10 Things I do to keep my life simple and calm
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- Опубликовано: 2 июл 2024
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When it comes to living a more peaceful, simple and calm life, it’s not always easy to know how to achieve it. Especially in today’s world. We wake up feeling rushed, we go from one activity to the next, and having a few moments of peace can oftentimes seem impossible.
In today's video I share 10 things I do to keep my life simple and calm. These are small changes I've made to how I live my everyday life that together, allow me to live a more peaceful life. If you want to simplify your life, oftentimes it's the small things that have the biggest impact.
We all live different lives. So feel free to pick and choose and get inspired about ways you could apply simple living, in a way that resonated with you and fits your lifestyle.
Lots of love,
🌼 Vera
VIDEO CHAPTERS
» Changing my life 0:00
» Expectations around cleaning 1:02
» Time buffer zone 2:16
» Prioritizing comfort 3:23
» Morning ritual 4:27
» Social media 5:26
» Inviting creativity 6:18
» Screen-free hobbies 7:43
» Cooking & Eating 8:31
» Over-scheduling 9:37
» Slowing down your head 10:34
» Unhurried 11:44
» Final thoughts & recommendations 12:32
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Hi my friends! What’s something you do to keep your life simple and calm? I’d love to hear.
Still a work in progress for me💚🍀
I make fishing videos for a living. I have found a LOT of peace and calm by leaving my camera gear at home and just fishing for the love of it more often.
I still film my adventures, but not all of them and I've reduced my uploads to 3 per week, down from 4 or 5.
This reduced schedule has really brought a lot more calm and peace to my life.
So, here I am, making my bed, getting dressed, fixing breakfast, etc. and realize I do love my routines, my usual ways of doing certain things. That's what I do to keep my life simple and calm. Yep, routines, the usual way of approaching tasks. They're not habits, however, which I find hugely different.
I recently joined a gym (again) because I found myself taking care of everyone's needs except my own. I love the way I feel after I work out and consider it part of my self care.
I do 10 minutes meditation and/or yoga before heading to work (in retail 😖)
I'm a former Paramedic who was working in the most stressful environments in the world, and after working in Ukraine I really burned out and couldn't function for a while. I found your videos after trying to recover and heal, and after figuring out I'm actually an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person, with a strong personality), I realized that I need to build a peaceful and stable, simple life (and have been doing exactly the opposite my whole life).
Really your videos are showing me everything that I can do right in order to have more self care and to create a life that's pleasant, and not to live according to what others think you should be. I'm implementing them and seeing such a positive difference in my mood and focus, and my quality of life. Sincerely, thank you for this endeavor, and I hope many other HSP people will benefit.
Well done, I’m pleased you’ve managed to change things in your life to suit you now. Your previous career shows great dedication to helping others, and is wonderful and not at all easy to achieve day after day.
However when it starts to affect you physical health and/or your mental health it takes great courage to not only recognise that, but to do something about😂🎉🎉 it. Wishing you all the best.
My favorite non-screen activity is doing 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzles while listen to music CDs.
Ah that's so cool! :)
I share your thoughts on how clean my house is now, I used to be so stressed trying to keep it spotless, now I live by the mantra, ‘clean enough to be healthy, dirty enough to be happy’.
Oh I absolutely love that!!! Gonna steal that one 😄
Great Mantra! 😀
I can’t claim to have come up with that, I read it elsewhere, it’s quite a good one though!
I love that!
Wow I will really need to copy your words to remind me because I have been feeling tired because of I had to keep clean stuff in my apartment cos I always think that my place is not clean enough. 🤦🏽♀️
My screen free hobbies are quilting, fused glass work, and painting with ink. I also love reading, cooking, and gardening. I’ve always been hobby/art oriented. I know that without them I would go crazy. These activities calm my soul and bring me peace.
They all sound so wonderful. What's fused glass work?
My screen free hobby is embroidery and reading with a cup of tea 🍵 ☺️
My screen free hobbies are sewing, reading, yoga, sitting outside enjoying nature.
Love it! :)
Dear Vera, the world makes me feel sad, angry and hopeless, but seeing you is always a beam of light, no matter what you talk about 💕
That's so sweet, thank you Lucy. :) The world makes me feel like that sometimes too. The best thing for me when I feel like that, is getting back to the present moment by focusing on my senses and my direct environment. Taking a few deep, conscious breaths. Take care!
Mee too ❤ your videos is so calming to me 😊❤🙏 thank you 🙏
My favourite screen-free hobbies are:
- driving a car off town
- gardening with my cat nearby
- listening to music with closed eyes
- inline skating on a path along the river
- reading in a hamaca while rocking slightly
I've noticed that with being a new empty nester, the house is much cleaner/minimal. When having children, you just want to be with them 24/7 so it's easy to forget about cleaning often or regularly. Plus, you have a lot more stuff in general. You always hear people say, "you can clean when the kids are grown, don't waste time focusing on that when they are little bc they grow up too fast." While this is sadly true, having a clean 🏡home makes me feel peaceful and I really think that it is still important to keep the house in check with regular routines if you want to be relaxed and want to truly enjoy your family. These days, my husband & I enjoy a minimalist home and I love it. The kids ( now age 21 & 24 ) sometimes say when they stop in to visit that it looks a bit sparse but I figure, that's just bc they grew up in a house filled with a somewhat cluttered mess around them.
To keep my peace, I also enjoy:
Guarding my schedule carefully i.e. saying no thank you easily to extra committments/ requests without feeling guilty
Reading ( screen -free fiction books 📚 and my Bible :)
Cleaning ( because I'm one of those rare people who actually enjoys cleaning as a stress or anxiety reliever... Somehow regular routines of lightly cleaning keep me focused and happy! )
And, in regard to over-scheduling I thought this statement was worth mentioning. At church, we love doing our service. But, the guy who organizes the jobs gives us a choice each week to accept or decline our service for that week. And he always has this statement... "We want more for you than from you so please take the time off that you need when you need it."
This just makes me smile when I read this in the email each week! So I wanted to share. Have a blessed week and Easter!
Walks in nature as often as I can 🙏😊😍
I love to garden, sewing, and going for walks.
Lovely :)
I just wanted to say thank you for the quality of your uploads. They are deeply appreciated.
Some thoughts on boosting your creativity from a musician.
1. Be prepared to play.
2. Don’t stop when you find the first solution. Let it sit.
3. In order to be extremely creative, accept that most of your ideas will not be zingers, but the bad ones are still important to your development.
4. Comparison is the thief of joy (this one took me a long time).
5. Be gentle with yourself. Everyone is naturally creative when they put out a restraining order on their internal critic.
Thank you for the stellar content you provide.
Thanks so much!!! That's very helpful 😄🍵
Thank you, I like to practice #2, since I'm a software developer so sometimes I need to re-think. And regarding number 5, it took me years to realize that we don't belong to boxes, we're allowed to pursue creativity even if we perceive us as people of hard sciences.
@@CrisTryingToBeProductive I think #2 is the one principle overlooked by those who do not consider themselves to be creative. Regarding #5, I wish I had cut myself more slack in my teens, 20s and 30s, but better late than never. The history of the hard sciences show numerous examples of wonderful ‘corkscrew’ thinking which has lead to breakthroughs. I’ve taken much inspiration from the sciences. I treat music as the mathematics of emotion. I usually find my initial ideas tend to be based on previous well worn experience, but if I push a little further, then i find myself nudging into new territory. I have a pianist friend who is a coder by day and he incorporates time to play with ideas (ie limiting the options/blending contradictory approaches etc) into his day job too. This can be extremely difficult in a work culture that demands an immediate results rather than the best result. Good on you for not suppressing the creative instinct. There is a lot to be said for nurturing the ability to elegantly play with ideas. All the very best.
I’m a grad student so for me screen-free hobbies are essential since I’m on my computer so much. I love cross country running, it relieves stress and lets me enjoy nature. I also enjoy taking my pet tortoise for walks outside, where he can graze on the clovers and get some natural sunlight. Spending time outside has definitely prevented the burnout I see in some of my classmates.
So important to get away from your computer when you're a student :)
I still read books, and my bus commute is my most dedicated time to read. One hobby is walking in a wooded park, wide-open shoreline, or to see the gardens in people's front yards. I translate stories into Esperanto and do that on paper. Cooking is also a hobby. My roommate paints.
You have a pet tortoise????😫 this is the cutest thing ever
@@bellastrange7477 exactly what I was thinking!! 😮
@@bellastrange7477 Thanks! He’s a rescue and he’s 10 years old. He’s the perfect pet for grad school because he’s very interactive but us also fine being in the tortoise pen I made him when I’m away. He just digs in the mulch and basks under the heat lamp while I’m gone.
My screen free hobbies are, reading, needlework, knitting and crochet. I love to sit outside and watch nature or come inside and listen to some calming music. I don't own a TV which many of my friends think is odd but I get so much more done without it. I live in a senior assisted living place and I have a roommate, dine with 48 other people and usually am surrounded by others. I treasure my quiet times as they are so rare. Sometimes, you just have to stop, be silent and just breathe. I've learned to treasure the small things, the scent of a good cup of coffee or fragrant tea, a beautiful bird song or a cute thinking of you card sent by a friend. My mother always said that dust will always be there but we won't. Sometimes, you really just have to stop and smell the roses. Thank you for your video and courses. They've taught me so much ! ❤
Wow thank you so much Mary, loved reading your comment 🤗💕🌷
I do nature ....cleaning....etc l ...oversheduled... Have time for myself ..learning ....to sleep early and wake up early makes me a happy...one tq
I don't watch TV, only I like to watch cartoon occasionally, but recently I've realised that my phone is taking up way too much of my time and as a results I don't get my work done and then I get frustrated and stressed. Now I am trying to ignore my phone as much as possible and it feels great. So my screen-free hobbies: I love to crochet, I do it every evening if possible, I have infrasauna and I read books there, I go for walks, I workout with weights and I am also a POP Pilates instructor. Besides that I have a garden and I love to cook and bake. 😊......many times, your videos reminded me rather obvious things and I thank you for that. 🌸🌸🌸
My free screen hobbies are sewing, knetting and reading books😊🤓👌
Lovely :)
Due to a TBI I have had to give up many activities because of severe balance problems. No more horse competitions, backpacking or hiking.
I now read, crochet and quilt. It has been a rough adjustment but I can do hard things. My former hobbies have taught me this.
I'm not able to attend many concerts, but planning to take the next day off gives me the freedom to enjoy it much, much more.
Yes, that's also a good one :) I don't really go to many concerts either, just the bands I really love:)
My screen-free hobbies are long walks and cooking. I also like learning and teaching Russian language, I am using my creativity when preparing fun lessons.
Hi from Sweden!
I feel a need to write a comment on how lovely your voice is and how calm your videos are.
Sometimes I can feel how my body and mind just can’t handle it because I’m in, what I before called The Zone, and I didn’t want to be relaxed of your voice.
Now I know better. I know that The Zone was just a fancy word of being addicted to stress.
Your advices, your voice and your calm videos has made me realize what a crazy life I am living. There is a higher meaning to why your videos kept showing up in my feeds, I need to listen and learn from you.
Thank you for your hard work, it is changing my life.
Thank you so much for your kind words, so happy to hear my videos are helpful for you in that way! Take care my friend, sending you a big hug
My Screen free hobbies? I really enjoy meditating twice a day, jigsaw puzzles, swimming, learning languages and playing with my cats. It's just really mind boosting to be away from screens. I don't have social media either, it raises eyebrows from others but I'm happier for it. Im not influenced by what others are doing so I can focus on my own skills and also as you say it's a huge time drainer. In 2 hours I could work on my swimming fitness or develop new vocabulary in my language learning. But it really depends on how others want to spend their time. I want to spend mine learning and developing.
Love that so much!
Plant chores, sitting outside with nature, or walking in nature, reading and colouring! (140 house plant mom here) seems excessive but lots are small and spread all over) this keeps me busy in the most positive way possible. Between watering, fertilizing, cleaning leaves, turning them for light, and repotting etc it keeps me busy when I’m not doing school work. They bring me so much peace and joy! 🪴🌵 🌸
How nice to have so many plant friends.
Wow your plants get a lot of love 😄🌿
My screen free time is gardening, flowers and vegetables
I do crochet for 3 -4 years, daily!
I enjoy adult colouring and mosiac projects 🌿
Ah I love it!
Minimalism is not only about decluttering stuff but also how you set your mindset and manage every single aspect in our life
Yes! :)
Oh my! Just some days ago I had an appointment with my doctor about some strange symptoms I have and he said that they are caused by stress. Thank you very much. I needed this! 😘😘
You're very welcome Irene, so sorry to hear you're having some stress symptoms. Take good care, sending you some calming vibes 🌺
please take best care of yourself. Sending you happiness & love. ☺️🥰
@@rupinderkaur5494 Thank you very much! I wish you the best and have a great Easter holiday!😃😃
My neurologist told me that too lol
@@lowwastehighmelanin I hope you will get better soon.💙
Also colour therapy is helpful. I started to think of different colour s i like like a therapy itself. Ive seen green and yellow give me energy and hapiness , white and black make me most happy and violet exudes beauty and elegance. I observed these things so I use them more often, yes, colour therapy is a great form of self care and I recomend this to everyone
Ah very interesting, thanks for sharing! :)
I like every single video you make and I also read your ebook. I am 30 something but I am always tired because I am very shy and hypersensitive. Finally I feel normal and understood ❤
Thank you so much for your kind comment Elaisa. :) I'm really happy my content is providing value for you in that way! You're definitely normal 🤗💕
This resonates with me. I’ve identified that my biggest anxiety trigger is feeling rushed so giving myself extra time to get somewhere really helps as well as intentionally creating slow moments in my day. I’ve been re-doing the Unhurried course this month and I think I’m just going to continue it for each month for the foreseeable future. That way I don’t feel pressure if I miss a day here or there but I’m consistently visiting the content and incorporating these slow living practices into my days. I feel like minimalism and slow living are game changers for me. 💖
I love that! 😄 Minimalism and slow living are definitely game changers for me too. That feeling of being rushed and having to run to catch the train for example is so annoying and it carries with me the whole day. Have a lovely rest of your day and see you tomorrow on Patreon! 😄
I think you are the best example of what you teach us. Your voice and smile are so serene, your skin is so smooth it doesn’t seem like you ever frown.
Aw thank you :)
I agree about pretty much everything that you said:) The only social media I check besides of RUclips is Instagram, and I only check it in the evening for a limited period of time, and only accounts that make me happy like cats accounts, kdrama related accounts, more cats...Since last summer, I replace some of my social time with a yoga session. I had noticed how some social medias would be make stressed and angry at the world and I didn't like that. So now, my evening winding down routine starts with a bit of yoga (doesn't have to be long, if I'm tired after work, I just do a 15 min), a nice shower, and a bit of happy Instagram. I used to think that I couldn't do yoga because I didn't have time but that was just an excuse. Most of us can find 15 min everyday, if we just put away our phones. The hardest thing is to get on the mat, that's why I love to practice at home. I don't have to get ready, or to feel feel self conscious, I can practice in my safe place and in my underwear if I want to 😂
Another that has helped me calm down was gaming. I know it's weird, it goes against everything I've heard or read, but when I'm very stressed I can't concentrate on a film, let alone a book and it's so frustrating. Gaming provides a escape from the world while keeping my mind engaged, and I always feel calmer after a good gaming session (of course, I mean playing quiet, relaxing games, not scary games or plateformer)
I don't have a lot of screen free hobbies I'm afraid. I like yoga, coloring books while listening peaceful music, doing things like painting my nails or doing hair masks, organising and re-organising my things, looking at pictures from when I was little, or simply spending time with my mom, my favourite thing.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts Cindy! Love what you shared about the benefits of just doing yoga in your own home, in your own space. That's exactly how I experience it too. I wouldn't do it regularly if I had to go to the gym or something. And also, love gaming too :)
My screen free hobies are, reading, coloring, drawing, crocheting, grounding/earthing, fishing, journaling, and a few others
.
I'm not really creative, i wish I am, I don't know how to start so what I do is, I write. I copy books. I feel that it benefits my mind.
My screen free hobbies are art and singing in my small studio. I find both incredibly calming.
The hobbies that calm me and make me happy are gardening and flower arranging. I especially like taking flowers and floral arrangements. Most of my friends have stuff and want less of it but most welcome flowers.
Screen free hobbies for me are singing, walks, coloring and talking with friends.
Lovely :)
Hi Vera! I always come back to your videos when I'm overwhelmed to find calmness :) I hope that you have been well!
Thank you so much 🤗🌷🌺 I've been doing well, hope you're doing well too!
So much of what you talk about really resonates with me. My calming activities are nature walks, stretching, reading, painting and drawing. Thanks again for such lovely and inspiring content.
I have always liked arriving places early to get my bearings and calm my ever-present anxiety. If for some reason I arrive exactly on time, I feel like I’m late!
I’ve recently started arriving to pick up my daughter after school about 45 min before school gets out. I used to arrive 20-25 min early and there would already be such a long line of cars waiting. It made me so anxious, especially when I would see my daughter standing waiting and I had to wait for all those other cars in front of me to move. Now I arrive 45 min early, I’m still not #1 in line, but usually #4-5 and I feel so much calmer inside. I sit and watch youtube videos while I wait!
Haha yes, I can feel a little late if I'm not early too haha. Also, so bizarre that there will already be a long line if you're 20-25 minutes early...
I work at a preschool and the first parents arrive at least 30 minutes early too
I've read the marines have a saying, "If you're not 15 minutes early, you're late."
How bizarre that parents have to wait in the car to pick up their kids! (And that you have to wait till the cars before you are gone.)
Here in the Netherlands everyone just walks to school or comes by bike, or parks the car a few streets further and walks the last part. Parents do arrive early but they just stand on the playground and talk to each other. Schools want to have the least amount of cars as possible in the streets because its just too dangerous for the children coming and going.
Ironically my screen free hobby WAS reading but I got a Paperwhite as a gift so i've moved books over to that. I rollerskate/blade and take random walks.
Love that! :) I don't know if your e-reader has the option of turning down (or switching off completely) the backlight, but that could help maybe :)
The tv in our dining area has broken. We spent all week eating togheter without any background noise...such a quality time. Now with the tv back we have fallen back to the old habits. Thank you for a reminder to focus on being more present in the mundane, everyday life 👏
Ah very interesting :) Thanks for sharing Lucia, take care!
A screen free hobby (and creative outlet), is storytelling with my best friend! We create these epic stories that last for months. It technically isn't screen free anymore, as we no longer live close enough to see each other everyday, so we Skype. I also love reading, writing (which sometimes does involve a screen), going for walks, and ballroom dancing.
Ah that's so cool, never heard of it :)
Your Channel and openness talking about your struggles helps me feel like I’m not alone. Because i relate to so much of it
As an HSP I try to wake up a couple of hours before my little family because then I have time to recharge and do some meditation before the day starts. I take many small breaks every day and try to do breathing exercises as much as I can when I need it 😊🌷
I love it! :)
@@SimpleHappyZen thank you and your video is great 😊🙏🌷
I'm absolutely thrilled to hear that you have some of the same needs that I do, such as a 'cool down' after a commute, etc. It makes me feel good to embrace my needs, rather than feeling like I must overcome them. Thank you!
Thanks Jennifer, it's totally normal :) No need to overcome anything :)
I love to go for walks around my neighborhood without my phone. I take it most other places with me in case of emergencies even if it's turned off but I love leaving it on the kitchen table when I'm not far from home. My husband and I enjoy going out to eat with our phones tucked away. I guess we actually enjoy each other's company :-)
Love that! Feels so much more free without your phone around :)
I permanetly deleted my Facebook account a year ago and don't miss it or ever plan on being back on. Same with Twitter. I now just have Instagram & RUclips. My off screen hobbies are singing, writing songs, hiking, gardening, crotcheting and sometimes reading books 💗
Love it!! Thanks for sharing
I have been working on a crochet baby blanket lately for a non screen hobby. I have had to tear things apart a few times. A new friend had been helping me with it.
I have been fitting in some short exercises using RUclips videos to help me and going for walks.
Love it! I tried knitting once, but let's just say I didn't have a natural talent for it hahaha.
I have changed my life by doing everything in 120km/h to 0km/h ... when i decide to do something i do it with mindfullness ... it works with almost everything like right now i am fixing a 50 year old bike i bought for 5 EUR :D and if it takes 1 day or 10 days it does not matter cause i take it easy and it is more fun when you can just take a break and sit and stare at the bike for 20 min without thinkig much ... i love mindfullness and i am so happy i found your youtube channel ...you are really inspiring (sorry for my english i am from Sweden :D )
I have a few screenfree hobbies. I'm a knitter, so I love to knitting to relax. I also like gardening and taking walks in nature.
Love it! I tried knitting a scarf once, it came out as a crooked flag 😂
I too have re-started prioritising comfort. I'd let it go for some years to adapt to fashion and trends. Then I say down and thought what was I doing. It has to be ultimately me. And it has had a huge impact now.
Thanks for sharing Jana! :) Funny how something like prioritizing comfort can have such a big effect, but it really does :)
For a while I really got into making beaded jewelry, earrings, bracelets, necklaces… for myself and for gifts. I also enjoyed decoupage and painting little pots and decorative items mostly for gifts. I kind of burned out on it, so I need to find a different screenless hobby 😂
Great tips...thank you. I love that one about guarding the calendar.... I find long walks and hiking in nature to be really helpful
Thank you so much Dina, I agree! :)
Thank you for all the great advices that are very life enriching 💚
As an Australian public transport user I sincerely endorse the "arrive early//have a buffer zone" method. Sometimes I need three bus connections and the Journey Planner service will often give me connections that are, for example, as little as two minutes apart. I'm keeping much calmer since I realised they basically have the same app I do. Now I check the app myself, I double walking times because I'm not a speed walker and I only phone the service if I need to confirm something or check the location of a stop, which I often do or I feel guilty at not doing my bit to encourage public service employment!
I always have a book, and my phone. I'm just doing what I'd probably be doing at home anyway--reading or scrolling. I've been surprised though how nice it sometimes is to sit sit and do absolutely nothing(except for reading bus numbers!)
I discovered a new found passion this year in bouldering! Great environment to socialise or just be alone and climb. Good workout too :)
Ah that sounds like fun! Never tried it :)
Hey,
I really enjoy watching your videos. I can relate to you in many ways like being HSP, and loving learning more about slow living and minimalism. Just wanted to let you know your content is great! Love it!
My screen free hobbies are gardening and riding my motorcycle. I also just love to read books not related to work and cooking new recipes and old. I love your channel!
Thanks so much Lee! :)
Hi Vera!
I really loved numbers 1 and 8. Cleaning my house actually puts me in a bad mood LOL. I know other people who find it energizing, and I kept pushing myself to be like them (telling myself that if I had a spotless house I would feel more relaxed, satisfied, or whatever). But it's just not true for me and I'm going to be a "3 or 4 star" person now too :) With respect to mindful eating, you are bang on. It's interesting because I would often feel SO exhausted and confused as to why, telling myself I wasn't doing "anything". But in reality was doing way do too much, on a micro level. Literally trying to eat my breakfast, while simultaneously emptying the dishwasher, replying to texts and listening to the news in the background. On a subconscious level it was so draining and I just never realized it. What a way to start my day! Now, I am so much happier focussing on one or two things at a time. PS your hair is gorgeous!
Love that so much Ellie!! I can really relate to what you said about feeling you weren't doing too much, but then realizing you were actually doing 5 things at once, which is very draining for our brain (especially in the morning time, it really has a big impact on the rest of our day :))
Very helpful my dear Vera! It reminded me how I can relax these quite stressful days that I have. Yes I do have screenfree hobbies, but mostly I spend time with my little daughter.
That's also a lovely way to spend the time of course :) Thank you, have a nice rest of your day!
Thank you for this video🙏💕after recently learning i'm a hsp all of these tips are really eye opening and helpful for me, so glad i found this channel!
So happy to hear that! :) Thanks Tara
Heart of Kentucky. Hello beautiful VERA, at SIMPLE HAPPY ZEN. I don't do well with keeping my place completely clean all the time either. I'm getting back into my musical instruments
I pray for you, your sweetheart, and your mother. Love you, Katie.
Thanks so much for your kind comment Katie and for your support and always thinking of us 🤗💖💕 Hope you're having a good week so far!
I live in the Philippines and my screen free time is playing golf in the mornings after a quiet and mindful breakfast.
Thank u for this vid. Your 2nd point resonates with me - i try to buffer in time for arriving early each time i go for an appointment, especially if there is space to walk about & just have a moment to explore, even if just to sit on a bench & people watch. That is such a great habit as it calms you down & makes people appreciate that you make the effort not to take their time for granted (by being late & hassled). The appointments always flow smoothly after that. :)
Exactly!! :) Thanks so much for sharing. I've also found that appointments flow more smoothly if I do it like this, and it's been a game changer for important meetings like job interviews too.
My screen-free hobby is Barbie dioramas and decorating Barbie houses.
Oh that's something I haven't heard before! 😄
Hi Vera ! I’m happy to see you and your video ! Yes I’m agree about this video! Thanks a lot
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Thank you so much Linda, have a wonderful rest of your day! 🤗
Excellent advice re: social media. I too make my living on RUclips. I have a public Facebook page to share my videos, but no account to browse Facebook. Deleting it was an absolute game changer for my mental health.
And... I also agree on guarding my calendar. Some days it seems like I live my life for other people. Everyone seems to want to put their finger on my time.
I have had to learn to say NO and put up boundaries.
Excellent video Vera, excellent advice right across the board. Well done.
Thanks so much Robbie :) Happy you agree about the social media, even if you make a living online :)
I love to paint-mostly Watercolour, I also knit and sew. Whenever possible I go birdwatching with my husband and that really calms me down and I am ready to take on the stresses of life again...😊
Oh I love that!! Watching the birds is also one of my faves, we have a lot of them here
hi vera,I always come back to your videos to find calm and to navigate towards slow living. thank you for sharing the tips about the clean home. it resonate with me, because I feel exhousted to clean all the time, that I’, 7 month pregnant. hope all is weel on your side.
I really enjoyed this video thank you! Downgrading your expectations to 3/5 for cleaning is something I think I will adopt, as I always feel stressed about never being on top of everything. I love hobbies and arts and crafts. Currently I love to crochet as well as tatting (it’s an ancient craft for making handmade lace) as well as cooking and gardening. Getting outside at least one to two times a day is crucial for my mental health I have found
Happy to hear that one resonated with you Melissa :) It has been a big change for me for the better. :) Also, love the hobbies!
I never think about arriving early before. I will apply this in my life for sure. Thank you for sharing valuable tips.
Happy to hear it! :) Take care and have a lovely day!
Vera please make a video on meditation & mindfulness
Vera thanks for sharing 💜 I too do not any longer obsess about cleaning the house I feel much calmer and less bored about it! I do art to feel grounded I'm glad you're reconnected to your creative side I'm really excited for you Vera loved this video💜
Thanks so much for the kind words Deborah :) Have a lovely day!
Hi Vera my no screen hobbies are reading, walking and a new recent one from watching your channel self care ❤️ thank you as always 🤗
Love that!! :) Have a great day and see you again this weekend
As always your intentional living is inspirational ❤️
Thank you so much Anita :)
So glad your channel was suggested to me. Trying to take it slowly and be more mindful lately, not an easy task for mums, but possible. I really like the way you talk, with calm and happy voice. Also beautiful sunny curls you've got🌼 cheers🤗
Thank you so much for leaving such a sweet comment!
Helpful & useful advice as always! “intentional” is a step before wu wei = action without intention= zen
Thank you! :) Also, I love a good matcha latte 😄
Hi Vera, my new favourite screen-free hobby is mending my clothes. I really enjoy art-making but I often find that I get frustrated when I create something that has no real use except being beautiful. I found a really cool book about clothes mending and was inspired to gather together all my damaged clothes and start working through them. I have been using embroidery stitches to make mends that are sometimes invisible and sometimes purposefully visible and cool looking. It combines so many things I want to do - be creative, appreciating my belongings and the work and resources that went into them, save things from going to landfill, and not stare at screens, and end up with something useful and beautiful again. Btw I love your idea of always being at least 30 min early for things, I think I’ll try it out as an antidote to my usual pattern of planning to arrive just in time and often ending up late and stressed.
Ah that's so cool! Thanks for sharing Lucy
Can you share the book's title? Thank you
@@Shamizen yep, it’s called “Mend! a refashioning manual and manifesto” by Kate Sekules. I’ve also found lots of other really good ones at my local library, but that one isn’t just about how to mend, it also has some really interesting history about about clothing and mending, and tables showing how to mend huge numbers of different fabrics.
Staying off social media except for RUclips. Thanks Vera for sharing great tips. Hugs and love ❤
Thanks so much! :) I agree, I actually think RUclips isn't really social media, it's more like a search engine, but it does have many social media elements. I just love it so much as a resource and also as entertainment and relaxation :) Have a great day!
My screen free hobby is skiing and painting!!! Love it!
Awesome! I've never been skiing before
giving up on social media is really calmer
Hello Vera, so appreciate how well you articulate your experiences and advise. Your content is perfectly aligned with the mindfulness and self care practice that I’m developing for myself at age 51! You are educating both my husband and I about our own emotional intelligence, empathy, sensitivity and even burnout 🙏🏻 your heart is so kind
Green tea is great start of my morning 🍵🌱!
Yes, there's nothing like it! 😄🍵
@@SimpleHappyZen and preparing and eating food is one of my favourite
I gave up social media back in 2012. Best choice ever. My hobbies are crocheting, reading, baking and being in nature.
Love it! 😄
It’s the first video I watch of you, I found it by chance, when looking for art journaling, but I decided to listen till the end and I am so glad I did, because I do many of the things you do and some people find me crazy! I always arrive early, I leave the house much earlier to go to a place or to work, in order not to be stressed if something delays me, I do things today that I could do next week, because I have the time now and I feel at peace knowing that if something happens, the task is already done, etc. This causes people to think that I am eccentric in a bad way. And I could mention other things you do that I do as well and that make other people look at me as if I were an alien! So I feel very happy and validated even to have listened to you and knowing that there are people like me and we’re definitely not crazy. Thank you for sharing your experience. I have lots of non screen related activities, such as art journaling, stitching, embroidery, crochet, drawing, painting and crafting, and that’s so good for my mental health. Love from Portugal ♥️💚💙💛💜💗🖤🧡❤️
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These are good ideas. I like to spend time during the week trying new plant based recipes. That would be my hobby. And if course taking leisurely walks outdoors. Even walking around in a cemetery is calming.
Cooking and trying new recipes is so much fun! :)
Still working on letting go of the need to have things perfect. I am also much more aware of the negative self talk now. Taking time to rest is now a
new priority. Thank you for making me feel less alone with these tendencies.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts Amanda, happy you're enjoying my videos :)
I like gardening as a screen-free hobby. Even though I only have a small balcony, but still, I'm growing tomatoes and dahlias and have house plants. They help me reduce stress.
That's so cool! :) I can see myself enjoying that, maybe one day I'll start a balcony garden too :)
Vera, thank you for making this video. It is a reminder for me to slow down and do screen-free things. I enjoy colouring different shapes. This hobby gives me that child like happiness. I also enjoy reading very much. Nothing beats a good book and a relaxed space.
Love that!! Thanks for sharing :) I think I'll steal your idea and just try some colouring and doodling different shapes for a while, to get used to being more creative with drawing and art )
@@SimpleHappyZen Yes, please. Share your little art work with us as well :) when we all are feeling child like glee it breaks us free from all the bloackages we create in ourselves :)
Hi, maybe you can add anew topic on how to minimise the impact of your HSP triggers on a spouse or family member, and in terms of how to respectfully ask people your love to help with your needs?
Thank you so much for your video...very helpfulxxx
Happy to hear it!! :)
I have learned to actually like cleaning. I feel accomplished. Now, I'm a housewife so it's my daily thing lol.
I would say get off social media, it's negative and contributes nothing to well being. I got rid of it in 2016 and haven't looked back. Life is peaceful and genuinely happy 😊 I focus on my own life and community. Also, turn off that t.v. Also very toxic.
Getting outside in the sunshine, talking walks is also very therapeutic for me.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, happy to hear you're also enjoying a social media free life :)
For me fortunately I do not live far from the beach and at times I would just drive those few minutes and sit in the car and watch the waves, or get out and go for a walk. Nothing like fresh sea air to blow away the cobwebs.
Thank you for the video and I hope you have a wonderful day. ... 🇭🇲
Oh man that sounds soooooo wonderful 😍 We're heading for the beach for a couple of days in May, can't wait.
@@SimpleHappyZen Oh that sounds exciting. I am sure we would love to see some of the local photos in one of your videos :)
Honesty, as soon as I clicked the video I immediately felt relaxed! I even smelled Chamomile tea!
Aw that's so nice! :)
Offline hobbies are one thing, and I do try to make time for them whenever I have the extra time. Because my situation in particular does cause me overwhelm or stress sometimes depending on different factors within my schedule at work or school , I'm finding that self care needs to be a bigger priority to help reduce these feelings. Journaling really helps with this sometimes, but some other activities I also love doing is taking baths, doing some yoga/light stretching or taking the time to meditate. Thank you for this video, Vera ❤️
Love that Amy :) You have so much on your plate, definitely lots of self care is needed too :)
I so needed to hear this, it's time !!
You can do it! :)
Thank you for another wonderful video!
You're very welcome, glad you enjoyed it 🤗🌺 Have a nice rest of your day!