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 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’.
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. 🤦🏽♀️
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! 😄
Thanks so much! :) I agree, I actually think RU-vid 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!
Lovely :) And very true! Life is change, and thinking about the present in relation to the past isn't always helpful :) It really helps if we can see the positive sides of change :)
My screen free hobbies are reading, making soap, and running! Sometimes I wish I didn't have tiktok, Facebook, or other social media but I need it for my business 😐
@@SimpleHappyZen I love this idea! I will def try this out :) I notice that sometimes when I'm on social media, my mood is negatively affected by it. Will try to limit social media time
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 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.
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.
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 find my worst problem is being harassed and questioned about what I am not joining everything that they are in. I ven had a good friend tell me I must be bored because of the books I read. I like non-fiction a lot because I feel like I learn something from every one of these books and they are not all self help books. I get stressed with their opinions and sometimes lie about what I am reading or why I am not doing what they are and I am 76 😳
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
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!
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.
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!
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! 😘😘
I think people with low or no income (besides the existential minimum) will struggle to afford the unhurried program. Its price could and should be charged with high income managers that lead busy lives, but for a low income regular person that might be stressed by their financial struggle (and have to work more side jobs, etc) it doesn't seem too appropriate. Work went into the program when it was created, but multiple people will purchase it and offer compensation for it this way. Accessibility is important and doesn't mean working for free.
Hi Maximilian, thank you for sharing your thoughts and feedback. I created my paid courses and ebook as an extra type of content that is more detailed and extensive than a video can be. However, 90% of the content I create is available for free. My paid courses are part of why I'm able to make a living with my work, and help me to keep making free resources in the future as well. I always prioritize fair pricing for the paid content I create, both for my students as well as for the amount of work and costs I put into the products. While the initial work to create the courses is done, I continue to put time and effort into helping my students and keeping the materials up to date. There are also many costs that come into play when you're a content creator, that you might not know about. For example, the platform I use to host the courses requires an annual fee, plus payment and processing fees. In order to keep my job as a fulltime independent content creator financially viable, I need several income streams to work together. If you're interested in learning more about the financial side of being a small RU-vidr, I talk more about it in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-s1g8TKxMKCQ.html I hope this answers your question. Have a nice rest of your day
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
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.
I agree about pretty much everything that you said:) The only social media I check besides of RU-vid 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 :)
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 ❤
@@SimpleHappyZen Ok I hope you can adopt some of your own. you ned at least 2 because they need company. Spay and neuter first . 2 males or 2 females is good
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 😊🌷
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.
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?
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.
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!
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!
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.
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 ! ❤
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.
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 & RU-vid. My off screen hobbies are singing, writing songs, hiking, gardening, crotcheting and sometimes reading books 💗
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!
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 :))
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.
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
i was told once that cleaning your house 80% instead of 100 or 120 is enough. nobody knows what that number means anyway as it is just a subjective feeling in our heads that has nothing to do with reality.
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
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! 🪴🌵 🌸
I have a few hobbies but one of my favorite things to do is going to a “moestuin”. There is a place called the “Mengelmoestuin” its magical. In bergambacht. I go work there as a volunteer every Thursday.
@@SimpleHappyZen if you live anywhere nearby, the Mengelmoestuin is open on Friday for visitors. Have a tea in the gardens is like heaven. Highly recommend
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 :-)
Thank you so much Christine! 🤗🍵 About the tea, I think it's a combination of the high quality of the tea I use and the preparation method. Especially when it comes to Japanese green tea, the way you prepare it makes all the difference. In this video, I think I also used some b-roll with green tea that was a blend of sencha and matcha, so that's also why it was so green. If you're interested, I talk more about which green tea I like to use in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tJSBNmul2OE.html I have another collaboration with them coming up next month, so I might have a discount code available then as well :)
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.
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.
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've been learning more about minimalism and simple living. Have watched videos from different people. Often, I see people's breakfast and it looks like the popular morning meal is a bowl with bananas, berries and...is it oatmeal? or crunchy cereal/grains? It seems so repetitive. So I wonder, do simple living people eat eggs & bacon, or pancakes for breakfast? and do they drink things besides tea? Is having a steak, well-done, with a little barbecue sauce going against the simple living philosophy? Are simple living people Vegans? Do they drink coffee? or eat Pizza? Maybe they do, but I don't see it in any videos. Usually just more berries/bananas/tea. The Netherlands looks beautiful. Good scenic photography. I am also curious about riding a BUS for a trip out of town. Suppose you rode a Bus, or a Train, about 50 miles out of town one-way, and then back. How much would such a bus or train ticket cost? Suppose you stayed in your city. Can you buy a local Bus-pass or ticket that is good for 1 month of rides? What is downtown like in the 2 largest cities in the Netherlands? Is it safe? Are large bookstores popular? Are there many radio stations (more than 5) ? Are the beaches crowded? How much does it rain? How bad is traffic? Does it take most people more than 30 minutes to drive home from work? I am in the USA. Your videos are very helpful and informative. Thank you! :)
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. 🌸🌸🌸
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 )
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.
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 😂
No screen hobbies are walking, reading and card making. Question: I may need to live in care home soon and am trying to figure out how I can share a space, there is a wall dividing you, with another person. Any suggestions? A single private room is too expensive for me. Thank you.
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 RU-vid videos to help me and going for walks.
I have a cleaning routine and sticking to it means I don't have to think about cleaning outside of that. Are you playing music in the background? It's rather unsettling and makes it harder to listen to your words
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.
Hi Vera. How are you? Hope everything is fine.. Very genuine and clear-cut observation and most important you experienced it. Great job 👍 Enjoy moments 🎉🎉
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 ♥️💚💙💛💜💗🖤🧡❤️
