Simple living is all about applying voluntary practices to simplify your lifestyle.
These practices may include reducing possessions which is generally referred to as minimalism
and increasing self-sufficiency.
I will go over 10 benefits of simple living and we are starting right now.
1.
People that live simply have more time to do what they want.
When you live simply, you reduce the amount of day to day tasks or reduce the amount of
time spent doing those day to day tasks.
For example, if you are increasing self-sufficiency by growing your own vegetables, you can go
to the grocery store less or at worse reduce the amount of time you spend at a grocery
store.
If you are a minimalist, you will spend a lot less time shopping.
With all this extra time, you can have the time to learn a new skill or pursue your passion.
2.
You improve your relationships.
Rather than spending time with your possessions, you are more likely to spend time with friends
and family.
Having less stuff means spending less time managing them so there is more time to spend
with those you care about.
You can also make new friendships because you will go out to the community more often.
You won’t be walled in by your possessions and feel that you have to use them to get
value out of them so you get the chance to go out often.
3.
You have less stress.
There is a correlation between clutter and stress so by reducing the amount of possessions
owned, your stress levels will go down.
Plus, if you are living simply, that most likely means you don’t care about what other
people think of your lifestyle so you don’t have to stress about keeping up with your
friends and their lifestyles.
There are reports that overstimulation causes chronic stress so by living simply, there
will be less stimuli to react to.
4.
You help protect the environment.
By owning less, you will produce less waste.
As you become more mindful of what you are purchasing, you become more aware of its impact
on the environment.
Also, by living sustainably, it reduces negative environmental impacts by promoting sustainable
agriculture, reducing food transportation costs, and reducing water runoff.
5.
You save more money and can meet financial goals.
There are multiple ways to save more money by living simply.
Growing your own food is much cheaper than buying food from the grocery store.
Being more aware of what you are buying and buying less stuff will help you keep more
money.
You also save more money with less stuff because you need to pay less insurance and less maintenance
costs.
With the extra money, you can start saving for a dream vacation or get out of debt.
6.
You can grow spiritually.
Living simply can help you grow spiritually and find meaning because your focus turns
away from material goods and helps you look inward for happiness.
When possessions can no longer help you find meaning and inner peace, you start looking
elsewhere to find it and the first option is usually inwards.
The lifestyle change also causes you to start reflecting on what truly brings you happiness
because you are not following a lifestyle that is considered normal by society.
7.
Your focus and concentration is better.
There is less clutter around you so there will be less distractions.
You are able to do deep work and focus on what really matters to you without having
to deal with things you don’t care about.
This compounds with the time benefit so you have more time and focus to get your work
done.
8.
Your health improves.
By living sustainably, you are able to grow your own food and eat healthy.
Also, since more time is a benefit of living simply, you have time to go to the gym and
exercise.
Another way your health improves from a previous benefit is your blood pressure is lower because
you have less stress.
9.
You sleep better.
I mentioned having less stress as a benefit and sleeping better is another bonus to having
less stress.
Having difficulty sleeping is usually a sign of stress so when you reduce your stress levels,
sleeping can become easier.
10.
You practice gratitude more.
Being able to live this lifestyle is very freeing and you will be grateful for the position
you are in.
When you free up resources and need less to be happy, you have more room to be more grateful.
Would you want to live simply?
Leave a comment below and check out my other videos on minimalism if you like to learn
more about the concept.