADHD and have two toddlers, 3.5 and 2.5 (not a typo. They're 11 months apart and adopted). My son is neurodivergent, likely also ADHD and possibly ASD, and it's an uphill battle every day. My soul wants our family to absorb the simple living ways, but can it be a reality with two under three? I try so hard and just end up overwhelmed. If you're the grown up of a toddler with similar circumstances, please send me your advice!

i've been dreaming of a combination blender / food processor but have heard that's a burnt mission because those actions require different amounts of power (the ninja?)

AND i really only have room for one more hard-working appliance so in the interest of simple living, what should i purchase...

quality blender?

food processor?

or....air fryer?? (we don't use a microwave, just use toaster oven for reheating, so maybe this would be useful?

appreciate all the reco's, thank you!

So I'm a minimalist & I don't find joy in materialistic things. Most of my hobbies are cost free & the one fun thing that cost me money is traveling.

I only care about experiences like going to a resort or doing something crazy like scuba diving or traveling somewhere international.

As I'm very young I'm finding it hard to find the balance in how I should budget for fun things like traveling & how much should I save for future self. It would mean a lot if I get any suggestions or advices. Thank you 🌻

I had had it! 😡 And for these past few days I went ruthlessly through my email Inbox, clicking on “Unsubscribe“ links from all those businesses / organizations that feel free to send me promo emails weekly or daily or even several times a day! I unsubscribed from every email that bugged me, the ones that I would usually swipe to Delete without even opening. Now the emails have really dwindled. This morning my inbox had just 4 emails…all relevant and important, or from people I knew. This felt so good!!! Digital simplification and decluttering feels surprisingly good…
We don’t have to drown in offers, requests, sales, discounts … we can Unsubsribe! 😃

I made bannocks, homemade Scottish broth, and stew for the next 3 days. The weather will be getting warmer soon so I am making the most of my cold weather stodge while I can.

I had a day off work today and ended up hiking 8 miles. Absolute bliss, home now with my feet up and about to start a new book. Honestly why I didn’t strip back my life sooner is beyond me. This is the first time today I have looked at my phone.

I got lost In the hum of the waves In watching the monarchs play I got lost In allowing my creativity flow In basking in the sunsets glow I got lost For moment or two Creating a world that feels shiny and new

I'll have my own desk in a shared office and will be working with paperwork, attending meetings, and coordinating with fellow managers

I get to visit this beautiful tree routinely

I'm not finished, but I'm really enjoying this book so far.

"A compelling exploration of the transformative power of reconnecting with nature. Through vivid examples, scientific research, and ecological insights, Barnes illustrates how embracing a wilder lifestyle can bring us a profound sense of purpose, joy, and fulfillment."

Do we need lots of podcast or other social media videos to stay updated or to suggest us what to do ? In this era of excessive information and stimulation through television or video games or other electronic, how do you stay simple ? In era of our grandparents, things were simpler and contentment index was high. Most of it is common sense. Now for everything there's podcast or video on social media. There's too much of overdose. How do you try to stay simple in such era and what information you consume ?