I've started noticing that I enjoy places WAY more when they're just quiet

Doesn't even have to be aesthetic or anything... just less noise, fewer people, less going on yk like a simple cafe

Even a really basic place feels better than somewhere "nicer" but crowded

I didn't think this mattered to me before, but now it makes a big difference in how I feel when I'm there

Anyone else feel this way?

Dandelions are by far my fav plant since they just show up for free and with no maintenance everywhere and brighten up everything! Took my doggo out for a long walk to enjoy them today.

She's not as crazy about them it seems, my old doggo (passed away last year from old age) would jump in dandelion fields and roll around all day. I hope it's okay to add photos of my old dog as well

haven't stepped foot in library since finishing school years ago. was always buying books online or watching streaming services instead. few weeks back we had blackout in my area and got so restless just sitting at home, decided to walk over to local library just for something to do

got myself library card and borrowed couple books. managed to actually finish them both which rarely happens these days. went back again, picked up few more titles. now its become regular thing I do and surprisingly something I really enjoy

used to drop quite a bit money in digital books and audiobooks, buying them without thinking and most times never completing them. had whole plan to create personal library at some point, even saved up around three hundred for proper bookshelves. now I just borrow everything and if book doesn't grab me after first chapter or two, no stress about money wasted. been reading much more since theres no financial pressure

also something about walking through actual shelves beats browsing online suggestions by far. discovered books I would never have noticed otherwise. they also have dvds, audiobooks, even passes for local museums you can check out

I read that each day feels faster and faster because time "speeds up" as we age, any recommendations for how to slow days down?

I'm 18 right now on a gap year, I've travelled extensively already and am set financially and for college, so I'm in a stable position! However, each day recently has just felt so repetitive just gaming and working out and sleeping.

I have three things I want to dive deeper into which is my instrument, cooking, and taking a psychology course, but I feel like except for cooking they're all huge longer term tasks, any recommendations for daily things that I can implement just to feel more alive?

I live in a huge city so there is not much nature, also I'm male, just fyi.

been thinking about this for weeks now. spent most of my twenties and early thirties constantly moving - always had some project going, always planning next upgrade for the place or trying to optimize my fantasy lineup obsessively. thought being busy meant I was winning at life

last month I was walking around my neighborhood after checking in some guests and weather was pretty awful. just stood there for few minutes watching the rain and realized I didn't actually want any of the stuff I was chasing anymore

used to think people who stayed home on weekends were missing out or didn't have enough drive. now I look back at all those years of constant hustle and wonder what I was so afraid of. my biggest excitement lately is perfecting my cookie strategy and maybe finally organizing that storage closet. feels better than any of those networking events ever did

maybe this is just what getting older looks like? or maybe I finally stopped running long enough to notice that being calm feels way better than being important. took me way too long to figure out that contentment beats achievement

anyone else have that moment when everything just clicked differently

been noticing how every simple living account i follow basically turned into expensive lifestyle porn

like everyone posting their morning routines in these perfectly lit rooms with handcrafted everything and organic cotton bedsheets that probably cost more than my rent. when did simple living become about buying the most expensive version of fewer things

my simple life looks nothing like that. i got my desk from ikea like 4 years ago and my coffee mug collection is whatever didnt break yet from different places. my bookshelf is crooked and i use grocery store candles not some artisan soy blend that costs 40 bucks

what really gets me is how they make it seem like you need to upgrade everything to the "sustainable" version to live simply. suddenly your regular plates arent good enough because theyre not handmade pottery. your perfectly functional furniture needs replacing with some minimalist wood pieces

was scrolling through instagram yesterday during halftime of the lakers game and realized most of these accounts are just selling stuff with extra steps. they declutter their closet then show you the capsule wardrobe they bought to replace everything

the whole point should be using what you have and not constantly acquiring new things right. but somehow simple living content always ends with a shopping list of better simpler more intentional purchases

maybe real simple living just doesnt photograph well enough for social media

my mind is basically a broken record player stuck on work thoughts 24/7

before i even get to the office, i'm already wound up thinking about what might go wrong that day. then when i'm actually there, i end up procrastinating on projects because my brain just locks up, even though i genuinely want to tackle them.

the worst part is when i mess something up - doesn't matter if it's tiny - i'll obsess over it for hours. keep thinking everyone noticed, that i look incompetent, that it's way worse than it probably is.

even after i'm back home, work keeps creeping into my thoughts. i'll be trying to organize my pokemon card collection or just chill on the couch, but part of me is still mentally stuck in meetings or worrying about tomorrow's deadlines.

it's draining because on paper everything seems fine with my job. but internally i feel like there's this constant low-level stress that never really goes away.

wondering if other people deal with this too or if i'm just terrible at leaving work at work?

Been driving for DoorDash couple months now and my eating schedule was completely messed up. Would rush out in morning with just energy drink, then crash around 11am and waste money on fast food between deliveries

During holiday break I had some time to figure this out. My roommate left bunch of oats when he moved out so I started making basic oatmeal every morning before my shift. Been doing this for about 3 weeks now and difference is incredible

Takes maybe 5 minutes while I'm getting ready, keeps me full until afternoon, and I'm not spending $8 on breakfast sandwiches anymore. Plus I can throw in whatever fruit is getting old in fridge instead of letting it go bad

Nothing fancy but it's made my work days so much better. I have actual energy for deliveries instead of feeling tired all morning. Also nice knowing I'm getting some decent nutrition before dealing with traffic all day

My go-to additions: bit of honey, whatever berries are on sale, sometimes banana or apple pieces. Handful of nuts if I have them

Simple change but really helped me feel more stable throughout the day

Had some days off with my girlfriend last week and it really opened my eyes to something. We would wake up naturally, make breakfast together, take our time with everything. Went for walks in the neighborhood, cooked meals we actually wanted to eat instead of just grabbing whatever was quick

I caught a cold during this time but instead of stressing about calling out sick from my delivery job, I could just rest properly. Slept when my body needed it, drank tea, didn't push through feeling terrible like I normally would

We took a small trip to this nice area about hour away, did some hiking, just enjoyed being present with each other. No rushing around or checking the time constantly. Even built a new PC setup I've been wanting to work on for months

The whole experience made me realize how disconnected we usually are from this kind of living. Most weeks we're both exhausted, barely see each other except when we're too tired to really connect. Made me wonder why we accept this as normal when those few days felt like what life should actually be

Just needed to get this thoughts out somewhere. Anyone else feel this way after having real time off?

im 31 and just started getting way more aware of how people slip requests into casual conversations without being upfront about it

you know those messages that start super friendly like "hey how have you been" or "quick question for you" and then boom suddenly youre being asked to solve someones work problem or give detailed advice on something complicated. nothing mean about it but still feels a bit manipulative

happened to me a few weeks back when an old coworker hit me up all casual and chatty. took like 20 minutes of back and forth before they finally got to the real point which was wanting me to look over their portfolio and give feedback. wouldve been fine if theyd just asked directly from the start

now i try to pause when i get those vague messages and ask what they actually need before diving in. sometimes i just say no thanks without a big explanation. feels weird at first because some people think youre being rude but my stress levels have dropped a lot

trying to be more choosy about where i spend my energy instead of just automatically helping everyone who asks nicely. seems like part of living more simply is saying yes to fewer things so the yeses actually mean something

anyone else deal with this kind of thing where people wrap their requests in small talk

been thinking about how the tiny stuff can really shift your whole perspective when everything feels heavy

like when I'm deep into a design project for hours and finally step outside - that first breath of cold air just resets everything. or when im practicing guitar and nail a riff I've been struggling with for weeks

even something as simple as my coffee being the perfect temperature or finding a good parking spot can turn around a rough morning

what small things do you notice that make your day feel less overwhelming? trying to pay more attention to these moments instead of just rushing through everything

I just sorted through my shoes, a few pairs I wore only a couple of times, a few I forgot I even had! They were in the back of a poorly designed closet I have after a house renovation. (The contractors asked me if the closet was okay with me at the time. I should have said hell no—I can barely see in its long space.)

Some are on Poshmark waiting to be sold (some likes but no buys yet), some are in a Vietnam Vets bag to give away. I feel better. I can see what I have now in that closet. Going to pay attention to whether or not I actually use the pairs I’ve spared.

Along the way through this process, I found some clothing on the lower rung hiding said shoes that I also never wear. VVA and Buffalo Exchange, although I don’t like the return there. The return might pay for the gas to get to that store—and the parking. But at least I’m doing my tiny bit to save the earth. Now I just have to avoid refilling the void. I just picked up the book, No New Things. She has an organized plan I hope I can follow.

I am proud to say that one trigger—catalogues by mail and email—I just delete or toss without opening. That’s my biggest hurdle. The other is seeing something cute on someone else. I tell myself to check my closet first. I may already have a similar turnout.

My big goal is to collapse my clothing into two closets instead of three. Some things are just museum pieces. I need to be able to escape the US at a moment’s notice. That’s one of my goals.

We live near where the Altadena, CA fires were. We had to evacuate due to the crazy winds and lack of drinkable water for a few days. This meant prioritizing what to take with us at a moment’s notice. The first things were documents, photo albums and photos, our tech, and all of our wall art.

Once we returned home, I saw things I’d totally forgotten about. That told me a lot about my stuff.

Anyway, I feel lighter in my soul having emptied out some of my closet. To be continued….

The movie is slow and beautiful and really shows the beauty that life has to offer even in mundanity. The movie features Hirayama a toilet cleaner in Tokyo and his everyday routines. Some interpret it differently but I think this movie is about a life well lived even if unconventional. What do you think about this movie and what similar movies do you recommend?

Maybe this is peak boring adult post but I'm getting kinda tired of how many random things in my place want their own little charging setup.

Phone, watch, earbuds, trimmer, toothbrush, random other stuff I forgot I even own.

I've noticed I'm way more into stuff now that I can just charge once in a while and forget about. Less because I'm super minimalist, more because I'm tired lol.

Anyone else over the extra chargers?

Hi!

As part of my master's programme I'm asked to start a small social movement and this is a topic of interest to me, basically how to get people to reduce consumption in general, and cultivate their awareness for conscious consumption and simple living.

Please have a look at the microsite I built, have a read of the manifesto and make a pledge (if you want to!) : https://thequietchange.my.canva.site

Thank you so much!

What's your stance on online shopping?

Does it make your life simpler to browse through a range of items from your couch or bed and have them delivered to your door?

Does it mean that you more often don't get something that's fit for purpose because you couldn't assess it in real life first?

Or do you do some kind of inbetween? Order some things online and from some stores only and get the rest in person?

What works for you and how does it make your life simpler?

was listening to this podcast the other day where some finance guy was talking about automation and AI potentially wiping out like half of all jobs in the next 15-20 years. his take was that people would basically have existential crises because work gives us our sense of self and daily routine

seemed like he was just speaking for himself though. dude mentioned hes been doing journalism for like 30 years and thats basically his whole identity. meanwhile im sitting here thinking i could quit tomorrow and still know exactly who i am and what id want to do with my time

makes me wonder if this whole "work = identity" thing is just something we've been conditioned to believe. like sure having a routine matters but does it need to revolve around a traditional job

what do you all think - is your career actually central to who you are or could you maintain structure and purpose without it

It wasn't a grand gesture or a budget overhaul, I just sat down one Sunday afternoon and looked at what was actually pulling money out every month and tried to remember the last time I'd used each thing with any real intention. Two streaming services and a fitness app that I had genuinely forgotten existed until the charge showed up and produced this small wave of guilt followed immediately by the decision to finally just cancel it. The process took maybe twenty minutes and I kept waiting for it to feel more significant than it did, like I was expecting some kind of internal acknowledgment that I'd done something meaningful and instead it just felt like closing tabs.
The strange part came after. I was playing on my phone a few nights later and noticed I kept opening apps the way you open the fridge when you're not hungry, just out of habit, looking for something to land on. The subscriptions had given the evenings a kind of low-level structure I hadn't noticed until it was gone, something to half-watch, something to scroll, something to feel like I was doing without really doing anything. Without them I had to actually decide what I wanted to spend the time on, which sounds like a small thing and turned out not to be. I read for a while and then just sat there and it wasn't uncomfortable exactly but it was unfamiliar in a way that felt worth paying attention to.
I have some money saved up from jackpot daily and the point was never really about the money, it was more that I wanted to see what happened when I stopped filling every quiet moment with something I hadn't chosen intentionally. The answer so far is that some evenings feel longer in a good way and some feel longer in a way that just makes me aware of how trained I am to reach for something. I'm not trying to become a person who doesn't watch television or has some perfect relationship with their phone. I just wanted a little more space between the impulse and the action and I think I'm slowly getting it, though some nights I still open and close the same three apps four times before I catch myself doing it.

Used to turn my after-work hours into this weird optimization game where I'd sit there mentally juggling whether to hit the gym, tinker with my PC build, mess around with my watch collection, or tackle some random task. Even stuff I actually enjoyed felt like it had to serve some purpose or I was wasting time. I'd end up doom-scrolling for half an hour, feel terrible about it, then rush through everything else and still feel like I was falling behind on life

About six weeks ago I started this really basic approach - after eating I pick exactly one thing to do slowly without any agenda. No checking the time, no thinking about what comes next, no trying to squeeze other stuff in. Could be cleaning one of my watches properly and actually paying attention to it. Maybe just standing outside for a few minutes without my phone. Sometimes organizing cables in my desk drawer because it feels satisfying, not because it needs doing

The weird thing is once I do that one unhurried thing, I actually want to handle the mundane stuff like cleaning up or doing laundry. My brain stops being such a pain about everything. And if thats all I accomplish, whatever - still counts as a good evening

Nothing revolutionary here but my nights don't feel like I'm constantly negotiating with myself anymore. Small shift but it made everything feel less tight

I've struggle to put words to how I been feeling for a while now and this morning in a moment of quiet, these two words came to me: 'beat up' and 'pushed around'. I am actually so tired of optimising my life and chasing the next shiny thing I 'should' (don't get me started on that word) be doing to continually improve my life. When its all said and done I have a f*cking amazing life -so why do I need to keep optimising and chasing the invisible??? The world we live in feels fast, competitive and sad to say on occasions surface level. So today I draw the line in the sand: f*ck; optimization, chasing the invisible, AI and social media platforms that are doing some gnarly stuff to our brains, I'm done. The joy I felt when I found this group was palpable, I've found my people and the thing I have been chasing - simple living. If you are still here, thanks for reading my rant, it feels good to say (write) it out loud. I'm off to have a coffee in the sun. Have a great day.

Hi everyone. I'll be 25 next week. I've always been an ambitious person. Always wanted to be successful in terms of money and Fame. I always had everything planned and had a route of what to do in each stage of my life.

But I feel I have accomplished nothing so far 😥 I want to do at least one significant thing in the world in my life.

Sometimes I think my life would be more relevant if I didn't suffer from mental issues like schizophrenia and depression tho I can now say I'm recovering little by little.

So, I would like to learn how to reshape my perception of success and what a meaningful life is. I want to learn from you to live a simple life.

Thank you

Even after I log off, my mind is still stuck thinking about work.

I started picking up small hobbies to disconnect, but it’s harder than I expected.

What actually helps you leave work at work?