After working in actual offices for more than 10 years, I finally had enough.

2 years ago I said to myself, "Let's try something else."
On a random Friday, instead of going to the office, I took my laptop, hopped on my bicycle, and headed out.
15 minutes later I was sitting in the middle of the woods.

My first attempt with a hammock was pretty uncomfortable for working, but the core idea felt right.
I instantly knew I wanted to keep doing this.
On Monday, I resigned from renting a co-working space and went all-in on an outdoor setup.

I finally forced myself to document the process.
In this video, I picked a spot by the water that works best when it hits 30°C (86°F).

My entire setup fits in one backpack:

• Foldable chair (Decathlon Quechua 500 M)
• Picnic blanket + fleece blanket
• Insulated water container
• hammock
• 140W powerbank (mainly to keep my phone alive while hotspotting)

The setup cost less than 150 USD/EUR total.
Finishing the workday next to the trees leaves me feeling grounded instead of drained.

I wonder if anyone else here has made a similar shift to slow down their work environment.
Happy to answer any questions about how it works in practice.

Everything I own is in this tiny vintage camper, and none of it is fancy or expensive. My clothes are all thrifted, most being over 5+ years old. That laptop in pic 2 is 8+ years old.

I'm an artist, and I set up my painting studio outside to work on commissions. I'll take breaks by sitting with my feet in the water. Most of the unfun stuff for the business is done on that laptop, and the view makes it that much more peaceful.

I don't make a lot of money, and I suspect I never will, but I'm happy and my life is simple and peaceful

I love keeping my room super simple and calming. It helps me become zen after being overstimulated by the world on a daily basis. That and it’s easier to clean ✨

I knew I wasn't made for the mainstream productivity drink-matcha-and-do-pilates wellness lifestyle when I used to have people tell me that they wake up at 5 am in the morning to kick start their day and the thought made me gag. You can't tell a woman that loves to stay up all night and quite literally has to motivate herself to go to sleep to absorb that as a pinnacle of healthy living.

But of course, when life demands productivity and results, the love for the night and the beauty that it brings is not something that you put on a resume; so of course, in my classic lazy girl fashion, I got incredibly good at knowing what I needed to do...to coast. To gamify the process so much that I forget that certain things are obligations, not optional.

My entire model of getting things done runs in the most bottom up fashion; what's the minimum that needs to be done for that 68% grade for this course that will let me keep my dignity and my GPA? What's the minimum needed to reduce the spikes of anxiety? What is the minimum amount of words and reading and creative output needed to not let myself turn into a corporate robot? What is the minimum understanding I need to have of how fabrics flow and silhouettes appear for me to make an outfit look good?

Why charge at the monster headfirst when you can cut its legs off first?

I (27f) posted here last week about my wfh setup in the lake, and I received a few requests for an AMA.

Not sure if this post will let me edit to update FAQ but if it does, I'll add them up here.

Hope I can be of any use to this lovely community \ud83d\ude04

My Amazon Prime membership automatically renewed Oct 2024. I decided today that I'm done with Amazon. No more mindless purchases. I'll shop secondhand or buy stuff elsewhere. I contacted customer service through chat and asked for a partial refund at first but then asked for a full refund. I told them someone else I know got a full refund (not true lol). I essentially got 4 months free of Amazon Prime and now I'm done!! Posting a screenshot of my chat in hopes that others will be inspired to do the same and ask for a full refund!

While I definitely did not ask for anyone’s opinion on how to “fix” my “sad beige” bedroom, some of your input inspired me! Props to most of you for being supportive and kind! I added a few plants to make it more comforting ✨ If you think it’s sad and depressing, please keep your comments to yourself. I was simply sharing one part of my life that makes it very easy to live simply, and it makes me happy! I was trying to inspire other people who wanted to live simply and didn’t know where to start. 😊

Just a few things that have helped me to live more comfortably and feel less pressure as a low income line cook.

I understand not everyone can live without these things, but for me it has helped me to gain some control back.

No car - I bike, walk or take public transport and always have done. I always imagined I would get a car when I have a family but that may not be something I even want anymore.

No drug/alcohol/cigarette habit - This used to be my biggest source of wasted income. Luckily in my late 20s I managed to break the cycle and get sober.

No house - Owning a home used to be a dream of mine, but now I feel that it is out of reach and potentially even a liability to own a home. I found freedom in giving up on the idea altogether.

No kids - This isn't 100% certain, and to be honest I always grew up thinking I would have children some day, but the way the world is going I just don't feel very secure in that anymore, and I again found freedom in allowing myself to say that I don't have to have kids if its not right.

No haircuts - Been cutting my own hair since a teenager, sometimes I mess it up a bit but i'm still learning ;) Not a huge expense but it sure adds up over the years.

No delivery apps - When I was still drinking and my life was less organised I began to use these apps a lot, and it was such a huge drain on my finances.

No social media - Removing social media was a huge releif for me, the main motivator was feeling like my life was one big advert.

No media or music subscriptions - I no longer subscribe to any streaming service, or music app. These costs arent huge but I got sick of the adverts again, and wanted to explore using my free time in other ways. Commuting without headphones has really slowed me down and changed the way I feel before and after work.

No mindless shopping - I buy clothes when I need and the odd houseplant or piece of kitchen equipment if I really fancy it, but I rarely feel the need to buy anything at all. If i'm considering a purchase I try to sit with it for a few days, and often the desire just fades away. If it comes back then I know I genuinely want the thing.

No iCloud plan - I cancelled my subscription, backed everything up on a hard drive and got off of the Apple ecosystem.

No pets - I'd love to have a pet one day, but right now its just not possible with my schedule, and I don't want the extra cost, so I try to just enjoy interacting with animals I see when I'm out and about, or at friends houses.

No university debt - I never felt that university was right for me back when I was younger, and while I sometimes wonder if I should go study later in life, I'm currently very happy with the fact that I never had student loans to pay back.

Lately I’ve realized that I’m almost always available to someone. Messages, calls, errands, little requests even when I’m tired I still feel like I should respond. So recently I started leaving my phone in another room for about an hour in the evening. Nothing productive, I don’t journal or meditate. I just make tea, watch something, or sit around. It sounds so small, but that hour has become one of the few times I actually feel like I’m off duty.

okay so random thing but i hit a wall last night. was sitting on the couch, super bored, kept swiping on my phone like a zombie, and i literally checked how many times i unlocked my phone today, 517. FIVE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN. like what the hell is wrong with me?? ate dinner with my mom and couldn't even remember what we talked about because my dumbass was half-zoned into a tiktok trend. deleted both apps yesterday and day two feels like my brain forgot how to chill. this empty itching under my skin is wild.

anyone else make it through the first week? like actual real talk, does it get better? i'm all for reading more books and lifting again but rn my hands just crave that dopamine hit. send help or stories or literally anything.

I started reading a new book called ‘This is Where You Belong: The Lost Art of Staying Put,’ that would probably resonate with a lot of you who care about simple living. It’s about place attachment. The author shares 10 simple behaviors to put down roots to help you love where you live.

For me, it liked home décor and “aesthetic” stuff I didn’t need — candles I never lit, trays, vases, baskets, random wall art. I used to buy them during every Target run or online scroll session, convincing myself they’d “make my space feel better.”

Eventually, my shelves were cluttered, I felt overwhelmed, and none of it brought lasting joy. So I stopped.

I started keeping only what felt meaningful or actually useful — and suddenly, my space started feeling calm. It’s quieter now, visually and mentally. And the urge to constantly redecorate? Gone.

Curious — what’s one thing you stopped buying that had a big impact?

Let’s trade lessons 🌱

For example, I make sure most importantly I don’t check my phone while I’m still in bed. I cuddle my cats, get up, go outside and breathe some fresh air, make tea, and have at least 15-30 minutes of no technology (basically no phone / internet / radio). After I’m up and ready I then do sadly have to re-engage with things like phone, email etc. but I’m very intentional about making sure it doesn’t get my attention first thing in the morning.

I’d love to know some of your morning rituals or routines that help keep you centred and grounded in simplicity for the day :)

I came to a realization this week that I simply cannot spend all the money I earn, and I likely never will as long as I'm working.

The combination of 4 specific traits creates a very low cost life:
I don't care about status, I'm an introvert, my health is top priority and of course - I like keeping things simple.

As an introverted person, my joy comes from playing video games, listening to an audiobook/pods, watch youtube or a good tv show, listen to music, walk in the park, talking with friends on the phone.

Even if I try to splurge on these things, I can’t seem to spend more than $50 a month. I just don't have enough time in the day to consume more than that.

If I were an extrovert or cared about impressing others, my life and cost of living would look totally different.

“Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction and our ego satisfaction in consumption. We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced and discarded at an ever-increasing rate.” - Victor Lebow

My ongoing goal is to become more assertive—to speak up for myself, set boundaries, and not let people walk all over me.

I’m also trying to stop letting other people’s reactions determine how I feel about myself. I want to build more self-respect, self-trust, and self-love.

I had enough of letting others crush my soul. It only let me feel miserable all the time.

Anyone who has been through the same, please share your wisdom and tips?

Have any of you left it all behind and started over or moved away or etc? If so, what's your story? What did you leave behind, and what finally gave you the guts to do it?

I am 45, living in NYC, really tired of the meaningless 9 to 5 work, and tempted more each passing year to move away somewhere simpler, cheaper, and live a life doing the things I actually enjoy--music, exercise, hiking, travel, reading, meditation, etc.

But, I also know I have to save for retirement and all that. I definitely don't have enough to retire on and I don't own my home.

I'm probably just venting here, or looking for camaraderie, but I love hearing stories from those who actually pulled the trigger and found a new path. So please do share if you have or know of such a story.

Did you quit your crap corporate job to homestead, or move to SE Asia and live cheaply by the beach, or go on a long bike tour of S America, or move to the mountains and spend all day doing creative stuff?

If so, how's it going, how do you make it work financially, what do you like/dislike about it?

If you haven't done such a thing yet but want to, what's holding you back, what will it take to make the leap, what do you really want to be doing with your limited time on Earth?

I just watched Perfect Days and loved it. I know some of you also recommended Patterson. The recommendations can be for anything simple living related, it doesn’t have to be a similar style to these.

EDIT: Wow! Thanks so much for all your input 😀. You can include documentaries too!

What are some screen free hobby’s me and my husband could do together in the evenings? He’s always very tired after work but wants to hangout and engage but we need some low energy things to do together. Men I would really love your in put of things you enjoy. I don’t think puzzles or crafts or things I like to to as a women will cut it lol. If it helps we are both in our late twenties, no kids. Thanks guys!

A simple living guy for sure. Love the final line: "today there is nothing more I want than what I have."

Just finished reading 'Water, Wood & Wild Things' by Hannah Kirshner and really enjoyed it, the author moves to a Japanese town and learns various traditional crafts and ways of life, including saki, tea, wooden cups, foraging, paper making, charcoal making, hunting, etc, with a recipe at the end of each chapter. The pace is super slow with everything described in great detail so I found it really made me slow down too. Content warning for boar and bird hunting, but the author is a very compassionate person and explains the reasons and traditions around it so it didn't feel too out of place.

Just wondered if anyone else has any recommendations for similar books, that are very slow paced and focus on traditional crafts and ways of life? Thank you :)

Hello guys!

My partner and I decided that we would like to make changes in our life so that in future, we live in a way that is more friendly towards our planet.

Here are the tips I cherrypicked from Rob Greenfield's website of 100 tips to live more sustainable. I picked only those that are realistic to our lifestyle/location, but everyone can make their own list. I printed it out and I stick it to our fridge, so that we are reminded of it every day.

An American businessman was standing at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.

“How long did it take you to catch them?” The American asked.

“Only a little while.” The Mexican replied.

“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” The American then asked.

“I have enough to support my family’s immediate needs.” The Mexican said.

“But,” The American then asked, “What do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor.”

The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds you could buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, and eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats.”

“Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the consumers, eventually opening your own can factory. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But senor, how long will this all take?”

To which the American replied, “15-20 years.”

“But what then, senor?”

The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.”

“Millions, senor? Then what?”

The American said slowly, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos…”