Inside: Discover the art of simple living—how to slow down, declutter, and live with more of what truly matters. Learn practical tips to simplify your life today!
Modern life is busy, and many are responding by making a conscious effort to embrace a simple lifestyle—one with more of what matters and less of everything else.
I should know. A decade ago, I was a shopaholic and workaholic, obsessed with material possessions, working long hours—doing more and more because it felt like what I was “supposed” to do. My mental health suffered, and I was chronically exhausted, but I thought that was just part of being an adult.
I kept telling myself: One day I’ll retire, and then I’ll finally live the good life.
But then I lost loved ones, and my personal life started falling apart. I learned firsthand that sometimes tomorrow doesn’t come. I decided my peace of mind was more important than a fancy job title and a trendy wardrobe. Little by little, I took small steps towards a simpler lifestyle.
It wasn’t a magic fix, but those small changes added up. Today, even with two young children and a small business to run, I have more free time and less stress than ever. I’ve decluttered over 80% of my possessions, changed my shopping habits, and found a mental freedom I could never have imagined before.
If you want to learn more, this guide will help you start your simple living journey. Keep reading for practical tips, resources, and inspiration!
What is Simple Living?
What comes to mind when you think about simple living? A tiny house? Living off-grid? Giving up modern conveniences?
If that’s what you imagine, you’re not necessarily wrong. But simple living isn’t about a specific lifestyle—it’s a mindset.
At its core, simple living is about intentionality. It’s about sorting the excess from the essential, aligning your life with your values, and creating space for what truly matters.
Ask yourself:
- Do I make decisions intentionally, rather than by habit or expectation?
- Do I prioritise time for rest and joy—without guilt?
- Am I living in alignment with what I truly value?
At the end of the day, these thoughts and beliefs matter more than where you live or what you own. Simple living is the art of tuning out the noise so you can hear the desires of your heart and live accordingly.
Minimalism vs. Simple Living: What’s the Difference?
The terms minimalism and simple living often get mixed up, so let’s clarify:
Both lifestyles are built on a foundation of intentional living—ultimately, it’s always about aligning your life with your values and priorities.
Minimalism is more often associated with the elimination of physical clutter and, for some, creating a minimalist aesthetic.
Simple living is about creating a life of ease and alignment, where less clutter is a byproduct rather than the main focus.
Personally, I feel that minimalism and simple living are deeply intertwined—you could perhaps think of them as different sides of the same coin. However, I continue using both terms because it helps me to spread my message and connect with a wider audience.
How to Begin Simplifying Your Life
Step 1: Shift Your Mindset
Before decluttering a single item, start by reflecting on what really matters to you. Grab a journal and ask yourself:
- What brings me joy?
- What do I want more of in my life?
- What do I want less of in my life?
- What are values and priorities, dreams and goals?
If you’re a visual person, try creating a vision board—but don’t get caught up in making it perfect.
What matters is that you start thinking about your life and how you want to live it, which might sound ridiculously simple. But in my experience and in conversations with many of my clients, many women spend so much time doing what they think they’re “supposed” to do that they lose sight of their hopes and dreams.
If you need help getting started, these simple journal prompts can help. I also recommend reviewing these mindsets for simple living and then practising putting them into action in your everyday life.
Step 2: Take Small Actions (They Matter!)
Once you create a vision for your life, the next step is to start living it! Think about all the things you do and own and compare them to the life you want.
Of course, I’m not saying you’ll never have to do things you don’t want to or that simple living is synonymous with easy living. Challenges are a part of life and how we grow, but when we follow the concept of simple living, our challenges are more aligned.
Here are some examples:
- Declutter clothes, so you spend less time getting dressed and more quality time with family
- Develop a morning routine, so your most important tasks, like self-care, always get done
- Deactivate your social media accounts, so you’re not influenced to buy stuff you don’t need
These are a few easy things you could try, but it’s not the only way. Here are some ideas to help “kickstart” your simple living journey or try my mini course, 7 Simple Days.
“Wow, I just think that anyone wanting to change how they manage their life should look into this course. It was a real eye-opener. After the death of my husband last month, I needed help to understand my new life and how to prepare going forward.” -Robin J, Maryland, USA
Ideas + Inspiration to Simplify Your Life
Looking for more simple living ideas and inspiration? These blog posts have tons of practical ideas you can implement today.
- 17 Heart-Centred Ways to Simplify Your Life
- 20 Ways I’ve Simplified My Life
- How to Live a Simpler Life (5 Ways To Begin)
The Hard Truths About Simple Living
As you can hopefully tell, I’m passionate about simple living. However, I want to ensure that I offer a clear and balanced view of not only the wonders but also the limitations.
Here are a few “hard truths” that you should keep in mind on your journey.
1. Owning Less Won’t Magically Solve All Your Problems
I once read this quote in the New York Times:
“Minimalism sure does suck you in… Life looks easier. It seems like your skin will be dewier and your hair shinier—a happier, healthier version of yourself.”
It made me laugh, but I understood the sentiment. When I first started simplifying, I wanted to believe that decluttering would magically fix everything.
The truth? You don’t declutter your problems the same way you declutter your closet.
Yes, simplifying feels amazing and can spark real change. But you still have to do the inner work, whether it’s setting boundaries, healing relationships, or facing difficult emotions.
2. Simple Living Doesn’t Mean You’re Never Busy or Stressed
Trust me—I wish simple living really did banish all stress and busyness from life, but unfortunately, it’s just not the case.
You can declutter, unsubscribe and say “no” all day, every day, but it doesn’t matter how much you simplify—the hard truth is you’ll still occasionally have busy, stressful days where you’d rather hide in bed than face the world.
There will always be dishes to wash, taxes to file, children to feed and hearts to mend; it’s an unavoidable part of the human experience, and simple living doesn’t shield you from it.
Or, as Susan David puts it in her amazing TED Talk on the power of emotional courage:
Only dead people never get stressed, never get broken hearts, never experience the disappointment that comes with failure. Tough emotions are part of our contract with life. You don’t get to have a meaningful career or raise a family or leave the world a better place without stress and discomfort. Discomfort is the price of admission to a meaningful life.
What simple living does mean is that being busy and stressed is no longer my default mode.
I’ve learned how to step off the treadmill when I need to. I audit how I spend my time, money, and energy to ensure I’m investing in what truly matters.
3. There’s No Finish Line in Simple Living
Finally, I often hear people talk about simplifying their lives as if there’s a finish line to cross—an imaginary point in time where simplicity is achieved—but the hard truth is you’ll never be “done” simplifying your life.
Simple living is not a task you can check off of your to-do list. Instead, it’s a way of living where the things we own and do represent our values and priorities. Because we’ll always be presented with new opportunities (and new demands to go with them) there will always be decisions to be made about what does or doesn’t belong in our lives.
This isn’t to say that your life won’t get simpler with time! It’s just a reminder that a simple, intentional life is a way of life and not a destination. It’s rarely easy but almost always worth it.
For more about. the realities of simple living, check out: 3 Heartfelt Lessons On Living A Simple Life
Simple Living Tips + Resources
If you’d like to learn more about simple living and minimalism, here are some additional resources and tips to help you.
- 13 Simple Living Tips: How to Stress Less + Enjoy Life
- Simple Living (Back to Basics)
- How to Enjoy the Simple Things in Life
If you found this guide helpful, share it with a friend or comment below—what does simple living mean to you? 😊
This was a very insightful piece to read. I see the connection you have mad with living a simplier lifestyle and the urge to see as some sort of finish line accomplishment. I must confess that I too have viewed simplifying as some sort of TO DO list. With this tool read added to my perception, I am sure to accomplish a much more meaniful realistic approch to my journey. This has also brought light the levels of stress I was experiencing trying to check off the Simple Life achievment list. Thank You!!
Thank-you Jennifer, you are like a breath of fresh air. No preaching here just good solid advice from someone who has been through and still going through the process.
That’s so kind of you to say Patricia! Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment 🙂
Thank you <3 I love your message and your courage. I stumbled across this at just the right time.
It’s definitely true that you never reach a finish line. It felt so good though to get rid of clothes that I honestly never wear and get more open clean spaces! Having a messy house stresses me out haha (not only because it means I haven’t cleaned 😉 ). Decluttering gave me space to think and be more mindful, and although it certainly didn’t solve all my problems I’m in a better mindset now to tackle them.
It is so good to hear people talking about the realities of simple living. It is a journey rather than a destination.
This is exactly what I needed to hear, it filled the void!
I’m so glad to hear this, thank you Karla!
These are such important points to bring awareness to! I really loved reading this.
Thank you Sarah! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this 🙂
Beautiful, Jen! This is something that does need to be said – I notice many known voices in the simple living sphere are saying it (and so have I in my own little way) but people miss it, I guess, because they’re looking for a solution to all their problems. I often stress minimalism is a tool that might be right for you, but you can get to where you want to go in other ways too. Thank you for spreading the message, so to speak!
Hi Daisy! Yes, I think it’s being said but probably not as much as we all champion simple living, so it’s understandably missed. Especially when people are introduced to minimalism/simple living via the mainstream media. It’s hard to find that balance sometimes, don’t you think? Anyway, we can only try our best! Thanks for reading 🙂 x
Great post! This is something I’ve been struggling with in the last year after I completed the “stuff” hurdle. It’s almost as if you’ve cleared out the tangible problems to make room from the things that are not tangible like emotions, relationships, stress, passions that need to be sorted out and organized as well. It’s a good thing to keep in mind moving forward in the Simply Living Journey. I appreciate your motivational words and honests truths during this process. Hope the family is doing well!
Thank you Jess! I appreciate your thoughts and kind words. Thank you for reading and we are all doing well! x
Fantastic post!!! Each of these points are VERY real in the pursuit of simple living. Thank you for succinctly describing the mindset behind the work, the choices, and the intentions required with this lifestyle.
Thank you Marci! For some reason I was really nervous to share this post, so your feedback means a lot to me 🙂
Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES! All of this and then some!
When I first became a minimalist, I was going through some very hefty emotional baggage. I read a book that talked about the soul-cleansing that happens in sync with the decluttering process, and I thought it would be the solution to my problems.
Surprise! When my bedroom was almost empty of things – the heartache was still there. I still had to process and grieve and grow. If anything, getting rid of stuff just made it harder to avoid my emotional issues. It definitely didn’t absolve them.
I’m still working my way through decluttering my soul/heart – every time I take a step forward, something else sucker punches me. I was just telling a friend on Monday that sometimes I can’t breathe, the ache is so bad. I still have to find my way through the mess of my emotional state. BUT! Thankfully, minimalism and decluttering has, over a very lengthy period of time, taught me how to do just that. Simple and intentional living is not an overnight miracle pill; it’s a supplemental vitamin: great for health, but unable to do all the work.
Thank you for sharing this Rachel! I can tell you 100% you’re not alone with this.
Also that last line is so wise—what a perfect analogy!! You’re a great writer! x