A Guide to Simple Living

1 / 6
A guide to simple living. When was the last time you took a stroll down a quiet country lane?
A guide to simple living. When was the last time you took a stroll down a quiet country lane?
2 / 6
Whatever your age, you can build stronger social bonds by spending time with your family and neighbors.
Whatever your age, you can build stronger social bonds by spending time with your family and neighbors.
3 / 6
You can hold a yard sale to de-clutter your home and make money — or shop them to save.
You can hold a yard sale to de-clutter your home and make money — or shop them to save.
4 / 6
Shopping at local farm stands is a great way to meet farmers and enjoy the countryside.
Shopping at local farm stands is a great way to meet farmers and enjoy the countryside.
5 / 6
Remember reading? Getting away from the television can give you all kinds of time for more satisfying activities.
Remember reading? Getting away from the television can give you all kinds of time for more satisfying activities.
6 / 6
MOTHER EARTH NEWS Art Director Matthew Stallbaumer enjoys the simpler life while camping in Alaska.
MOTHER EARTH NEWS Art Director Matthew Stallbaumer enjoys the simpler life while camping in Alaska.

This guide to simple living helps you downsize your life. The good news is, “simplifying” is simple, and you don’t need any extra meetings or new gadgets to do it.

A Guide to Simple Living

For many of us, the idea of simpler living has a lot of appeal. “Stressed,” “stretched,” “time-starved” and “cluttered” describe the frantic condition of so many lives today. No doubt about it, Americans have grown weary of the work-spend-consume treadmill; and a growing number of us are recognizing that consumerism and its counterpart, materialism, are inherently unsatisfying, and are casting about for alternative value systems.

Tim Kasser, who holds a doctorate in psychology and wrote The High Price of Materialism, explains that genuinely happy people express “intrinsic values” through self-exploration and self-acceptance, by maintaining close personal relationships and developing “community feeling.” In contrast, those who exhibit “extrinsic values” associated with the pursuit of wealth, status and image tend to display narcissistic behavior, to be less empathetic, have lower self-esteem and have lifestyles that are less eco-friendly. Even at middle school age, materialistically oriented students are “less likely to do relatively simple things (for the environment) like turn off lights when no one is looking,” Kasser says, “and less likely to reuse stuff.”

So if you want to get on the track toward happiness — while lowering your carbon footprint — all roads lead to simple living. The simplicity table stands on four legs — environmental stewardship, thoughtful consumption, community involvement and financial responsibility — and strengthening one leg bolsters the others. For instance, when you decide to start commuting on the bus, you’ll save money, build community and become a better environmental steward, all in one. To get started, here are a few ideas for achieving a simpler lifestyle:

  • Published on Sep 8, 2008
Online Store Logo
Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368