Simple + Straightforward is a weekly letter filled with essays, tips, and ideas to live life more simply and intentionally. If you find value in it, feel free to share with friends and family you think would enjoy a dose of simplicity every Friday.
Slow living is the new sustainable living buzzword.
It’s pretty similar (if not almost the same) in scope to simple living. Living quietly, arranging your life so you can take it at a leisurely pace. Curating meaning and purpose in your life. Living with intentionality.
Y’know, the opposite of modern life.
What I didn’t know about the movement - until I read an article by the excellent Selali Onuoha - is that slow can be read as S.L.O.W - an acronym. I assume the word came first and the acronym came later, but still, I had no idea it could be used as such.
S - Sustainable
L - Local
O - Organic
W - Whole
I like it.
Sustainable living
A recent survey suggests 86% of people globally want to live more sustainably.
We’re all acutely aware of climate change. We know what plastic does to the environment. Covid threw what matters in life - and what doesn’t - into sharp relief. Sustainable living is officially IN.
But man, living sustainably is hard work. It can mean a huge shift that might not be possible or desirable, such as living in smaller spaces or living with fewer vehicles. And on a day-to-day basis, living sustainably takes a lot of effort. Recycling, reducing plastic, walking or cycling instead of driving (when possible), it’s all so much easier just to not.
But as the survey shows, the will to change is there. Everyone has their own commitments and lifestyle, so it’s up to every individual, family unit, and community to figure out what they can do within their own unique limitations.
Buying local
As the ex-owner of a local independent wine store, I’ve always been a big advocate of buying local, and by that, I mean both buying locally made produce and shopping in local stores.
Again, it takes a lot of effort. The big out-of-town supermarket that provides you with everything under one roof is the far easier option and one I personally opt for more often than I care to admit.
But buying local has some rather awesome benefits that I try and remember every time the big supermarket calls out to me:
Local businesses keep your money in your local economy rather than being siphoned off to line the pockets of shareholders.
Locally produced food means fewer food miles.
Buying local creates local jobs, often with better pay and working conditions.
Buying organic
Organics is a tricky subject but one I have a lot of experience in.
That independent wine store I owned? Around 75% of our wines were organic.
We chose to focus on organics for numerous reasons. One was that we were all about quality and character (most great wines these days are organic, whether certified or not).
Second, we know how harmful the chemicals used in food and wine production can really be. I have winemaker friends whose parents died from overexposure to these chemicals, and I’ve studied the effects of winemaking chemicals at college.
But it’s complicated because organics still include treatments - they’re just natural rather than chemical. Some of these treatments, such as copper, are still pretty bad for the environment.
This is why we got to know our winemakers. We wanted to know exactly what they were doing in their vineyards, we didn’t give much of a shit if they had the organic label on the back of the bottle or not. Many of them went above and beyond what was expected of an organic grower, even if they never went in for certification.
It’s another win for shopping local - independent shop owners often know their producers or have a good grasp of their supply chains.
It’s a good place to start.
Whole
Apparently in this instance, whole means not processed. For me, that conjures up images of whole foods like lentils and whole grains.
But I like to think it goes further than that.
I like to think of an unprocessed life (bear with me here).
Yes, that means food. Ever since I ate a Burger King in Barcelona airport a few years back, and then threw it back up on the plane, I largely gave up on processed food.
But there are other ways in which we live a processed life:
Junk content that keeps us glued to our phones.
Bingeing on bad quality TV for hours and hours.
Becoming detached from nature and people by spending too much time online.
Meeting up with surface-level friends who aren’t really friends at all.
The Metaverse.
Processed food is empty calories. The above activities are like the empty calories of life (metaphor too cheesy?! Ah, I’m running with it). They feel good at the time of consumption but don’t actually nourish us or fill us up or make us feel…whole.
Whole goes well beyond introducing whole grains into your diet. It’s about creating a whole life, one that makes you feel good, not one that makes you feel like throwing up in an airplane toilet.
Something to read this weekend
3 articles from my collection (paywall-free)
16 Items I Stopped Buying in Pursuit of a Simple and Sustainable Life
Apartment Living Doesn’t Have to Suck — Here Are 4 Massive Benefits to Living Small
You're right about how difficult it is to live sustainably in the modern world. Even more difficult to change old habits created by the "processed" world.
I try really hard to avoid plastics, chemicals, processed foods, etc. Right down to shampoo bars instead of bottles. But locating these things takes a lot more effort.
This is a really good topic. Tons of food for thought.