Free

Over thirty years ago I spent nearly two years backpacking around the world, this time in my life was the freest I have ever been. This I think was because of many factors, and it is very hard to create the same freedom I felt in the commercialised world that the UK is. Also, I think that having less belongings, in fact hardly anything, just a backpack, was liberating. With having no fixed abode, the pressure of money is massively reduced and the basic principles of just food and shelter felt easier than all the struggles we have of money in our lives in the UK. Finally, I feel that the lifestyle while travelling was one spent outdoors and that is such a freeing experience not being constrained by being indoors all the time. I do feel that if we work on taking some of these principles on in our lives, we can feel the freedom of living our lives more simply.

I guess this is not something we can do all of the time but it’s good to do at times to give us the feeling of freedom. There are many things we can’t let go of, but we can make it feel lighter. How about having a day where you make up a picnic and travel out for the day to just forget the pressure of life for a while? We don’t always need money to enjoy life but I think we are pressurised by social media and our life in general makes us feel that it costs money to have fun. I do feel that the happiest moments that I have had in my life are when I am free to just enjoy our beautiful world. This could be a lovely walk or bike ride but maybe find a new route, a less well-known place so that you can enjoy more of nature.

This is one thing I think COVID did for many of us; we couldn’t do all those commercialised things because they just weren’t open. We were more creative with the things we did instead. I think for many of us we have forgotten those times and just got back in the rat race of life. How about looking back at your photos of that time and going and reliving some of those times we had in COVID where life was just simpler for us? These times are not just simple on the outside, they are simple on the inside and this has such a massive positive impact on our inner mind. If our minds are always flooded with the complexity of life, then this can stress our minds with too much stimulus. Taking the time to be free of these things can give our minds a chance to stop and just be present and in the moment. This is something I am always saying to clients to do, especially if they are suffering from anxiety. To clear our minds is the most freeing thing we can do, and this then can reduce our stress levels and free our minds from the busyness of life.

How about looking at your dairies and planning some back-to-basic times in your life? This doesn’t only benefit our minds but our ability to just be in the moment as well. Another benefit is that we will be saving money and that can take the pressure off us as well. Again, just think back to the COVID years and how we spent a lot less money as we just didn’t have things we could do. We didn’t do nothing, we found new things to do that didn’t cost anything and life was still fun. How about remembering those times and trying to find the simple fun in life? Many simple things in life are free and just make us so happy. Laughter is one of those free things that we can not live without and when we strip away the cluttering in life we can feel that freedom that comes with living life this way.

These fun times could become part of your life now and going forward helping you in many areas of your life. Being present, embracing nature, being more connected with our loved ones, laughing, saving money, and having more quality time together, are just a few of the things you can benefit from. Over time maybe you will be craving this time for these moments that can make your heart sing and clear your mind from the clutter of life. Make this a forever habit and live your life in these more positive ways. Sara