6.30 pm
Before: How I used to live?
- I used to force myself to go out after work.
- I used to use a lot of time for thinking what to do outdoors with the children. Sometimes so much that it was already too late to go out.
- I used to feel guilty if we spent the whole day indoors with the children.
Changes: What changes I´ve made to my life since I started to pay more attention to my wellbeing and simplify my life?
- I´ve learned that the most important thing is just to go out. Even a while outdoors in our own backyard and breathing fresh air help me to feel better both physically and mentally.
- I´ve simplified my life so that I still have energy and time to go out with the children after work.
- I´ve learned to find ways for the whole family to get active and enjoy outdoor life.
- I´ve learned to see better what kind of life I’m living at the moment and how it affects on our outdoor life. For example, I don’t try to force myself into too difficult activities with small children. It´s a sure way to get yourself stressed.
- I´ve learned to recognize the positive effects of outdoor life on children, my marriage and myself. It has given me motivation to spend some time outdoors on a daily basis.
- I´ve learned that the 80/20 rule is great with outdoor life. If your family spends even a part of the day outside of 80 % of all the days of the year, it´s ok to take it easy with the rest of the 20 %. To just be inside because of tiredness, bad weather or laziness. You don´t need to feel guilty about those 73 days inside!
After: What kind of positive effects I´ve noticed now that I´ve been able to get closer to Living Simply.
- I´m more energetic: I´ve heard that an hour of exercise gives you an hour of extra energy for the day. I agree, but I also like to think that just spending that hour outdoors does the same.
- My sweet tooth doesn’t bother me that much anymore: If you want to have something sweet, don´t give in to that urge right a way. Go and have a relaxing 15-minute walk outside first. You may surprise and find that a feeling has passed.
- Our family life runs smoother: It´s amazing how much some time outdoors can reduce unnecessary arguing and crankiness!
- Time outdoors is not something that has to happen every single day. Nowadays in our family it´s something that we want to do as much as possible: The more positive experiences you get, the less you need to force yourself.
Next time you can read about how evening routines can be made less stressful and how to add quality to everyday evenings.
Click to read the On the way to Simple Living: Intro.
Read all posts from my post series called On the way to Simple Living.
