“It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life.” — J.R.R. Tolkien
If your idea of “minimalism” summons up images of hospital white walls, two hundred square foot apartments, stark black and white photographs, and ridding yourself of all physical possessions except for a change of clothes and a single spoon — well, let me set the record straight once and for all. That is not minimalism.
Last week, I dove into a few of the ways simple living has changed me. I’m back again this week with a few more things I’ve learned on this journey through pages and pages of coffee-stained journal entries. Beyond the more external and tangible areas (like your wardrobe or book collection), simple living will change the way you approach life. Here’s how.
A Lighter Schedule
If you’re reading this and know anything about my schedule this summer, feel free to point your finger at this and throw back your head in laughter. Maybe I’m deluding myself, but I like to say I’m in a state of “intentional hustle,” meaning that I am busy — but in an intentional way. I work just shy of forty hours a week and I take online college classes. It’s a lot, but it’s all helping me towards my bigger goal of studying abroad this fall.
My point here is that simple living helps you remember what matters. Having dinner with your family matters. Going on a walk by yourself matters. Having a Sunday afternoon to journal your heart out and reorganize your entire room and put up twinkly lights — that matters too. Remember the whole thing about giving yourself space to breathe? We live in a busy world. It takes conscious effort to slow down and make time to do the things you love.
Travel
Does anyone actually like to pack checked luggage? It feels like gifting yourself with a bundle of stress and anxiety. Even in my recent travels, I’ve been trying to pack lighter and lighter every time I go. It’s become like a challenge to myself. This autumn when I study abroad for four months, I’m challenging myself to do it with only a carry-on suitcase and a backpack. I’ll keep you posted.
Another note about slow travel — I think it’s so important to be a traveler and not a tourist. Don’t pack your schedule full of things to see and places to go. It’s tempting to want to see all the sights, but it’s incredible how much fuller your days will feel when you slow down and take in the beauty of the backroads.
Surroundings
In the words of William Morris, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” Fill your tidy space with things that bring you a simple sort of happiness — fairy lights that glow up your soul at night when you fall in bed, the pencil sketches you framed, photos of family and friends, polaroids of happy memories, beautiful growing things like ferns and succulents and wildflowers, maps of the world you want to explore, blankets to wrap you in warmth, candles to transform a space into a serene atmosphere, and all the books that transport you to wonderful worlds of imagination. Edit your space constantly and get rid of anything that doesn’t match your aesthetic.
Quiet Moments
We live in a busy world. It takes conscious effort to slow down and make time to do the things you love. Give yourself moments to hug a cup of hot tea at the end of the day. When you’re cooking, watch your food sizzle in the pan and do nothing else. Slice up lemons for your water and breathe in the sharp scent of citrus. Let yourself read with no distractions. Learn to love the pleasure of listening to a beautiful song with headphones on and feel like nothing else exists in the world in that moment. Remember to embrace those little pauses throughout your day, because those moments make up your life.
Nature
God designed us to live in balance with nature. Just think — isn’t it a miracle that we inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide while plants do the opposite — literally refreshing the air we breathe? There’s something about sunlight and plants that can’t be duplicated. If you live somewhere with a lot of concrete, try to find a park or a public garden.
When you get out of your car at night, look up at the innumerable stars and be thrilled at the wonder of the world. Make an effort to go on a walk with your best friend and untangle all your roaming thoughts in the silence. Find places with fields, trees, brooks, hiking, climbing hills, the song of birds. Try out gardening and learn to enjoy the feeling of soil under your fingertips. Going out in nature gives you the gift of slowing down and remembering to breathe.
There’s something freeing about pruning away the parts of your life you no longer need and striving to be light. We all need that feeling of letting go. You need to prune parts of your life now and then so that you can make space for what truly matters to you.
Stay light,
<3 Olivia Grace
