I don’t know about you but every time I get on social media or turn on the TV there is a surplus of information, advertisements, trends and more being thrown in front of my eyes. The seems to always be something to looking, do, buy, or listen to. It takes a toll on my mental load after a while.
It seems as if we have a million and one outward pressures telling us we need this product or that item to keep up with the trends around us and it can be exhausting. Or maybe it’s not a product but a new lifestyle change you have to implement in order to make your home as “healthy” as possible. Whatever it is, the world’s input can be very loud sometimes. I can always tell that I am trying to chase these outward pressures when nothing I have seems to keep my attention for long. I’ve realized this about myself and our culture during the last few years because contrary to popular belief, life can remain very simple and still have lots of value. For example, I know in my heart that I am so blessed with family, love, and even material things but something always seems to catch my eye when I lose focus making me think that this or that will fix whatever problem I am currently facing.
It has taken a lot of intention and perspective to realize that chasing all the worldly things only leaves me wanting more. There is no deeper satisfaction in it and no matter what I do, there is always something more. A new fashion trend, a new way to organize your home, a new TV show you have to binge watch, a new way to be healthy, etc. In a lot of ways, I believe motherhood has allowed me to take a step back and see the bigger picture. Raising our babies has put into perspective what truly matters. I have been forced to slow down and conserve my mental energy. As a first time mom, I was bombarded with advertisements and sample products for our baby registry to fill a purpose with each little milestone. But after that first year with our daughter, I realized just how little is truly needed. For our twins we barely bought anything except for the bare minimum and honestly, we were a lot more confident and happy in doing so.
The world is constantly telling us we need this or that to stay on trend or fix whatever problem you have beit organization, outdates wardrobes, the next biggest design trend, etc. Sure, sometimes little gadgets and time-saving tips are super helpful to manage our crazy, chaotic lives. But sometimes all we need is to take a step back and slowly live our lives day-to-day. In this season of raising 3 under 3, we don’t have time to keep up with the world. We don’t have time to pursue every new trend or have all the latest baby gadgets. We also don’t have the mental capacity to get out and do all the things for each holiday or season. Sure, we love to do some but we also recognize the beauty and benefit of living life in the simplest form.
I know this stage of life won’t last forever and the next season will bring its own challenges. But I also know that living up to the world’s standards doesn’t get us super far either. And deciding to take the road less traveled is exactly what we need for now.
So here is to living simply & slowly in a world that suggests otherwise. For us, we know it will be less stressful and is exactly what we need to live a more peaceful life in this moment. Below are some ways in which we are choosing to live slowly in this season…Much love to you all, friends!
- Minimal and borrowed baby gadgets that only last a short season/milestone
- Thrifted baby clothes (they grow out of them so fast anyways)
- Purging our closets to keep things simple and minimize the mental load
- Selling our things on marketplace and in thrift stores
- Taking time to contemplate need when making purchases online (not getting swept up in good marketing)
- Unsubscribing to emails so that we are less tempted to buy more
- Not putting pressure on our selves to go to every event we are invited to (it’s hard to get all the babies out and it’s okay to stay home more in this season)
- Donating toys that we don’t play with to keep things minimal even in our children’s lives
- Looking into homeschooling in the future
- Being okay with a life that looks different than the culture around us
