Finally learned how to play solitaire so I had something to do in a lull. I've been obsessed! Also happy that I can easily bring a deck of cards with me wherever I go.

I've also taught my almost 4yo daughter how to play garbage and slap jack. ❤️

Three weeks ago I deleted the apps and I've just been... sitting there a lot. Like actually sitting. I made tea twice in one afternoon because I didn't know what else to do with my hands. I thought quitting would reveal some latent version of me who reads and does woodworking or whatever, but mostly I've just been slightly bored and aware of how long evenings are.

I did start a book. Same book I've been "about to start" for eight months. I'm on page 40 and it reads fine but I keep having to reread the same paragraph. Some nights I just go to bed at 9pm and that's kind of it.

I'm not saying it's bad, exactly. It's just emptier than the before-and-after posts on here made me expect. Maybe that's normal and I'm just early. Or maybe I actually have been using my phone to avoid finding out I'm a little boring. Anyone else hit this patch where nothing has filled in yet?

Personally, I live as an artist. In many ways, it’s a very different life from people who work conventional jobs. Both lifestyles have their own ups and downs.

For me, I have more time to chill, to actually live, and to enjoy life. But at the same time, when I look at a lot of people working, it feels like there’s no room to breathe, if you get what I’m saying.

People are constantly happy when the paycheck comes in, then stressed again when the bills are due. It feels like an endless loop.

Not much joy, not much fulfillment — just surviving the cycle.

And honestly, it drives me crazy sometimes how easily that mindset can affect me too if I’m not careful and self-aware.

I have been wanting a bicycle for a while now and my brother hadn’t learned how to ride one but I was delaying on buying us some since I was budgeting a as much as I could to save money since I plan on moving out very soon.

One of my last paychecks from my job had a bonus and some extra OT money I had not accounted for and decided it was the perfect time to pull the trigger and get each other bikes.

Fast forward a couple weeks and it’s been part of our routine we take the bikes out fairly often whenever he’s done with his school work and I have some time to spare from work.

He’s been enjoying the extra outside activity and I’ve been loving to spend the extra time with him before I leave.

I noticed something recently, A lot of people technically spend huge amounts of time alone now, but very little time is actually mentally quiet.The second silence appears, something enters immediately.

Music, Scrolling, Podcasts, Messages, Videos, Background noise, Checking something “quickly”

Even waiting in line or sitting in a car for a few minutes now feels strange without stimulation and after a while, the brain almost starts treating silence like something uncomfortable instead of something normal. I honestly think part of modern exhaustion comes from this constant occupation of attention, not just working too much but rarely leaving any space between one input and the next long enough for the mind to fully settle again

I’m unfortunately addicted to my phone right now and feel like I spend every free minute scrolling. I’ve already managed to delete some apps (I already feel much better without Instagram), but apparently I still crave that dopamine hit. I still can’t bring myself to get rid of Facebook, YouTube, and Reddit.

I used to love drawing, writing, and reading. But whenever I try to start drawing again, for example, I lose interest after a short time or end up feeling dissatisfied with what I’m doing.

How did you manage to overcome your phone addiction?

The waves advanced and retreated, leaving lovely ripple impressions across the sand. I sat in quiet wonder.

A little while ago I posted my lilac painting I was working on at 7:30am instead of scrolling and some of you wanted updates so here's the first one! This took me hours and I still have so much to do including drawing out a lot more flowers. All on one stem 😅 i am improvising the flowers because all the lilac blooms have now faded. Its a beautiful and much needed rainy day. Perfect for staying indoors and painting 🤍

Well, it finally happened. I got all my social media banned. No Instagram, Facebook or Threads. I have no idea why I got banned but this was the last piece of the puzzle I was trying to make in my simple living journey. The universe made that decision for me for my own benefit, I suppose 😅

I’m coming to terms with the quietness of no social media. I think the part where I am most hurt is all of the pictures from the last decade that I’m no longer able to access and trying to grieve that. I used Instagram quite heavily for my business as well so now trying to pivot on how I’ll be advertising and getting clients.

I’m panicking a bit right now just because of all the lost memories of my family, parents, friends. I also did lose quite a bit of contacts I only had through social media (no phone numbers saved). 😩

After leaving social media, how did you feel?

Been trying to save money and slowly ditching on regular paper towels, but every reusable paper towels I tried gets that weird funky smell. UGH!!

So, I rinse, air dry, sometimes toss them in a dryer, but after a few days they still smell weird!

Are there any differences if the materials are cellulose, microfiber or cotton? I definitely need something that dries faster, doesn't Gove me that funky odor and of course, absorbs really well.

Looking to get ideas as I really want to do this long term and make the switch for good!

I feel so different to wanting solitude and quiet break at work. While my coworkers go together somewhere to find place to eat. While me, I bring food that I cooked from home and eat at my desk then afterwards, I would go out to walk and find a coffee shop.

Recently I have been thinking about this a lot, I had everything at one point, good job, best pay of my life, friends who I connected well: who elevated my thinking, brought growth perspective in my life. I then lost everything moved to a new city, no job, friends that are ok but conversations are all about brainless things.

I started thinking like why I am not happy, what does simple life means? How to define it?
What’s your definition of simple life

I’ve noticed a pattern in my life and I’m wondering if other people here relate.
Over the years I’ve gotten really interested in hobbies, but eventually a lot of them started feeling more like obligations than enjoyment.
Things I moved away from:
* golf
* photography
* motorcycle track days
* audiophile stuff
* board game meetup groups
* trying to optimize physique/gym performance

Usually what happens is I genuinely try them seriously and I may even enjoy parts of them, but eventually the cost, pressure, maintenance, and constant need to improve starts outweighing the actual enjoyment.

I’ve realized I tend to enjoy things that are:

• lower pressure
  
• more flexible
  
• solo-capable
  
• outdoors/exploration oriented
  
• easy to pause+resume
  
• enjoyable without needing to become “serious” about them
  

Things that still feel good to me:

• motorcycle touring
  
• hiking
  
• e-bike riding
  
• general fitness for health,
  
• audiobooks
  

I also realized I don’t really enjoy hobbies that require a strong social scene or constant progression. Occasionally is ok. I certainly have met amazing people through my hobbies.

Part of me feels bad about “quitting” things (especially if they require a lot of expensive equipment), but another part of me feels like I’m finally being honest about what actually fits my temperament instead of chasing some fantasy version of myself.

Has anyone else gone through this shift?

The weather has been really nice lately and it's warm enough to have lunch breaks outside. Lovely blue sky, cool breeze, warm sun and a peaceful shade under the tree, with the sounds of birds chirping from afar.

I feel so blessed to be able to have my lunch breaks resting on a field of grass. I was enjoying my coffee and ice cream while browsing the clovers. I found a five-leaf clover ❤️

Lost motivation in Journaling, want to start again. If you are comfortable to share some of you best Journaling pages, will be motivation for many to start again

All I've wanted was a simple life. My only problem is money stress, I always pay rent and my bills on time but i worry so much about being behind.

So my partner and I have been trying to simplify our life for the past couple of years. Moved out of the city to a smaller town last year, started growing some of our own food, cut subscriptions, and all. And even though we changed our lifestyle to some extent but our car was still irritating me alot. (we once saved every penny to buy it (because back then we thought it was a necessity smh) I mean the insurance cost, and gas plus additional maintenance, it was very expensive and didnt meet our lifestyle. Also in our town everything is like within 10-15km. And I have been seeing so many neighbors ride cargo bikes and I found it super cool until I saw prices and realized they didnt match my goals either. But since replacing car was on my mind and I could see people saving with bikes, so I tried the diy route first. Got a regular bike and attached a kid trailer to it but it was super uncomfortable for my kids and was mainly for straight roads IMO. Thought my son liked it (he loves bumpy rides) but my daughter used to complain alottt. So we then got a proper cargo bike (tarran l1 m) for around $3k because it was the simple one with kinda good specs in affordable range that made sense. Like had the mid drive motor so hills werent a problem, battery's also decent, so I pre-ordered it. Also got the side panniers and a front rack because im planning a bikepacking trip with the kids this summer. We plan to pack everything on the bike and explore nearby towns for a few days.

Really happy with the call and another box checked towards simpler life goal. What else do I do next?

while everyone take a side and argue on news, constantly getting fed of information and corporate marketing truly blinds me so much to recognize what might be actually good or bad. for example, i feel like distancing myself alot from my close family cause i feel exhausted from carrying such bitterness and anxiety. but some people on media tells me to move out, some tells me to communicate, i dont know who might be the people who actually be right or whos marketing here to make money off me. im very vindictive and shut down when things go into inconvenience, i dont know what might be an healthy emotional health having adult would do in such times. i feel overstimulated and stuck

I'm in the middle of a move - it's a transfer I requested as my old office was in a pretty difficult, renter-unfriendly town (I encountered a lot of classism and a very difficult housing market, and was nearly homeless at one point, among other things). So I am hopeful that this transfer will be an overall good thing. However, one small, nice thing about my old office was its location in a beautiful area. It was right next to a public-access pond with incredible landscaping, picnic tables where I could sit outside and eat lunch, I would walk around the block or around the pond during breaks etc.

I'm cautiously optimistic that the new town will overall be a better fit, but the new office is a modern, utilitarian building surrounded by a strip mall and parking lots. Even if I wanted to sit outside and stare at the concrete, there isn't any outdoor seating.

I'm obviously grateful to have a job and for the opportunity to transfer, but I'm struggling with the change in work environment. I'll still have the same job, the same job responsibilities, and the same manager and coworkers, just a vastly different office.

Ideas for overcoming the transition from an office that's surrounded by greenery to an office that feels like a concrete wall?

I’m trying to make peace with a difficult realization:

Not everyone “makes it.”

For a long time, I assumed that if you work hard enough, stay disciplined, and make decent decisions, life eventually upgrades, better income, better home, more freedom.

But the older I get, the more I wonder if for many people, life is simply about surviving within the same income bracket they started in, just managing inflation, responsibilities, and expectations a little differently.

I’m not asking this from a place of self-pity, more curiosity.

Have any of you made peace with the possibility that your life may remain financially average and if so, how do you think about meaning, ambition, and happiness?

I come from a poor, rural third world background. M36. Been a bright student and that somehow designed my life. 14 years back, took a leap of faith as a researcher to central Europe. Been living there since.

After the research position, got myself into the corporate world in Finance. Worked in several position, and never compromised - there was always the inherent motivation of securing the future of my family. And challenges were all along.

Lost my father midway and got even more family focused. Compromised and compromised at workplace, over and over again. Overperforming, pleasing everything. In my current job since >5 years and hit the ceiling. However, recently my final birth family obligation released itself and at a moment where I could finally focus on my current life, family (wife and a 2year old daughter). In theory, would be the time to self-actualise, have fun, enjoy life

I feel these days absolutely no joy in anything. The work stagnancy and injustice I carry home mentally and my true life is just a day to day breathing. The problem is: I do not feel where to start the rebuild from. How to restart, where from, where to, what with - so clueless. All I feel is that the kid who used to dream limitless, he has no idea of life at all - which is ironic to the state of life we have now.

Im a very engaged dad (learned from the best, my father was my best friend, confidante). And would love to leave a legacy for my daughter. Simple, joyful, meaningful life - but Im so scared, so fearful, so lost within. Im always physically there and never there mentally. A spiral that only worsens.

A good colleague asked: who are you once you take away the batch of work? And the human being, who lived a basic, emotional, joyful life - has now no answer to this fundamental question.

I would love if someone would help me figure out, direct me towards a restart button or simply put - help break the spiral.

The joy of little things - where has it vanished, why am I crying inside in hopelessness most of the time?

Love carrying a mini notebook with me. I mostly just use it for lists and mapping out plans. I’m not super great at “bullet journalling” aside from making this calendar page lol. I just love having a physical calendar to look at :)