Do you hear the phrase simple joys and immediately roll your eyes? Or wish that you even had the time to live a simple life that brings you joy?
The world we live in is a fast-paced, demanding, get ‘er done or you’ll fall behind, burnt out zone that makes us feel overwhelmed, rushed, and exhausted, physically and mentally.
Recently the trend to live a simpler life has caused me to reflect on the need to slow down and that it is more than a mere trend, it’s a way of life from the past that now more than ever needs to be applied so as to give us peace of mind, purpose, and rejuvenation.
As an extroverted introvert who loves a good party but loves being a homebody even more, striving to simplify my life has allowed me to take better care of my mental health, embrace those I care most for better, and cherished my life even more.
In this week’s post, I’ll be giving you tips on how to find and embrace the simple joys of life from a homebody’s perspective, along with a list of 25 of my personal favourite simple joys that make my life worth rejoicing over. 
1) Start & End Your Day Without Social Media or the News
When you open your eyes first thing in the morning or before going to sleep at night, is your first initial impulse to reach for your phone to scroll social media, look over the news, or read over your emails?
Starting or ending your day with comparison, worry, and doubt is not an ideal nor helpful step in the right direction. To help with this transition, change your environment to allow good habits to take shape in your life, giving you aid and relief.
Placing your phone on airplane mode before you go to sleep, putting your phone in a separate room than where you sleep, and putting set timers on your apps are but a few of the ways to free you from the whirlpool of rings and dings reeling you in every minute of every day.
Disconnecting allows you to better connect with your life and yourself, helps you sleep better, and serves your mental health by lowering anxiety, depression, and the urge to compare, worry, and doubt. Start and end your day by easing your way forward, with clarity and gumption.
2) Take Time As You Eat or Drink to Be Mindful
As you mindfully choose what goes into your body, also be sure to take time to consume it as well. This may sound odd, but studies have shown that as we take time to chew our food it is better for our gut health and overall digestive system.
I’m not saying you have to take hours to eat a single meal, but taking the time to eat and drink mindfully will give you permission to make it an experience worth taking in.
Choosing to not rush a meal and stuff your face always you to let your taste buds to savor and enjoy the meal, choosing not to rush gives your mind the freedom to think and wander as you drink your soothing, refreshing beverage, and choosing not to rush gives your body the chance to process what it is coming in allowing it to better nourish your body and speak clearly to you of its needs.
Choosing not to rush then becomes a means for you to better take care of your body. My friends used to make fun of me for how long it would take me to eat sometimes, but I always enjoyed slowing down to eat, to converse, and to listen to my body to really know when I was not full to the brim but comfortable and energized. Allowing me to better face the day before me with optimism and stamina. 
3) Express Gratitude Often
It can be far too easy to look at life through a lens of not having enough, not being enough, and that nothing will ever add up and be enough for you. Gratitude however is what fills our cup, our soul, and our life with more than enough to fulfill and simplify our lives for the better.
Seeking out reasons to be grateful alone is a step in the right direction towards our lives being enough, no matter how big or small those reasons may be.
Being a homebody, I constantly have moments where I simply look around and find countless reasons to be grateful. I have a roof over my head and the rent for said place was paid for on time, allowing my family and I another month for us to be given the security of a place we call home. I have fresh, clean running water that keeps me hydrated and refreshed. I have movies and books that fill my shelves, give me such joy, knowledge, and have offered me many a happy memory. I have a fridge, freezer, and cupboards filled with food that I enjoy and that is nourishing for my body’s well-being. I have a beautiful multi-player that plays all of my favorite music whether by Bluetooth, CD, tape, or vinyl. I have a cute, sweet little family that fills my days with joy, laughter, and light, plus we are all healthy and safe.
As you can see, it doesn’t take much to stop and take a look around to find countless reasons to be grateful. We need only the eyes to see and then express that gratitude. Because leaving such thanks cooped up inside withholds the opportunity to let others rejoice in the reminder of how good this life is, even in the darkest of times. 
4) Make Time for Yourself
Whether you are a student, have a career, are a parent, volunteer, wear a multitude of different hats, you need to make time for yourself. Now before you roll your eyes or comment with a “yeah right when?” kind of statement, you’ll never find the time if you never make the time.
With all of life’s demands screaming and clawing at you, you owe it to yourself and your many responsibilities to take care of yourself so that you don’t suffer and become burnt out. To be able to function at your best, you need to make time for yourself.
Whether you choose to wake up a little bit earlier to sit in silence with some music and your favorite warm beverage. Whether you choose to take part of your lunch hour watching your favorite YouTube channel or listen to a podcast you love. Whether you choose to end your day with the window open, your favorite candle burning, and writing poetry or knitting or playing a favorite tune on an instrument.
Whatever favorite pastime of yours that allows you to unwind, feel most like yourself, and that allows you to slow down, indulge and just do it! You’ll never find the time if you don’t make the time. 
5) Create a Space that is Yours
Everyone deserves a place that is solely for them to be themselves. Whether that space is in your home, outdoors, if there is a favorite cafe or library or pet store or what have you, having a place that you feel most like yourself and that doesn’t demand anything more than for you to slow down and embrace the life you live is something to be sought after and cherished. Creating a space that is made solely for your where you can breathe, where you can reconnect, and feel most like yourself is not something to be overlooked.
My living room, specifically the chair shown in the above picture under the window by one of my movie cases, is my space. I can cuddle in a blanket and get lost in a movie, read a good book, sit with a mug of tea or glass of chocolate milk, and everything seems to slow down and starts to make sense. I’m able to breathe more freely. I’m able to problem solve better or not think of or worry about anything at all, simply letting my mind wander. I’m able to take better notice of the joys that currently surround me and be a little kinder to myself.
If you have such a space, retreat to it often. If you don’t have such a space, create it. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, so long as it serves you and you make the time to venture to it as often as you may need to.
6) End Each Day by Slowing Down from the Rush of the Day
As I write this article, in the distance the echo of a train horn sounds next to the crackle of one of my favorite candles, creating an atmosphere of peace and serenity that envelops me, and I gladly accept.
Ending the day slow and steady is the perfect way to treat yourself, care for yourself, and succor yourself, allowing yourself to slow down after rushing through the day.
This world amidst all its noises and demands has much to offer in simplifying and catering to our inner needs if we will simply choose to seek them out and apply them.
Nature proves us time and again that growth and healing takes time, but is well worth the wait. Stars prove to us that beauty can be found in stillness and give us renewed purpose. Music creates harmonies of wonder, imagination, and joy that leads us back to who we truly are.
At the end of each day, whatever might have happened or not happened, take time to think on and write out some of your favorite simple joys from the day. Doing so will give you reason to smile, feel grateful, and gain peace of mind and heart. Below is my own personal list that I wrote out and once I started I found that 25 was simply not enough.
List of 25 of My Favorite Simple Joys
1) Waking up to sunrays seeping through the window
2) My toddler’s excited waddle run & big ole’ smile when I enter the room
3) Cuddling up with my toddler to watch a movie or read a book
4) My toddler grabbing my hand so we can dance together
5) Being held by my husband or any dear loved one
6) Gazing out the window and just watching the stars, the clouds, the wind blowing through the trees, or birds and squirrels at play
7) The smell of rain or morning dew
8) Hearing my toddler breathe after falling asleep in my arms
9) The crackle of a candle or a warm, friendly fire
10) D Bar Chocolate Cake from D Bar in Denver, CO or My Grandma & Mom’s Famous Chocolate Trifle <- two of my absolute favorite chocolate desserts
11) Looking over the gorgeous view after a good hike
12) The feel and smell of laundry fresh out of the dryer
13) The sound of the needle touching a record before it plays & the sentimental, classic record player sound through the speakers when music is playing
14) The sound of a train horn in the distance
15) Locking eyes with a loved one and immediately getting a big, goofy smile after being apart for days, weeks, months, or years
16) The smell of old books in an antique store, book store, or library
17) Getting into bed after changing and cleaning the sheets
18) The comfort of your pillow after a long, busy day
19) Eating a fresh biscuit with butter, honey, or nutella
20) The smell of baked goods, especially pumpkin or banana or regular bread, or muffins
21) Sitting down and letting out a reassuring, satisfying sigh at the end of the day
22) Giving ear or belly rubs to a dog
23) Scratching a cat’s chin or ears
24) The hush that comes over an audience and the exciting anticipation before a movie, concert, play, or musical
25) Star-gazing and feeling infinite & at peace
As you take the time to simplify your life or even a part of your day, you’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel, how much clearer your perspective will become, and how much freer and lighter you will be.
As a homebody and advocate for finding and embracing the simple joys, I challenge you to do one thing starting today that makes your life happier, that makes you better, and allows you to slow down.
Making that one conscious choice to do that one thing will ease any burden you are experiencing and allow you to unload and unwind. Believe me, you deserve that!
Now I’d love to hear from you: What do you do that you enjoy that helps you to slow down?
Comment below and share this post if it has been of value to you or could be of value to someone else.
About the Author
Hi there! I’m Stephanie Tracy, a freelance writer, editor, and blogger for hire. I specialize in physical and mental health, parenting, and self-development. I create engaging, inspiring and useful content to help businesses progress in making their viewers into customers. When I’m not writing, you can find me happily playing with my toddler, walking in the park with my family, or indulging in a movie marathon with my husband.
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