Check out why below.

What Are the Material Things in Life?

Material things are tangible items that you buy with money.

Examples of the material things most people aspire to have are a big house/apartment, a nice car, luxury clothes, shoes, accessories, bags, new furniture and appliances, in short, things to show off.

Is It Bad to Like Material Things?

It’s not bad to like material items, and there is no way to live completely without any material goods. 

But the problem occurs when they become the center of your life. If you only value materialistic things you own or wish to possess you lose focus on what’s really important in life. 

You concentrate only on making money to buy the things you don’t have, usually to impress other people.

What materialistic people don’t realize is that shopping and material possessions provide only short-term happiness. And to keep that feeling of excitement of buying a new item you need to continue buying new things. 

This action traps you in a vicious circle of spending and prevents you from ever being completely satisfied. 

Why Material Things Will Never Make You Happy

As already mentioned, materialistic people are less likely to be happy because material goods provide only short-term happiness. 

After you acquire material objects to sustain your happiness, dissatisfaction continues. This discontentment is inevitable since material goods are ultimately incapable of creating deep, lasting satisfaction.

Although material objects provide a level of pleasure, they are incapable of fulfilling the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Long-term happiness can only come from other places like family, hobbies, career, traveling, etc.

5 Reasons Why Things Will Never Make You Happy

Here are 5 main reasons why material things don’t make you happy in the long run.

1. There Are Always New Things to Buy

The novelty of new objects wears off pretty quickly while leaving you feeling empty after a short while. 

In order to sustain your happiness with physical things, you need to keep buying new stuff thus going in circles and continuing spending money.

Chasing trends and new releases is a wild goose chase. You will never be able to keep up with all the new things that come up and thus you will always stay behind.

2. Nothing Lasts Forever 

Possessions require maintenance and they lose value over time. 

Material things that make you happy last only so long and you have to put effort to keep them last as long as they can. 

The more things you own, the more time, money, and effort you have to invest. While shopping, consider buying quality over quantity, thus putting your money into things that will certainly last longer.

Lastly, nothing lasts forever, and the material goods you were so happy to own will eventually break down. 

If you become emotionally tied to your material possessions you will feel disappointment and sadness when they stop working or fall apart. 

Don’t let your belongings manage your emotional state.

3. Keeping up With the Joneses Is Impossible

You will never be able to compete with everybody if you compare material things that you possess with those of others.

While you might have more stuff than a regular Joe you will always be behind somebody because keeping up with the Joneses is impossible.

Don’t let comparison be the thief of your joy. Live your life the way you want to and spend time on things and activities you enjoy. That will lead you to a long-term state of happiness.

4. Clutter Leads to Stress

More things mean more things to clean up and clutter leads to stress. 

Instead of constantly decluttering to keep your home tidy next time apply principles of minimalist shopping while you are on the hunt for something new.

Cluttering your home will not bring you happiness it will only lead you to more stress and anxiety. Keep your home clean and tidy and be selective of the things you bring in.

This will bring you much more satisfaction than shopping.

5. Non-material Things Lead to Greater Satisfaction

Non-material things like your time and experiences are more valuable than material things. 

Material things might cover your wants, but non-material things like spending time with your family, enjoying your free time, and having a nutritious dinner will cover most of your needs.

Possessions are not important in the long span of life. They should only serve their purpose in our lives, and not dictate the direction our lives take.

Make sure you balance the non-material and material things in your life and you will be calm and happy for a long time.

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How to Be Happy in Life – Conclusion

As previously stated, material goods are incapable of creating long-term satisfaction.  

All the belongings mean nothing if you don’t have people you love by your side. 

The best recipe for a happy life is to do things you love to do, spend time with people you love, and contribute to the community around you. All the other things can make you happy but only for a short time. 

Longlasting happiness comes from a simple and quiet life without a lot of stress and anxiety.

It’s not easy to achieve but it pays off to work hard on. 

The post Material Things Will Never Make You Happy – Here’s Why appeared first on Rebi Simple Living.

When simplicity is the goal in life, most of your worries will disappear. You can focus more on what’s really important and be truly happy.

What Is Simplicity in Life?

Simplicity in life is a state of mind where simplicity has been achieved. 

Living a simple life does not mean living an impoverished one, though it may seem like that to some at first. It rather means appreciating the little things in life more than the material things.

By little things, I mean more free time, your loved ones, your hobbies, nature, good food, etc. 

Basically, more experiences and less stuff.

When you achieve simplicity in life, you feel calmer in daily situations and simplicity becomes a habit. It shines through every aspect of your life.

Jump to: 10 Ways to Embrace Simplicity

Example of Simplicity in Life

You can apply simplicity to every aspect of your life but for the purpose of exemplifying simplicity let’s take a look at simplicity in nutrition. 

When you eat simple and whole foods you feel lighter and have more energy. Eating simple saves you a lot of time and is also good for your wallet.

Learn how to prepare a number of meals you love to eat and rotate them through the month. 

That way you’ll always know what to cook, you can prepare meals in advance, and you can go in and out of the grocery store exactly knowing what you need to buy.

Simple eating is easy, healthy, and economic. It might sound boring to some, but you can always treat yourself to an exotic meal at a restaurant.

Importance of Simplicity in Life

There are many benefits to simplicity in life. 

One of the most important benefits is that simplicity gives us choices in the way we spend our time, money, and energy. 

With simplicity in life, it can be easier to recognize what is truly important among all the different things fighting for your time and attention.

The biggest benefits of simple living are:

• Lower cost of living
• More free time
• Less stress
• Sustainable (smaller footprint)
• Better concentration
• Better sleep
• Stronger relationships
• Clean home

There are many more benefits of simple living and they are individual to each person, so it’s better to try living simply and see for yourself.

10 Ways to Embrace Simplicity

Here are ten easy ways to embrace simplicity in your life. Try them out and simplify your living.

1. Be grateful

Practice being intentional about the things you are grateful for. Start a gratitude journal; nothing special just a small notebook, and write 5 things you are thankful for each day. 

Gratitude has many benefits. It makes you more humble, but also increases your long-term happiness, improves sleep and physical health, among others.

2. Notice the small things

Do you rush through life keeping busy and then wonder where the time has passed? 

Take a moment to stop and breathe. Notice the small things in life that make your experience unique. 

Take a look at the birds, flowers, people passing by, and just soak in all the wonderful little things that life has to offer. 

I’m afraid if you don’t you’ll go through life like a zombie and later regret missed adventures.

3. Spend time alone

Being around people is wonderful, but everyone needs some time for themselves. Set aside time to spend alone each day, even if for only 5 minutes.

Spend this time in silence, relaxing, and doing something you enjoy. It can be drinking tea, reading, doing a self-care routine, or something else.

4. Enjoy movement

It’s pretty simple, physical activity makes you feel good. You don’t have to do anything crazy, a nice, long walk will do the trick.

Find what type of exercise you like to do and stick to it. It will keep you healthy for a long time not only physically but also mentally.

5. Sleep enough

Getting enough sleep is crucial for your health. Adults need an average of 7 hours of good sleep every night in order to feel rested and can be fully productive during the day.

Keep off the screens for at least an hour before bed, create a calming atmosphere in your bedroom, and try not to eat late at night.

6. Say I love you more often

Saying I love you more often creates a sense of security not only among couples but also in parent-child and friend relationships. 

Showing your emotions generates stronger bonds. Deeper connections in your life will make you happier and will simplify your relationships overall.

7. Keep your home clean

When your home is clean you can think more straight and relax more easily in your house. 

Take a couple of minutes every day to tidy your home. Keep the surfaces clear, take the trash out regularly, and neaten your living space.

By keeping your home tidy, you’ll spend much less time deep cleaning and you’ll always know where to find what you need. 

8. Eat at the table

When was the last time you have eaten at the table?

Living a simple life means being intentional about different aspects of life.

Try to eat your meals eat the table. You will be much more present, taste the flavor of the meal, and be aware when you’re full. 

You’ll also have the opportunity to talk with your housemates while sharing a meal, isn’t that wonderful?

9. Be present

Being present means focusing on one thing at a time. Multitasking will only exhaust you and in the end, you won’t even be able to tell what you have done.

When you’re doing something, whether in your work or personal life, be present in the moment. Give your undivided attention to the task at hand or a person you’re talking to. 

You’ll appreciate what you did every day much more.

10. Stop comparing yourself 

Your life is yours to live. Set your own rules and stop comparing yourself to others.

You will feel much better when you focus on your own life and stop noticing what others are doing.

Only then you’ll truly be able to enjoy your daily life and be happy.

***

The Beauty of Simplicity

Simplicity lifestyle enables you to slow down and take it easy. 

The importance of simplicity is the beauty of living. Enjoy your life and the little things you enjoy.

Your life doesn’t have to be extraordinary in order for you to experience a wonderful life.

You can enjoy simple things and still have an amazing life but with less stress and worry.

The post Simplicity in Life: The Value of Simple Living appeared first on Rebi Simple Living.

Stop Working Too Much – FAQ

Find the answers to the most commonly asked questions below.

5 Tips to Stop Working Too Much

Overworking actually leads to lower productivity and therefore decreases the amount of work you do. It brings serious side effects to your health (from lack of sleep to stress-related illnesses) but also, contrary to popular belief, your employer doesn’t benefit from it at all.

There are practical and simple ways to prevent yourself from working too much and streamline your workflow.

You can find them below.

1. Give yourself restrictions

Plan out your week by picking specific days off and times where you’re allowed to work. If you give yourself restrictions, it can be easier for you to decide what is the best amount of time that you should work during a weekday or at night. 

Try not to cross these set times and actually stop working when you said you will. This will help you make boundaries between your work and personal life. 

Stopping work at a certain time will leave you enough time to rest and recuperate and avoid burnout.

2. Simplify your life

Make your life as simple as you can outside of your work. Build daily routines that will help you stick to good habits and will streamline your life effortlessly. That way you can avoid decision fatigue and free your mind to focus on work.

Work on planning out your meals, outfits, commitments, etc. on the weekend so that when work week comes around you are ready to tackle your tasks without outside distractions.

3. Get rid of distractions

When it comes to distractions they can be the death of your productivity. Something can come up every couple of minutes and stop your workflow.

If possible create physical boundaries between your work desk and your typical distractions. That means, close the door, wear noise-canceling earbuds, or set your e-mail status to busy (do not disturb mode). 

Try to make a distraction-free zone at your home or workplace and let everyone know that between certain times you are not available. This will allow you to have at least an hour or two of deep work periods.

4. Focus on the most important task

Learn to prioritize your tasks. You certainly have tasks that are not urgent and that you can do whenever because they won’t bring much value to your company. Leave those tasks for the end of the day when you have less energy.

On day to day basis focus on the most important task at hand. It will take up most of your time and energy but in the end, will bring the most benefit to your company in the long run.

Also, get to know your working habits, and find out the times when you are most productive. For some, it’s right in the morning and for others, it’s after lunch. Those times are when you should do your main work.

It’s also easier to focus on one task at hand than to juggle many things at the same time. That’s how you will overwork yourself and burn out quickly.

5. Learn to say no

By learning to say no I mean saying no to the things that will distract you from your main work. I don’t mean to say no to your boss and get into an argument.

Learn to recognize opportunities that you should better turn down. Sometimes you are offered more responsibilities at work but you know that you don’t have enough time to do them all. Then you should, through open communication, let your boss know that you can’t take on more before you delegate some of the work to another co-worker. 

Also, sometimes your colleagues will go out to lunch and you will have to stay working because otherwise, you won’t manage to finish in time. It’s better to say no on certain occasions and get out of work at regular times than to stay longer because you hung out with them. 

When you know your priorities then it’s easy to set some boundaries and focus on what’s most important to you.

***

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Stop Working Too Much and Enjoy Life

Nobody benefits from working too much. Not you nor your boss. 

Follow these 5 tips at work and organize your workday efficiently. 

When at work give a 100%, but know how to unplug when the end of the workday comes.

Build clear lines between your work and your personal life.

• Use your free time to relax,
• spend time doing what you love,
• hang out with your loved ones,
• and make sure you get enough sleep.

Decide to stop working too much in the new year and actually live. You only have one.

The post How to Stop Working Too Much and Enjoy Life in 2023 appeared first on Rebi Simple Living.

Here is my honest review of this process.

Please note that this article contains affiliate links, and that means that I may earn a small commission if you buy something at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.

Why I Decided to Complete Yoga with Adriene Breath

I decided to take on the Yoga with Adriene Breath challenge because I wanted to bring more mindfulness to my everyday life. 

This year has been hard for everyone, and I am no exception. Alongside living a quiet life, I also looked to go back to the simple movement and breathing exercises to slow down and release the tension.

Earlier this year I completed Yoga with Adriene True which invited more wellness and conscious breathing into my life, and I hoped to feel that way again.

I also wished to practice more pranayama, and meditative yoga rather than just a physical exercise, and the Breath 30-day yoga journey fits the bill.

Yoga with Adriene Breath FAQ

Before I start with the official Breath review I wanted to answer some of the most commonly asked questions. 

Below you can find all of the answers.

Before You Start Yoga With Adriene Breath

There are a couple of things that you need to know before starting Yoga with Adriene Breath.

The challenge is comprised of three components:

• Daily yoga practice videos
• Downloadable yoga calendar
• Free community platform to connect with others

I only participated through daily videos.

Daily yoga routines are quite simple to complete, and there are a bit more challenging poses only towards the end. But compared to Yoga with Adriene True it is much more beginner-friendly. 

Videos are quite short and don’t take too much of your time. They vary in length from the shortest being 16:21 on day 20 to the longest being 50:59 on the last day.

If you are psychically healthy you will have no problem completing the Yoga with Adriene Breath challenge, even if you are just starting to practice yoga. 

Nevertheless, I just want to point out that in the first couple of days you will feel your wrists after the exercise. Adriene teaches us a soft massage to release the pain, but if you already have existing problems with your wrists, be careful and consult your doctor before starting any workout regime. 

As the name suggests, Breath focuses on breathing and Adriene introduces us to different pranayama (breathing exercises) throughout the 30 days. If you’re not interested in that you might want to skip this one.

All you need for Yoga with Adriene Breath

• An open mind
• Conscious breath
• A yoga matt
• A blanket (for some days)

Gaiam Yoga Mat – Reversible Extra Thick Non-Slip 

Lotuscrafts Yoga Blanket 100% Organic Cotton

Yoga With Adriene Breath – My Honest Review

When I decided to partake in the Breath 30-day yoga journey I wanted to learn more about conscious breathing as a tool for dealing with anxiety and stress. I didn’t look at it as a physical workout, rather a mental one. 

If you want to bring more wellness and calmness into your life then this yoga journey is for you.

My main takeaways from the challenge:

• When life gets too hard, stop for a second and breathe. 
• You can physically challenge your body only by breathing. 
• Breath retention is not as hard as it sounds.
• Breathing is a powerful tool.
• Everything is as it should be.
• Mantra: My breath is my anchor, my anchor is my breath.

After each practice, I felt much calmer and focused, and I truly enjoyed this journey. I’m sure I will do another yoga with Adriene soon.

Just like with the True challenge, I decided to journal every day through the whole month. I find this to be the best way to fully experience this journey and be able to draw conclusions for myself and my body.

I advise you to do the same.

Below are my honest testimonials for the Yoga with Adriene Breath journey.

Day 1: Invite

Invitation to open up for this journey. Adriene invites us to just let go off of everything for a moment towards the end. Nice opening practice that sets the pace up for the rest of the yoga journey. It feels nice to reconnect with my breath and to focus just on the yoga practice.

Day 2: Arrive

Adriene invites us to feel the arrival with each new breath. This can mean different things for everyone. I imagined myself arriving like a superhero!  

It was slow practice, at times hard on the wrists (be careful if you have problems!), but overall really relaxing.

Day 3: Anchor

We learn ujjayi breath (ocean breath). I already know it, but it’s interesting to go through the basics again. This breath really gives me an anchoring feeling, and every time I need to calm down or have trouble falling asleep I practice it, and it really grounds and anchors me.

Day 4: Listen

Really slow practice that makes you really listen to your breathing. Great wind-down exercise before bed or to do on Sunday (it just so happens I did it on a Sunday :)).

Day 5: Replenish

The first more dynamic, and more challenging practice of this cycle. I felt the burn in most of the positions. Again, be careful with the wrists.

Day 6: Burn

Boy, did it burn today! This was up until now the hardest practice by far. Yoga practice starts with a Kapalabhati aka breath of fire to get us energized. Then it follows by a core-centric practice that really tests your strength.  

Day 7: Synchronize

Today’s practice was a slower one, it was all about synchronizing the movement with our breath. It was also a really emotional day for me since my little sister got married the day before, so I couldn’t separate this practice from my personal life.

Day 8: Snuggle

A restorative practice. A really yummy practice as Adriene would put it. I really needed this after a couple of days of running around and eating unhealthy food. This drew me back to the breathing practice and made me ready to go back to my everyday routine.

Day 9: Balance

It’s all about evening out today! We did typical balancing poses like warrior three and Adriene introduced a new type of breathing: Nadhi Shodana, alternate nostril breathing for activating the parasympathetic nervous system which can restore balance.

Day 10: Connect

I saw this day as a continuation of the previous practice. There were a couple of balancing poses and we were working with Adriene to connect to our core and our breath. Short, and sweet practice, loved it!

Day 11: Flow

The practice was mostly standing up. We repeated a simple flow two times and then worked on opening the hips up. It was simple and fairly easy to complete, however, there were a lot of planks so be careful if your wrists are sensitive.

Day 12: Drop

We had to drop the expectations in today’s practice. It was a nice flow, we used our breath a lot, and spent most of the time in some type of variation of the downward-facing dog.

Day 13: Feel 

This day was, as Adriene always says, about finding what feels good. We worked to let go of the standard flows and find our own way of movement, something that feels good to each individual. It really relaxed me after a long day. Thanks, Adriene!

Day 14: Space

Day 14 was all about exploring old and new asanas. We were working towards taking up space (because we deserve it!) and creating more space in certain poses.

Day 15: Enter

Today was a halfway mark so Adriene invited us to enter the second phase of the journey and challenged us to think about what we wanted to enter into our lives. It was a good physical workout.

Day 16: Discipline

I just have to say that this day was a breath of fresh air (pun intended)!

We were working on discipline through breathwork. Adriene made us slow down our breath a lot and focus on the breathing exercises. When I first started doing the Yoga with Adriene Breath I was hoping for something like this and finally, I got what I wanted.

Day 17: Explore

In today’s yoga practice with Adriene, we played around in different asanas and explored the space and our body. It felt really good to experiment with my body a bit, although I lacked motivation for today’s practice.

Day 18: Center

We worked on our core strength and activation throughout the practice. I loved this practice because of its simplicity and yet it challenged my focus and I really had to engage with my center.

Day 19: Strength

It was the day to build some biceps strength! I loved a more challenging practice and conditioning my body to be strong in the future.

Day 20: Pause

The 20th day of the Breath practice was meditative. It was the time to focus on yourself, press pause, and just breathe. We learned about Khumbaka, breath retention. It was just wonderful.

Day 21: Control

Today’s practice of yoga with Adriene was all about the quality of our movement and our breath. It was relaxing, but also physical practice. In the end, you will do a perhaps silly movement (you’ll know when it comes) but it is beginning to become one of my favorite ones and really helps me find joy and childhood happiness during the yoga practice.

Day 22: Renew

Simply a beautiful practice! I would almost call it restorative, even though it included some physical exercises. I enjoyed every minute of it and really felt renewed. I did this practice on Sunday so it was almost symbolic to refresh before the new week begins.

Day 23: Dedicate

This was a truly beautiful practice. I loved every second of it. Adriene invited us to dedicate this practice to ourselves or to someone in our life that needs an extra boost. I find those practices when I dedicate them to someone or something the most powerful and enjoyable ones.

Day 24: Rejuvenate

Wow, this flow was a sweaty one for me! I really felt like I was letting out toxins from my body and it was true to its name, “rejuvenate”. I found that Adriene’s usual mantra Find what feels good truly resonated with me during day 24.

Day 25: Love

Day 25 was a really gentle practice with the goal to relax and massage our bodies and to feel true love for ourselves. Just like Adriene says, lots of love in, lots of love out. Once you love yourself, you will have enough love for others too. I felt really serene after this practice.

Day 26: Expand

An interesting practice that incorporated different asanas. It was a short, but nice physical exercise for the day. We also worked on our expansive breath.

Day 27: Heal

Day 27 was a restorative practice. We learned new pranayama called box breath. I loved breathing in this way, especially while stretching through the yoga practice.

Day 28: Trust

In Trust practice we worked around the mantra: Everything is as it should be. I really found myself trusting it and feeling relieved and less anxious about some things in my personal life. Towards the end, we did a dancer pose, which challenged my balance a bit, but it was fun! I’m getting sad that this 30-day yoga journey is coming to its end.

Day 29: Believe

A really nice practice where we focused mainly on our breath, warrior two asanas, and we tried a new variant of the pyramid pose. It was quite relaxing and soothed the anxiety I felt throughout that day.

Day 30: Begin

It was traditionally the final day when Adriene turns off her mike and lets us find what feels good. She also mentioned that every end is a new beginning and when feel lost we can always start with the breath. I found this saying to be very therapeutic.

During my flow I stayed longer in the asanas I enjoy doing, but surprisingly I also challenged myself to remain in the poses I don’t enjoy for 5 breaths. It felt so good when I managed to do it. I also tried not to look down at the mat and trust the process. I felt confident I can continue the yoga practice on my own afterward.

***

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Hope you found my Yoga with Adriene Breath review helpful!

Which yoga with Adriene challenge did you like the most?

The post Yoga with Adriene Breath – My Honest Review appeared first on Rebi Simple Living.

But what if you want to have a quiet life?

Seeking a Quiet Life

Albert Einstein once stated:

“A quiet and modest life brings more joy than a pursuit of success bound with constant unrest.”

Leading a quiet life means slowing down, being mindful of your surroundings, and being grateful for everything you have.

It means taking time to do one task at a time, to finish it thoroughly, and to appreciate the results of your labor.

It is not about multi-tasking and crossing things off your to-do list. It is, on the contrary, about fully understanding what goes into your work and focussing to do it properly.

A quiet life is also not about work in a traditional sense of the word, but about taking enough time to fully rest and enjoying your everyday chores.

To be clear, quiet life is about creating a really good balance in all aspects of your life.

What if You Want a Mediocre Life?

A mediocre life is often looked upon in a negative connotation, but it doesn’t have to be. Not everybody wants to live a lavish life, be in a public eye, or have an enviable career. 

For some, it is enough to have a mediocre income to sustain an average living and have enough time to spend with friends and family.

We often forget that we cannot have “everything” without sacrificing something. It is most often your time or personal life.

Don’t feel bad if you want a quiet and peaceful life. In fact, we will show you how to live a quiet life in any life circumstance.

How to Live a Quiet Life

To live a quiet life you need to look inward for validation and growth. Don’t focus on outside voices and opinions, but ask yourself what you want and how you want to achieve it.

Why Do You Want to Live a Quiet Life?

What is your motivation for creating a quiet life for yourself?

• Is it to create a calm and stress-free daily life for yourself?
• Or to make time for your family? 
• To cut costs of living? 
• To find your life’s purpose? 
• Is your motivation something completely different?

Ask yourself this question honestly and see what comes up as the answer. This answer will guide you towards creating a version of a quiet life that suits your needs and life circumstance.

When you find your Why, follow these next tips to tailor a quiet life more easily.

Build Routines

A quiet life is made of a number of routines that keep you feeling comfortable in your daily life. These routines take away the stress of making decisions and keep you on your daily path.

Take a look at our suggestions.

Morning Routine

Create a relaxing morning routine that will lead you into a new day. 

Take time to eat breakfast, journal, read, or do some light exercise. Set aside enough time to get ready and prepare yourself for the day ahead. 

This way from the moment you wake up you are set for a successful and happy day without rush! 

Work Routine

No matter what kind of job you have there are certainly some tasks that repeat themselves every day. Automate those processes and prioritize the most important tasks for each day.

Build a work routine to make your workday less daunting and more productive. 

Insert breaks in between periods of work and fill them with little things that bring you joy.

These can be a nice lunch, a cup of coffee, a short walk around the park. You know best!

Evening Routine

Your evening routine should unwind you and get you ready for a good night’s sleep. 

Cook a nice meal and enjoy it. Take a bath or a long shower. 

Take time to do something you love like reading, writing, drawing, or simply watching a good show. 

Limit the screen time before going to bed. This will enable your brain to destress and will consequently lead to having a deeper sleep during the night.

Exercise Routine

Incorporate any type of physical activity into your daily routine. Exercise gives you endorphins and therefore makes you happier and less stressed. 

Find out what type of exercise you like. Do you enjoy yoga or cycling or maybe swimming?

No matter what it might be start doing it on a regular basis. You will soon notice both physical and mental improvements!

Create Work-Life Balance

Know when and how to draw the line between your work and personal life.

We know it’s hard to juggle both and maintain a good balance. However, it pays off to learn how to do it, because it will lead you to a more fulfilled life. Simplify your life, and take the meaningless tasks out of the equation. 

Work more efficiently, not more hours.

As mentioned above, focus on only one task at a time and do it right.

Also, learn to take a break when you are tired. Take enough time to recuperate, no one benefits if you can’t perform due to lack of sleep.

Make an agreement with yourself when you log out of your work computer to stop thinking about your job. 

Then is your time to take care of your family and yourself. That’s your self-care time. Enjoy it and appreciate it.

Do the Things You Love

Use your free time to do the things you love.

Don’t force yourself into doing an intense workout if that’s not your cup of tea. Don’t finish books that you started but didn’t like.

Decide to focus your free time on things you highly enjoy. 

It can be something as simple as going for a walk with your family. Or it could be something challenging like mountain climbing.

You don’t have to enjoy the things that other people like.

You only have one life, fill it with things you look forward to.

Enjoy the Silence

In a busy world, it is so hard to escape from all the noise. From time to time each of us needs a moment of silence. Turn everything off and spend some time alone.

No matter if you are an introvert or an extrovert, you should dedicate time alone each week. 

This doesn’t have to for a long period, just enough to relax and take in all the surroundings.

Use this time to get to know yourself better. This is your free time to do the things you love. 

It is also the time to notice things around you.

Do you love the sound of birds chirping coming from the outside? Or you enjoy the smell of lavender coming from your hand creme?

A good idea would also be to use this silence to meditate and pray.

Say No More Often

We all know we should spend time doing the things we love, but we often feel pressured to accept every invite and hang out with people we don’t really like.

We acknowledge it is hard to say no, but it is so worth it to do it more often.

Learn to communicate openly and honestly say that you don’t want to do something.

It is fine to prioritize other things instead.

There will of course be people who won’t understand, and you will probably have to let go of some “friends”. However, nobody can replace your peace of mind knowing you don’t have to spend time on something you don’t benefit from.

Please be aware that this doesn’t apply to your work. Unfortunately at work, there will always be some tasks you don’t want to but have to do. This tip applies to your personal life where you have more freedom to say no.

Please note that this article contains affiliate links, and that means that I may earn a small commission if you buy something at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.

Be Thankful

Acknowledge all the fortunes that you have in life and appreciate them. Although you might be leading a modest life according to Western standards, you are probably not lacking any of basic necessities. 

Be aware of your privileges and practice gratitude regularly.

At the end of each day, take a small notebook and write 5 things you are thankful for. It is also a good idea to invest in a five-minute journal that contains prompts for an easier start.

Take this practice as a chance to reflect on your day and appreciate everything you have in your life. It will make you more humble.

Gratitude will cause you to take better care of your belongings and look after dear people in life more closely.

Where to Live for Peace and Quiet

Not all of us have the ability to pack up and move to the countryside. Many of us also don’t want to. You can live a quiet life anywhere you choose. I am living proof of that.

I live in the capital city full of life and daily stresses but manage to live simply and slowly treasuring each day.

It is arguably easier to live quietly in rural areas, but it is also possible to live peacefully in the city. You just have to make a conscious effort to do so.

A quiet life is not about what’s outside, like bustling city life, but it is about how we deal with situations within ourselves.

Make your home a cozy sanctuary. It is only your and your family’s place to enjoy. It a safe spot after long, stressful days and it can truly heal you if you want to. 

In addition to your home, find that “special” place in your hometown where you enjoy spending time. This can be only your secret and your hiding place from the world.

Creating a quiet place to retreat will enable you to get away from the noise and reflect on your day.

Final Thoughts

The answer to the question of how to live a quiet life is nothing special or complicated.

To live a quiet life you simply need to look inward and establish your priorities. Then you need to work on simplifying your daily life and appreciate everything along the way.

Be intentional about your actions and stop seeking validation from others.

This will lead you to a peaceful life wherever you are in the world.

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What would be your vision of an ideal quiet life?

The post How to Live a Quiet Life – Our Guide appeared first on Rebi Simple Living.

Normally, I practice hatha yoga twice a week through an online class hosted by my dear friend Sara. However, as I was getting more into yoga, I wanted to explore it more on my own.

Please note that this article contains affiliate links, and that means that I may earn a small commission if you buy something at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.

Why Yoga with Adriene True?

I was never the person to finish any challenge that included anything connected to exercise or nutrition. It is because I never fully commit to it from the start. So, I don’t take it seriously and I stop in the middle of the journey.

This time, I decided to write a post with my review of the Yoga with Adriene True challenge and journal through the whole process. Well, that did the trick. Although in the midst of it I took a small break (period cramps ), I continued after it diligently and finished strong.

The True challenge is, as Adriene puts it, ultimate at-home yoga practice, and since the start of the pandemic, I believe more people look towards shifting their exercise to be at home permanently. 

I was drawn specifically to this challenge because of Adriene’s description of it.

She says that in True “you don’t need to become someone else, but rather take time to uncover what is already there”, it is an “exploration of your true self”. During this challenge, you get to truly know yourself, and therefore feel your best.

I can testify to that being true.

I also tried Yoga with Adriene Breath. Check out my honest review.

About Yoga with Adriene True

Yoga with Adriene is a YouTube channel hosted by Adriene Mishler, a Texas-native actress, and a yoga instructor.

At the beginning of each year, Adriene organizes a 30-day yoga challenge with a different focus each time. One of those 30-day challenges was True.

The main themes of the True yoga challenge are self-reflection and self-familiarity. There are no yoga teachings, like chants, that turn off many people who don’t want to get too spiritual. 

True is more about self-reliance and learning to deal with different situations in life. It is more about getting introspective and listening to yourself and trusting yourself.

I loved that Adriene always makes it clear that it is ok not to feel what she is practicing and it is fine if we don’t feel into it on that specific day.

That’s exactly what it was at the end for me, an amazing toolkit for the future.

RELATED CONTENT: How to Live a Quiet Life – Our Guide

Is It Suitable for Beginners?

Yoga with Adriene True is suitable for beginners, but there are also terms she mentions that were new to me and I had to google them after practice. 

Here is a small glossary of terms to help you from the start:

• Pranayama: Prana is a vital life force and Yama is to control, used for regulation of breath through certain exercises.
• Ujjayi breath: breathing from your throat with lips closed, so-called “ocean breath”. 
• Vinyasa: to move with intention, to move with the breath, flow.
• Salve: to do something in order to feel less guilty.
• Sternum: a long bone located in the central part of the chest. 

There are a bit more difficult poses only towards the end of the challenge. It is consistent in terms of difficulty throughout all 30 days. Videos vary in length from shortest being 13:39 on day 24 to longest being 41:13 on day 16.

If you are psychically healthy you will have no problem completing daily Yoga with Adriene true practices, even if you don’t know anything about yoga. However, if you have some physical problems with your knees, ankles, or hips, I would advise you to first consult your doctor before doing any kind of physical exercise. 

You will need:

• An open mind
• A willingness to see yourself and love yourself
• A yoga matt
• A blanket (for some days)

Gaiam Yoga Mat – Reversible Extra Thick Non-Slip 

Lotuscrafts Yoga Blanket 100% Organic Cotton

The challenge is comprised of three components:

• Daily yoga practice videos
• Daily e-mails with writing prompts, geting deeper into each day’s theme
• Downloadable yoga calendar

I participated only through YouTube videos.

You can find all the information on the Yoga with Adriene website.

Yoga with Adriene True – My Review

When I decided to commit to the 30-day yoga journey, I was at a turning point in my life. I just quit my job and started a new entrepreneurial endeavor. I also just turned 30 and got engaged.

A lot of things happened in the short space of time and I just needed a routine for myself to keep me grounded and calm. 

I wasn’t looking to get toned or be stronger, I just wanted to immerse myself into this experience and trust the process.

Find What Feels Good

Here are my main takeaways from the True challenge:

• Easy to follow even for beginners
• You learn to breathe slowly; to focus on long inhales and even longer exhales
• You learn to trust the instructor, Adriene
• I enjoy doing slow movement
• I learned to appreciate every little new stretch I felt in my body
• It is a good foundation for a healthy habit
• Practice is different every day
• To achieve calmness you need a dedicated routine

I recommend Yoga with Adriene True if you are looking for a yoga routine to start your yoga journey or to get into it after a break. Nevertheless, if you are an advanced yogi this might be too basic for you.

As I mentioned above, I journaled through the whole experience. It was nothing fancy, I just wrote down what I was feeling after the practice. 

If you decide to partake in this challenge I advise you to do the same. That way, you will get the most out of each practice and have something to go back to after you complete the 30-day challenge.

Here are my notes with my true feelings, so please be kind. Hope they will help you decide if Yoga with Adriene True is for you.

Day 1: Motive

A good introduction to the challenge. Slow practice, easy to follow. Long breaths. We focused on the motive why we are doing it. Would love for it to last longer.

Day 2: Trust

Really slow moves. Relaxing. I felt trust all the way. Long breaths. This really suited me after a long hard day at work.

Day 3: Stretch

My muscles ached from the day before (I also did an extra yoga lesson yesterday) so this stretch was very welcome. I need to remember to blow my nose before the practice because it really annoys me when I’m not able to breathe through one nostril (I have allergies).

Day 4: Floor

Really strong practice. I have come to enjoy doing slow movements and appreciating every little new stretch I feel in my body. Today we did a kind of Earth massages, i.e. really slow hip bridges thus massaging our spine by doing them. I really appreciate this process and am looking forward to the next day.

Day 5: High

Today’s focus of the practice was on the exhale. Our goal was to prolong the exhale and make it longer than the inhale. I expected it to be more of practice standing up since yesterday the whole practice was on the floor, but it just started from the floor and continued to expand towards standing up. After the practice, I stayed a bit longer on my mat to work on my Ujjayi breath.

Day 6: Kindle

Day six as six abs! The focus was on the core to kindle the fire inside of us. The practice contained a lot of variations of planks and my left wrist was hurting. I need to pay attention to my core more during planks. On this day, I was thinking of doing an ab workout after Yoga with Adriene True, but it seems that Adriene read my mind! I was granted my wish to focus on the abs. Loved it.

Day 7: Salud

Today we cheered to our relationship with ourselves. We did variations of sun salutations throughout the practice. I had a hard time focussing today; I had a lot on my mind. However, I’m happy that I invested this time into a self-care routine.

Day 8: Salve

Restorative type of class. I really needed this, because my body felt tense and sore from the previous workouts. Today, I learned what salve means. This practice makes you take some time in your day just for yourself and you shouldn’t feel guilty because of it. I was able to connect to my breath even though my downstairs neighbors had really loud renovation work. 

Day 9: Open

Working on opening the chest. Open for new challenges and possibilities. I really needed this because we just started to plan our wedding and it’s already stressful. Also, I have an important interview tomorrow. Today was the first day I almost didn’t make it to the practice; I also have a yoga practice after this.

Day 10: Detox

Today was the day I learned what sternum is. Adriene kept on using that word so I had to look it up. It is a long bone located in the central part of the chest. Good to know. I am starting to lose my focus, will try to do better tomorrow.

Day 11: Soften

Really relaxing practice and shorter than the other ones. Needed it after a long week.

Day 12: Centre

As the title suggests, today was all about the center of gravity, i.e. our core. It was a practice to activate our core. I felt really light today since me and my fiance were doing a juice cleanse that day and I was really able to feel the strength of my core. On other days I just feel my smushy belly. 

Day 13: Strength & Harmony

Loved it! Finally a bit more challenging practice. This one is perfect to tighten those muscles!

Day 14: Listen

It was a really gentle practice focused on listening to our breathing and our surroundings. Great for Sunday evening!

Day 15: Believe

Managed to get halfway through this journey! I am really proud of myself, even though I took a little break last week. This was a short but sweet practice perfect for a Monday.

Day 16: Self-love

I cried during this session, really emotional. Hard to cope with, especially if you had a bad day.

Day 17: Charisma

It was again a very emotional practice for me. There was a part towards the end that focuses on us going back to being babies and I just bawled my eyes out in that part. This journey is starting to get really intense and self-discovery.

Day 18: Surrender

Short practice, but really good. Challenging at times which I really loved.

Day 19: Thought

The whole practice was standing up. I loved that difference! I felt really calm and focused today.

Day 20: Awaken

Good to do in the morning. Restorative practice to awaken the spine.

Day 21: Finesse

This day was all about grace and finesse in movement. The focus was on the way we move our bodies in asanas. It is always fun to pay attention to details in movement that I never do otherwise.

Day 22: Release

This yoga practice is to release all the negative feelings and tension we have accumulated. I think it is a great one to do independently of this 30-day challenge. If you need to release the tension definitely try it even if you decide not to partake in this challenge.

Day 23: Balance

Nice, short, not too challenging practice. Challenges the idea of balance, but doesn’t refer too much to your emotions like the other days.

Day 24: Be kind

Restorative practice. Came at an excellent moment, when my body was extremely sore. Meditative practice.

Day 25: Be aware

As a continuation of day 24’s practice, Adriene continued with the slow and attentive practice. It was not too challenging but perfect as just a part of daily exercise.

Day 26: Be still

As we slowly come to the end of the challenge it becomes easier for me to do everything. I feel lighter and more flexible than usual. Today was all about spending a long time in one pose and practicing being still. It is more challenging than it sounds! I caught myself fiddling with my hands or head instead of focusing completely on being still.

Day 27: Be free

It is noticeable that the challenge is approaching the end, especially from day 25. The asanas which were practiced in the previous days are now combined in the flows. Since Adriene assumes that those asanas or positions are learned, she combines them in the flows. She invites us through this practice to be free in the flows and explore our way of moving.

Day 28: Be fearless

Play with the new and old asanas. Great to dip your feet into more challenging poses. Adriene invites us to let go of our fears.

Day 29: Be brave

More balanced and easier practice than the day before. Really worked on the strengthening of poses we did before. Everything was connected into a flow which I really liked. One of my favorite practices so far. Getting really sad that it ends tomorrow.

Day 30: Be you

Practice without audio guidance. You have to listen to yourself, listen to your body, and be true. No escape. Everything we did was building up to this moment.

What do you think of Yoga with Adriene True Challenge? Will you try it?

The post Yoga with Adriene True: Why You Should Try It – Review appeared first on Rebi Simple Living.