Here are a few tips and takeaways from my favourite slow living channels on how to live simply in the city and craft a more sustainable, more fulfilling life.
If you’re like me then you aspire to live the romantic slow life surrounded by nature and creativity that people kindly share pieces of online.
I’m not under any illusions that it’s an easy life, but I’m still drawn to live more in tune with nature. While a cabin or tiny house in the country is not in my cards for the near future, I can always make the most of what I have now and live simply in the city.
Here are some tips I try to follow that most of us can incorporate into our lives 🙂
How to live simply in the city
Grow your own food
Growing your own food at home is surprisingly easy. While you probably won’t be self-sufficient in a bachelor apartment, the little things you can grow are so satisfying.
Start simply by growing from food scraps or buying seedlings. Feeling a little more adventurous? With a bright enough windowsill or a grow light, you can also grow plants from seeds in home-made pots!
If you’re lucky enough to have a backyard, it’s the perfect place to make a little garden bed, but a balcony with some sunlight will do just as well. I have a covered northwest facing balcony, so flowering veggies like peppers and tomatoes don’t do as well, but lettuce and herbs are happy and prolific. Some little peas even decided to make it!
If you don’t have any outdoor space, you can still grow sprouts in your kitchen (just make sure they drain well between waterings), or small herbs and veggies on a bright windowsill.
Now that you have some fresh veggies, you can use them too…
Learn to cook from scratch
I know living in the city can be expensive and sometimes it takes long working hours just to make ends meet. Even if you only have one day a week though, try making a favourite meal from the whole ingredients. It will take some time, but I promise it will be tasty thanks to all your effort (and often even better than takeout!)
Found a new love for home-made? You can also…
Explore things you can make yourself
From knitting your own sweater, to dying your own clothes, or whittling your own spoon… the opportunities of things you can make from scratch are truly endless. If you’re totally new to the craft, there are tons of kits and tutorials out there to make your first try a little easier. I recently made my own candle from a kit and it was fun, easy, and so satisfying!
In the city, we’re lucky to have so many people available to teach us their unique skills too, so you can find classes for a lot of fun things. I recently made this cream and sugar set at a pottery throwing workshop 🙂
Speaking of what’s available around you…
Find your local nature oasis and spend time there
There are often little pockets of greenery hidden throughout the city. Find your favourite spot and make it a habit to visit there and recharge.
If you’re lucky enough to have some land or a balcony, you can make it into your own little urban oasis as well.
Discover the joy of exploring your surroundings
Part of the charm of living rurally is taking walks through nature to find beautiful little hidden corners. You can do this in the city as well. Take a walk through a new neighbourhood and see what hidden gems you can find. Or if you want to get away from all the concrete, a little day-trip away from the city will likely bring you to some beautiful farms and nature get-aways.
Spend time with yourself
A big part of living simply is having more time for yourself. Is there some time in your day you could spend getting to know yourself better? Maybe you like to journal, meditate, or explore a hobby. Find some moments in your day or week where you can make time for yourself.
Fill your home with nature
Plants are a great way to instantly bring more life into your space. If you don’t have a green thumb though, you can always opt for fresh or dried flowers to brighten up your space and bring in that connection with nature.
If you love the rustic aspect of the simple life, maybe there are useful vintage items you can incorporate into your home.
Remember though, to try and…
Make due with what you have
Everything is so accessible in the city, but another part of simple living is problem-solving and seeing what you can do with the things you already own. You’d be surprised at your own ingenuity!
This is also a nice way to…
Take time to be grateful
With all the advertising we’re fed, it’s no wonder we’re always focused on the next new best thing that will magically make our lives better. Maybe all we’re missing to feel more fulfilled though, is to take a step back and enjoy what we already have around us.
Instead of focusing on the next new thing, try spend time with the people you love, or savouring unique experiences rather than filling your life with objects that only bring temporary joy.
What do you think? Excited about how to live simply in the city? Let me know your best-loved lifestyle tips in the comments below!
My favourite slow-living channels:
If you’re looking for even more inspiration on how to live simply in the city, here are some of my favourite channels to watch. I love the lifestyle and insights they share, which can really be applied wherever we are in the world.
Isabelle lives in a tiny house in the mountains of western USA. She is working to grow a garden so that she and her family can sell the harvest at local markets. She’s not shy about sharing some of the struggles of her life, but equally the joy and beauty that surrounds her. And it truly is stunning!
Like Isabelle, Eugenia lives in a tiny house, but this time in rural Portugal. She has the most beautiful garden, with plans to grow an even bigger food forest on their land in the coming years. I love permaculture and am so excited to see her beautiful abundant haven come together.
If you’re interested in slow living, then you’ve probably come across this popular channel. After having having a child and putting her career as a destination wedding photographer on hold, this creative wonder crafted a beautiful life – first in her 86m2 apartment – and then in a beautiful country house in Germany. She shares stunning recipe and make-it-yourself videos, all with the intention of creating a connected, wholesome life for her family 🙂
Thank you so much for reading. I hope you are feeling inspired, and found some actionable steps to live simply in the city and craft a life you love. Whether you aim for a more quiet life as well, or you’re all about the bustle, here’s to a beautiful and fulfilling life.
xoxo
Mariam
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