Have you ever felt like your life has become a little too busy and chaotic, and you would love nothing more than to go back to a simpler time? Do you crave a simple life?
Sometimes, when our days have become so filled with activities and obligations that we don’t have a minute to relax and breathe, I realize that we need to reset our lives and reclaim a little simplicity.
There are 3 uncommon ways that we reset our family to a simple life through fasts.
Now, hear me out… We are all familiar with spiritual fasts that usually include some form of abstinence from food with increased prayers. We usually associate a spiritual fast with redirecting focus toward a spiritual relationship, and that is very valuable.
But here, I want to share with you three completely different types of fasting that our family has discovered. Each of these fasts helps us redirect our focus to a minimalist and simple life.
Fasting has many benefits, including:
• Removing some of the extra in our lives, thereby simplifying some aspects of daily living.
• Highlighting our dependence on our Provider for all that is necessary and good.
• Increasing our awareness of what is truly necessary.
• Encouraging compassion towards those who may not have an option to live as luxuriously as we do.
• Using more of what you already have, and making do with you already have.
• Realizing how much of our busyness is by our own doing.
Fasting does not have to be complicated, and does not require anything extra, or much advanced preparation, making it a perfect solution to spontaneously reset your home. Here are the three uncommon ways that we reset to a simple life through fasting:
Vehicle Fast
Park the car and leave it. Decide in advance when you can abandon your vehicle. In the beginning, you may want to run all of your errands in advance so you are prepared, but if you’re feeling brave, try it without advanced preparation. You will quickly realize how many of your errands are not truly necessary, and how often they can wait.
Like any fast, this doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing, and it doesn’t have to be for some crazy amount of time. Perhaps you could do a vehicle fast for a weekend, or one day. Or, maybe you only use the vehicle for previously established obligations, but nothing new. No matter how you approach this fast, removing the option to use a vehicle is a sure way to simplify daily life.
Financial Fast
A financial fast requires abstaining from spending money for a period of time. Again, this fast can take whatever form is most comfortable, but the more brazen you are, the more your life will be simplified.
In our home, all of our monthly bills are on automatic payment, and we don’t change that during a financial fast. However, we try to avoid spending any additional money for a set number of days.
This fast requires us to use the groceries we have, be conscientious about the gas we are using, to find our entertainment for free, and to put-off any extra expenses for a later date. Not only is this fast great for your wallet, it also requires you to appreciate and make do with what you have.
We have all heard that if you put off purchasing something you want, you are less likely to buy it later, because the appeal fades. This is so true. Try this fast, and you may feel empowered to rethink and plan your entire financial future differently. At the very least, you will not be able to do so much for a few days, and that will make life a whole lot simpler.
Sound Fast
Now I am going to show my introvert side… sound fasts are my favorite. These fasts don’t last long, especially if you have children, but they are an amazing reset for introverts and children.
During a sound fast, everything is silent: no talking, no music, and no screens. My children may play, build, read, draw, color, lay on their beds, or stare out a window – whatever they please as long as it is quiet. I may prepare dinner, pray, read, snuggle, or work.
Start with a short amount of time, and gradually increase it. It may be difficult at first for people to remember to stay quiet, or to be comfortable with silence, but I promise if you stick with it, everyone will soon thrive with a bit of silence.
Because the house must stay silent, we are all forced to have some alone time, and I think that contributes to this reset. In a world where our senses are constantly bombarded, and our minds are constantly making decisions, the ability to exist without reacting to external stimuli – even just for a short while – is a wonderful feeling.
Break this fast with some pleasant music to gently transition everyone from their state of internal contemplation to interacting with the world again.
Fasting Tips
Fasting from food is also a way to reset to a simpler life. I haven’t discussed it much here just because it is a well-known tool. But, perhaps you haven’t realized the simplification benefits of a food fast: abstaining from snacks, abstaining from meat, or eating only simple meals are some ways that people fast that also minimize and simplify daily life.
Whichever fast you choose, remember:
• Fasts are only for a predetermined amount of time.
• Fasting is never intended as a means of exerting control, dominance or authority over others, or yourself.
• Combining prayer with any of these fasts can draw you closer to God, and increase the meaningfulness of a simple life.
How do you reset when life gets too crazy? Are you going to try any of these uncommon fasts? How do you achieve a simple life? Please comment below…
Wishing you all the simple things,
Zara
