r/simpleliving

I’ve noticed something strange.

When days become too similar, time almost feels harder to register properly. Same wake up time, same roads, same conversations, same screens, same routines. You blink and somehow it’s Thursday. Then suddenly another month passes and nothing feels distinctly memorable enough for your brain to separate one week from another. Makes me wonder if part of feeling mentally flat is not only exhaustion, but also life becoming too structurally predictable for too long.

I am 28 years old and doing very well for myself financially. Now despite me doing well, I significantly prefer to live a more regular modest lifestyle. I do not want to live in an expensive high end area surrounded by wealth, I much prefer living in a regular middle class suburb or out in the country. I live with room mates and shop at Walmart and the farmers market for groceries. My clothes are thrifted or from Old Navy. I do not like to eat out at expensive places, I much prefer to cook simple healthy meals at home. I don’t drink, smoke or use any kinds of drugs. I prefer to just be at home with my dogs to cook, clean, laundry or work on my house. Sometimes I’ll go out, but maybe only once a month. This lifestyle makes me extremely content.

I did not always have a simple lifestyle I have lived a high end fast paced lifestyle in an expensive area before and it sent my stress level to the absolute max. It just did not make me happy and I had to move away. Constantly feeling like I have to keep up with appearances, social expectations, social judgments. I seriously do not understand the extreme desire to consume and upgrade your lifestyle. I am happy with what I have.

I am sure many people here relate to this. Has anyone else lived both lifestyles before and prefer a more simple one?

I was feeling down so I watched my favorite cartoon when I was a child, kurutek.

It was nice to rewatch something I liked as a kid.

It feels calm and I can slow down like when I was in elementary school.

option 1:
5 acres and a big old house. a vegetable garden, native flower beds, birdsong, a creek, and space for our 5 year old and dog to roam. dreams of restoring the land and maybe someday building a small working farm. potentially homeschooling so the land itself becomes the classroom.

cons: constant work. financial strain. not being able to keep up with maintenance. a pool we don't like, feels excessive and keeps breaking. long drives to school, work, groceries, everything. always feeling a little stretched thin.

option 2:
a small house on a tiny lot. maybe room for 3 raised garden beds. walking distance to school. neighborhood with other kids. no debt. less maintenance. actual savings from selling the bigger house. budget for solar panels, heat pump etc. 5 minutes from everything.

cons: no land. no farm dream. no quiet countryside mornings. no creek. less room to breathe.

i genuinely can’t tell if “simple living” means choosing the land and slower rhythm… or choosing the smaller life with less responsibility. curious what others would choose and why.

- sheer curtains blowing in the wind

- my cat's purrs

- the first sip of hot tea

- quiet as night fell

- having everything I need

How about you?

I used to keep telling myself I needed more discipline with my phone.

Delete apps. Set limits. Put it across the room. Feel motivated for 2 days. Then somehow I’m back scrolling like my thumb has its own rent to pay.

Lately I’ve been trying something smaller: before I open the app, I ask what I’m actually trying to avoid.

Usually it’s not “I want entertainment.”

It’s more like:

• this task feels too big
• I don’t want to start yet
• I feel weirdly anxious
• I’m tired and don’t want to choose anything
• I just hit a tiny empty gap and my brain panicked

That changed the problem for me.

Instead of “I’m weak because I opened my phone,” it became “oh, this is the moment where I’m escaping the first 5 minutes of something.”

Not a magic fix. I still scroll. Obviously.

But noticing the trigger makes the habit feel less like a personality flaw and more like a pattern I can interrupt.

Anyone else tried watching the moment before the habit instead of only judging the habit after it happens?

Every since I was a kid I wanted to live in a town like the one where the Gilmore Girls lived.

Unfortunately I'm disabled so it's hard to find an affordable place to rent with my social security income that isn't in a big city or really run down and dangerous. I'm female to safety is always a concern.

I need something near proper hospitals and if possible a place where you can get around on public transport.

I feel like I must leave America to find something like this but I really can't.

Any suggestions?

P.s. I've lived mostly in FL or TX and I'm ok with moving as long as the climate is managemeable & there's not tremendous humidity or really bad snow (both really cause me much pain and render me almost immovable for days and I must rely on medication that I hate taking)

I want a community vibe when friendly people and a somewhat slow pace of life.

Please feed me suggestions. Thanks so much!

Basically what the title says. Late 40s. I have a fairly high stress job (nonprofit lobbyist for a progressive cause in a red state, I promise I'm one of the good guys) and I'm deeply, deeply burnt out and have been for some time. I make a salary just barely over 6 figures, as does my husband. There are a lot of things I love about my job and org, but I've accepted that I don't want to do it anymore. I should add that I'm neurotypical, I don't have any physical or mental health struggles, I have an awesome supportive marriage and family. I'm just burnt out.

I've started looking at other jobs, but the jobs with similar pay that I'm qualified for seem like they would have stress levels that are the same at best, or possibly much higher. I keep on looking at jobs that seem like they would be utterly lovely for quality of life, but would pay about half of what I'm making.

I haven't crunched numbers to fully see how extremely low our budget could go, but we live in a fairly high cost of living town, our autistic 12 year old goes to a small private school where he is happy and loved (after being deeply unhappy in public school), and fully up and moving to another town is not a current option because we're taking care of aging parents. That said, I think we could make the budget work, at least for a while. But it feels crazy and irresponsible to even consider it.

We have a friend who died suddenly in her 40s of a very aggressive cancer (from first symptom to death was about 4 months), and the year prior, she had quit her stressful job, moved to the region that she loved and was working a part time job while making art. I kept thinking that I was so glad she had taken that step, which probably felt crazy, and had that time doing what she loved. And then it occurred to me that any of us could get a crazy diagnosis or get hit by a bus at any point.

So, if you quit a high paid, high stress job to move to a lower-paid, low stress job, how was it?

So 12 months in to been a pet feee home, after we lost our last dog (Wheaten terrier) . We took our time to see how we would like being pet empty nesters and the lack of responsibility was freeing. But we felt like something was missing, not sure it an organic feeling or if it manufactured desire from social media, but we decided to start looking again for a furry friend. Then we recently had dinner with friends who basically mirrored our pet situation and got another dog, they absolutely regret their decision and beg us not to do it . So torn. Has anyone be in the same situation and what did you decide?
Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond 🙏
You’ve given me a lot to think about.

For me, it was turning off constant notifications and stopping late-night doomscrolling. I also had to let go of the pressure to be productive 24/7.

I didn't realize how much mental noise those habits caused until they were gone. It’s amazing how removing small things can make a bigger difference than adding new ones.

What’s one thing you dropped that made your daily life feel more peaceful?

Not in a dramatic digital detox way, just naturally. Places where conversations stretch longer, where walks take more attention than screens, where mornings feel slower and fewer things compete for attention at once. Sometimes I wonder how much of what we call discipline is actually environment, and how much of overstimulation is just becoming normal without us noticing.

This sounds small, but it honestly wastes so much time in my day.

I keep forgetting where I put random important stuff around the house. Not things like keys or wallets, more like books I bought recently, tools, machine parts, warranty cards, cables, adapters, or things I specifically remember “putting somewhere safe.”

The annoying part is I know I have the item, but then 2 weeks later I have absolutely no idea where I stored it.

Sometimes I end up checking every drawer, cupboard, shelf, and bag in the house trying to find one thing. It gets even worse when someone else in the family moves it.

I’ve tried taking photos, using notes apps, and even telling myself I’ll remember where I kept it, but none of it really works long term.

Curious if other people deal with this too or if it’s just me 😅

What do you usually lose track of the most?

And have you found any system that actually works?

I never realized how much of my daily routine was built around stress and convenience until I started changing small habits one by one. I used to skip water constantly, live off energy drinks and grab sugary snacks whenever I was busy or overwhelmed. Tea became one of the easiest healthier habits for me to stick to because it didn’t feel forced. Instead of trying to suddenly become healthy, I just started replacing one drink at a time and building little routines around it. The thing I noticed is my body feels more energized now than when I was drinking those addictive energy drink. Not that they didn't work but only for like an hour, than my energy would crash.

I’m considering purchasing a Japanese futon as I learned that many people sleep better as it keeps your spine aligned.

For me things like music, especially when combined with amazing scenery, my kids and husband playing together, yoga or a good work out, etc., can often give me this overwhelming sense of joy and appreciation. It almost feels like a little rush or butterflies. What does this for you?

I started doing yoga a bit over a year ago - the motivation was anxiety and wanting a way to relax a bit, and then I discovered that it was also a very good workout. In January, I started to attend classes instead of just doing it at home, and this way I started to connect more with the philosophy and treat it as an actual practice.

Today I decided it was time to get a proper yoga mat - a cork one instead of foam - and while at the shop, I decided to pick up some handmade Indian incense. I'd never bought incense before, let alone used it. It's something I've noted the instructors using at the end of practices in classes, I liked the smell, it was inexpensive, and so I bought some today.

This evening, I prepared for my practice. I lit the incense, I laid out my new cork mat, and I chose a very relaxing, soothing video.

The first "achievement" was suddenly realizing that my life-long love for candles is over. Incense is the way. It is cheaper, it is a lot more natural, there is virtually zero waste, and the smell is significantly more soothing. I instantly decided that next winter, I will burn the rest of my scented candles and then will be done. I've battled with the waste of candles for a long time - I love the light and the smell, but the packaging is neither recyclable nor biodegradable. Such a waste. Turns out, incense is the way.

The second achievement I think was tied to the first - for the first time ever, I had a proper and real meditation. I've tried so many times, but today was the first time I fully left my brain. I think the incense was an influence, but regardless I am so proud of myself. And I also feel amazing and think I am going to have an incredible sleep tonight.