7 Reasons Living a Simple Life Can Make You Happy

Happiness may be subjective, but one thing is universal: living a simple, intentional life can help us uncover the kind of happiness that lasts. Listen in and learn 7 Key Reasons why living a Simple Life can make you happy!

Transcript

Episode 147 - 7 Reasons Why Living a Simple Life Can Make You Happy

Happiness is one of the most personal experiences we can have. What makes my heart soar might leave someone else feeling uneasy, and that’s okay. We are allowed to have our own perspective. For me, happiness is watching the sunset and stars appear, a quiet moment to reflect and feel gratitude. But for someone else, the same darkness could bring fear or discomfort.

Happiness may be subjective, but one thing is universal: living a simple, intentional life can help us uncover the kind of happiness that lasts.

To begin with, it may help to understand what happiness is. Merriam-Webster defines it as: a state of well-being and contentment, and a pleasurable or satisfying experience. 

But there are two different types of happiness. On one hand, you have Fleeting pleasure, which would be a short-term experience that brings immediate joy or satisfaction but often fades quickly. Think of it in terms of buying some new clothes or eating a decadent dessert. It serves its purpose for the moment, but that bit of joy or satisfaction leaves you shortly thereafter.

On the other hand, long-term contentment is a sustained sense of well-being and fulfillment that comes from living in alignment with your values and purpose. Think in terms of meaningful relationships, personal growth, and faith. These are things that stay with you each and every day. 

To help you understand the difference, I’m going to play on an overused cliché. Fleeting pleasure is like a spark. It burns brightly for just a second or two, and then it’s gone. Long-term contentment is like a cozy fire that encourages you to settle in for the long run with a cup of tea and a good book.

Living a simple life is like that warm, cozy fire. It draws you in with its simplicity. It flickers with contentment and dances with joy. But for many of us, our busy lifestyle has taken on a life of its own. It’s our norm, and many parts of it we enjoy. We can’t quite figure out how we could be happier if we lived a simple life. 

Maybe I can help you with that. Let’s look at several key reasons why living a simple life can make you happy.

The first reason we’ve discussed before, but we’ll touch on it again. Living a Simple Life can help you reduce stress. 

Take a look at your life right now – your schedule, your home, your office, and very possibly, even your car. Are you seeing a lot of clutter? Here’s something to think about: A cluttered life often leads to a cluttered mind. When you take the time to remove the clutter from your environment, schedule, and commitments, it can reduce anxiety and help you focus on what truly matters.

When we first moved to the farm, I was still driving over an hour each day just to get to work. It was a balancing act to find time to fulfill all the commitments I still had in the city, but still manage to do the work at home, including  learning a whole new set of skills. It didn’t take long to discover I was pulled in too many different directions, and failing to fulfill commitments I made. I knew I had to slow down and determine what was truly important and necessary in my life and let go of things that weren’t. It meant letting go of some things I truly loved doing, such as my monthly Bunco group. 

Another key reason living a Simple Life can help to make you happy is that it Fosters Contentment.

When I finally did stop long enough to analyze the hectic life I was living, I discovered something else that was creating a problem in my lifestyle. Rather than focusing on what I did have, I was placing too much emphasis on what I didn’t have – with a heavy emphasis on enough time. 

To reach the goals I had for our farm, I thought I needed ‘more’. I wanted my home to look the part, and to me, that meant shifting my décor to fit with a farmhouse style. 

I also wanted the outside to fit the look and feel of being a real farm. That meant digging gardens, building a fancy new chicken coop and more. With each new idea I wanted to implement, it meant spending more time and money to get it done.

During a devotional one evening, I read the verse from Philippians 4:13. The words of the Apostle Paul really hit home: “...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

I really hate it when God steps on my toes like that. It hurts. But it made me stop and think about what I was doing. My house may not be a showplace, but I realized that what really mattered wasn’t the decor. Instead, my home needed to be warm, comfortable, and welcoming to not only those who came to visit, but also for my family who lives here full time. 

Living a simple life helps shift the focus from what you lack to appreciating what you have. And it also helps to encourage gratitude, which is a proven source of happiness.

Another key reason why living a simple life can make you happy is it makes it possible to Strengthens Relationships.

A simple life often focuses more on quality time spent with the people you love, rather than on material possessions or busy schedules. Deep connections with the people in your life can lead to joy and fulfillment.

When we were both trying to maintain our busy lifestyles, the Country Boy and I would often feel as if we needed to introduce ourselves to each other when we finally spent five minutes together. Now that we have shifted to a simpler lifestyle, we do more things together. Even working side by side fixing fences, or repairing the barn roof after a major storm, we’re still able to talk and enjoy our time together. Slowing down allows you more time to spend with family or friends, and in doing so, it can strengthen bonds and create lasting memories.

The fourth key reason living a simple life can help to make you happy is that it Encourages Self-Discovery.

With fewer distractions, you can rediscover hobbies, passions, or goals that bring you joy and align with your values.

When I finally began to scale back my lifestyle and slow down, I discovered something about myself – I actually thrive on being creative. All my life I’ve indulged in creative endeavors, from handcrafts and gardening to baking and writing, but never really understood how much happiness it created deep down. Once I started living a simple life, that creativity blossomed. 

But my creativity goes much further than the craft room. I’m able to see a problem on the farm and find creative ways to either fix it or work around it. I’ve gotten braver in the kitchen, including making homemade pasta and creating seasoning blends for the sausage we make by hand. And on a much more practical side, I’ve managed to find better ways to organize my finances, so we’re a bit more prepared when an emergency comes crashing down on us. 

The next key reason living a simple life can help to make you happy is that it Promotes Better Health

Simplifying your meals, routines, and lifestyle often leads to healthier choices, such as cooking from scratch, gardening in order to grow your own food, and taking time for self-care. Quite frankly, growing at least some of your own food and cooking it at home just tastes so much better than anything you can order in a restaurant. And really, doesn’t a home spa day or spending some quiet time enjoying an Afternoon Tea sound really appealing right now?

The last key reason living a simple life can help to make you happy is that it can easily Align with your Faith. 

My foundational Bible verse for the simple life I live is 1 Thessalonians 4:11. It tells us, in part, that we should, “make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and work with your hands”.

When living a simple life, you are often more in tune with your spiritual principles and values, like living intentionally, practicing stewardship, and focusing on inner peace.

At the risk of sounding like one of those infamous infomercials, But, Wait! There’s More! There’s a bonus reason why living a simple life may just make you happy. That reason is, a Simple Life isn’t a one-size-fits-all lifestyle. Instead, you can shape and adapt it to the things that are most important in your life, and what makes you deeply, truly, happy.  

You don’t have to worry about what the latest trend is, what other people think, or having your schedule, home, and commitments create a pile of clutter in your environment and mind. Instead, you can start sorting through it all, tossing the things that no longer work for you, and keeping and embracing the things that are most meaningful. The best part of that is the things that are truly important in life don’t take up a lot of space. After all, having a friend over for coffee and conversation only takes a chair to sit in and a cup to hold the coffee. 

Happiness may be subjective, but the truth still stands - living a simple, intentional life with a slower pace and uncluttered schedule really can help us uncover the kind of happiness that lasts. And that makes living a simple life even that much more satisfying.

If you want to learn more about living a Simple Life, just visit my website at www.thefarmwife.com/ . If you’re enjoying listening to these podcasts, please consider supporting the show by clicking the SUPPORT button in the show notes. When you do, you’ll be helping me continue bringing you fun and helpful ideas for living the Simple Life you love!

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Thanks again for stopping in. I will see you next week on Living a Simple Life with a Back Porch View. And while you are waiting for the next episode, grab that glass of refreshment, pull up a rocker, and sit back for a while. It’s time to relax and enjoy.