We are taught from an early age what we should and shouldn’t do in our lives, what the ‘right’ path is to take. But what if you’ve done everything you ‘should’ have done and followed the ‘right’ path, but it isn’t making you happy? In fact, it’s making you quite stressed and burnt out. You’re not alone.
What if you wanted to stop and get off the path, and start to pave your own? Imagine a life that isn’t full of worry, anxiety and exhaustion. Imagine a life where you feel calm, content and happy with who you are, what you do and how you do it.
It is possible to be a calmer version of yourself. To be able to spend time with your children and family, instead of checking emails. To enjoy being creative and filling your time with what brings you complete and utter joy. To be able to tackle the debt and start saving for a future you want. All you need to do is simplify your life. Can you picture a simpler life and a calmer you?
Introducing the Simple & Calm course:
This course delves deep into your life and looks at where you can simplify it. The aim is to get to know what’s holding you back from living a simpler life (is it your stressful job, mounting debt or overwhelmingly cluttered house?), highlight it and work towards tackling the problem head on.
The process is a journey, and so we’ll focus on 6 main categories of your life:
Personal life & health
Work/ career/ educational
Finances
Home & possessions
Technology & social media
Family & Relationships
You get to a point in your life where there are many red flags that you can no longer ignore. We know we can’t carry on living this lifestyle, and we need to make a change sooner, rather than later. But, where do you even begin with such a lifestyle overhaul?
We’ll use the following method as we work through the lessons:
1. Assess
Identify the problem. Assess your life right now and what’s holding you back. What’s causing the most amount of stress for you?
2. Plan
Make goals and plan what your life could look like.
3. Implement
Learn how to live a simple and calm life
4. Evaluate
Ensure you keep to it the plan and evaluate your life/ what’s working and what isn’t.
This course will only work for you if you put the effort in and implement the action steps within the lessons, and complete the homework tasks in your workbooks. There’ll be a lot of leg work to do initially, but we need to build solid foundations of our house if we want it to be our beautiful, cosy and safe forever home, right?
Your goals might change as you work through the course, and that’s absolutely fine. This is a journey, not a specific destination and there’s a lot to learn. It’s going to take ongoing work and dedication to stick to this way of life, for our foundations to withstand an emergency situation, and for you not to resort back to the anxious, burnt out, stressed out person you once were.
It might take you a while to get into the swing of this new way of life, especially when it’s not really the ‘norm’ we’ve been told we should do, and that’s perfectly fine. This is a big learning curve that you’re about to embark on, and you may start to doubt if you’ve made the right decision. I like to remind myself of this quote when I start to have doubts:
We’ll be getting right to work with a life audit - evaluating where you are right now in your life, and where you want to be. We’ll work together to overcome any mindset issues or feelings of self doubt.
The Simple & Calm course is everything I put into practice when I wanted to change my lifestyle. I was employed in the job I was told I should be in, working long unsocial shifts meaning I often didn’t see my children or husband for days at a time, feeling absolutely exhausted on my days off that I could barely get out of bed. I had no passion or creativity, no laughter or contentment. I was just down, stressed and burnt out.
BUT.
I didn’t know that I was allowed to say no to all of that. I thought that was a normal part of being an adult. Every lesson in the Simple & Calm course is based on my own personal journey, life experience, knowledge and tried and tested methods of finding calm through a simple life. This course is what I wish I had when I wanted to change my lifestyle.
What you’ll learn:
What a simple and calm life would mean to you, what it would look like, why do you want one, and what you'd be doing in it
Support to evaluate your current life, see where you need to focus, plan your new life and make it happen
How to start, right now, to create a calmer life
The secrets to unlocking happiness and finding contentment, with some surprising home truths and possibly a compromise
How to build a sustainable lifestyle so it lasts forever
How to keep track of your progress to see what's working, what you're loving, and areas that need more focus
How to introduce a simple and calm lifestyle into your children's lives, and the benefits for doing so
What causes your anxiety and stress and how to take control of it, so it's not controlling you
How to set up a plan to do all of this in as little as 20 minutes a day
What does simple and calm living actually mean?
Well I’m afraid it doesn’t mean that you’re going to spend the rest of your life with a big smile on your face, and never raising your voice again. And that’s a good thing! You need to feel the wide range of emotions to appreciate the good times. I’ve been living this lifestyle for a while now, and I still shout. There’s only so many times you can ask your children to eat their breakfast and put their shoes on, right?
Simple and calm living means simplifying all aspects of your life, so that they cause you the least amount of stress, therefore improving your quality of life. It’s a whole new lifestyle that goes against the ‘norm’. It’s changing your entire mindset and focusing on what’s truly important to you. It’s valuing quality over quantity and loving what you do have, instead of always wanting more. BUT, it does take dedication, hard work and a big commitment to live this way.
There’s many ways to practice a simple and calm life, and they can look different for everyone. Some areas that you can improve are:
Reducing the amount of ‘stuff’ that you have so that cleaning the house takes you 30 minutes a day (also known as minimalism).
Get the help you need to stop smoking
Leave the job you so desperately hate, and try something new
You could cut out that toxic relationship or friendship causing you stress
Start exercising or try a new hobby that excites you
You could assess your income, learn to budget, plan what you can afford to repay towards your debts, and then start clearing those debts.
There are many, many ways that you can implement this new lifestyle. Put simply (like what I did there?), simple and calm living helps you to regain control, be in charge of your anxiety, reduce your stress and worry, and start living a life that you enjoy waking up to each day. Sounds pretty incredible, right?
Who is this course for?
Those who want to take back control of their lives. Those who want to say no to being busy and stressed. Those who want to spend more time with their family and doing what they love, instead of working every minute and suffering from burnout.
Whether you're a busy mum (is there any other type?), a work-a-holic, or someone who's fed up of living a life full of stress and anxiety and you want a way out, the Simple & Calm course is here. I'm here to guide you, step by step, through all you need to simplify your life, become a calmer you and be content with your life.
There isn't a specific set of one-size-fits-all rules to follow here, we will use your own life and experiences, hopes, goals and dreams, to find your calm. Everyone's journey and outcomes will be different, meaning you'll get a unique experience throughout this course.
The Simple & Calm course will help you to regain control of your life, and live it how you want to, on your terms, doing the things you love to do.
What are the benefits of living a simple and calm life?
I could list a million reasons why living a simple and calm life can benefit you, but I’ll try to keep it brief. The benefits will be different for everyone as this is a unique journey to you. I am so incredibly passionate about simple and calm living, that I’d love to shout about it from the rooftops. I think everyone should live some kind of simple and calm life, and here’s just a few reasons why:
You’ll feel happier and more positive about your life
Feel contentment and reduce stress
Regain lost time and increase productivity
Avoid burnout and overwhelm
Prioritise self care, yourself and rest
Being grateful for everything you have
Regain control and learn to set boundaries
Spend more time with your family
The time spent with your family is a good quality, and not replying to work emails
They learn to respect when you’re working and know when you’re not, they have your full attention
Allow yourself to enjoy your weekends and maybe plan holidays and day trips without the stress
Perform better in exams
Be a better colleague
Have confidence to speak to your manager about a better work environment
Learn to assess your finances and see how much you can save each month
Plan a roadmap to becoming debt free that actually works
You can clean the house in 30 minutes a day
Weekends are not spent doing housework, instead you’re spending time with your family
Your rooms are decorated in a calming way, making your home a place you want to come home to
You’re not spending every spare moment scrolling on Instagram
Your notifications don’t consume you, and you don’t rush for your phone every time it pings.
You’re not checking work emails on your laptop at the breakfast table
You limit yourself like you limit your children
Put technology away before bed and read a book instead, increasing the quality of sleep
Start exercising and gaining strength
Stop smoking
Reduce the amount of alcohol you drink each week
Start eating a healthier diet
How will the course be delivered?
The course will be delivered a lesson at a time, every Wednesday at 08:00 (UK time) via Substack. You can access the weekly material directly via the Substack website, the Substack app, or as an email straight to your inbox. Included in the weekly materials will be a free digital PDF workbook for you to print out and complete (or fill in online).
How long will you have to complete the weekly tasks?
You will have 1 week to work through the learning material and complete the workbook. There isn’t a strict timetable which you must follow. Instead, you can take it at your own pace. If you need to stay on a subject for longer, then you can absolutely do that.
All lessons will be available in the archive should you wish to catch up on a week you may have missed.
How long will the course run for?
The course starts on the 4th January 2023 and runs every week for a year. I really wanted to break down the steps into manageable chunks so that you can fully implement them and see results quicker. If you have all of the information at once, it can be very overwhelming and chances are it’ll just add to your stress and burnout.
What is the archive?
When a new learning material is released, the previous week's learning post will go into the archive. The archive is a ‘bank’ where all of the learning material will live meaning it’ll always be there for you to come back to and reference in the future.
How do the workbooks work?
As you work your way through the weekly learning posts, you’ll complete a workbook. This is a designated space for you to answer questions, write your thoughts, discoveries, plans and dreams as you uncover them. It’s full of activities and tasks for you to complete, that’ll help you move closer to that new lifestyle.
How do I use the Chat function?
Chat is available via the Substack app, and the website. It is a place for us to quickly connect with each other or share your thoughts. Think of it like having our very own Whatsapp group, just for us.
It’s a group of likeminded people who truly understand the journey you’re on. It’s a place for you to share ideas, gather feedback and chat to each other about the course and what you’re up to each week. Join in with discussions, challenges and Q&A’s, share your wins and epiphanies, and motivate each other to focus on the new calmer you that you’re becoming.
What other benefits will I get?
Not only are you going to learn how to live a simpler and calmer life, thus improving your overall happiness and contentment, you’ll also get:
Tools to reevaluate and audit your life
A clear plan on how to become (and stay) debt free
Free resources including debt trackers, journal prompts, planners and workbooks
Monthly Q&A threads where you can ask me anything
20% discount on all purchases made at The English Print Co (my handmade business)
Free printables for you to download and stick on your wall.
Not forgetting:
All of the workbooks to help you complete the weekly tasks.
Access to a private (paid subscribers only) chat via the app
Access to the entire archive of posts so that you can always go back and catch up whenever you feel like it.
How much will it cost?
In order to access the learning materials in the Simple & Calm course, you must be a paid subscriber to my Substack. The fee is £5 per month. That’s a whole lot of course and support for less than a takeaway coffee.
Uncomfortable truths:
So, you may be wondering what could possibly be uncomfortable about living a simple and calm life. Well, there are a few compromises that you may have to make.
You may feel really inspired and driven to lead your new way of life, but this may not be true for your partner or other family members. They may be quite happy living their life how it is, and that is fine. My husband absolutely LOVES getting up at 4am every morning, and going to work. To me, I couldn’t think of anything worse than waking up that early and spending my entire day managing a workload of people, but to him he really enjoys it.
The same can be said for our children too. Just because we love the idea of decluttering, organising and reducing our possessions, doesn’t mean that they feel the same way too. My house is quite minimal, and I love it. But, if I was to go into my daughter's bedroom and start decluttering her toys, then she would go bonkers, and rightly so. My son on the other hand has the smallest bedroom in the house, and he quite likes being minimal and having everything tidied away instead of on display.
My point here is that we shouldn’t force this new way of life onto those who we love. We should be happy that they are happy in their lives. When I first told my husband that I was really interested in living a simple and calm life, he was really intrigued by it, but he wasn’t that enthusiastic about all aspects of it.
We have to respect our families boundaries. Don’t force this lifestyle upon them. They may well see what you’re doing and think “oh I like this, I want to join in”, and that’s great. It’s also great if they don’t.
You could try and find a balance though. When it came to decluttering and donating/ selling my unused items, my husband got on board with this massively. He could see (and feel) how less stressed he was becoming as the house always looked tidy and clean, and he was happy to declutter some of his belongings too.
He was the same when I spoke to him about our debt. I asked him how much debt he thought we were in, and he said “around £1500”. The truth was we were actually in almost £5000 worth of debt, and this really shocked him. This meant that when I told him how anxious it was making me, and how I wanted to make changes and become debt free, he was totally on board with this too. He helped me to make a plan, learn to budget and work out where we could reduce our spending. We are now on the road to becoming debt free and that makes me so excited.
It's ok if you feel like you're on this journey on your own, I sometimes feel that way too. That's why we’re going to use the Simple & Calm Chat group. It’ll allow you to talk to like minded people and know that they understand what you're feeling and experiencing.
Frequently Asked Questions:
I'm brand new to the simple and calm lifestyle, should I take this course?
Absolutely. This course will guide you through every step of how to create a simple and calm life. You'll learn everything along the way so you don't need to have any previous knowledge, just a desire to live a beautiful life.
I've been living a simple and calm life for a while already. Will I still learn something on this course?
Yes. We're always learning and growing so joining this course will only enhance your knowledge and understanding of a simple and calm life. The earlier modules may cover areas that you already know and understand, but I'm confident that there'll be content you've never seen or implemented before.
It's always a great opportunity to make sure you're still going on the right track, and it'll help refocus you if you find you're slipping. Plus, you'll be able to provide valuable feedback to other people's experiences or queries in the chat group.
So there you have it. All the details of my passion project that has been years in the making. If you have any questions at all, please reply to this email, or post a question under this post. I can’t wait to start your journey with you, because my own journey has been so incredibly life changing for me.
If you’re ready to make a lasting change in your life, you can sign up below.