"Writing and adventuring with the added advantage of discovering the possibilities of a simpler lifestyle."
Campfire Chats Series - Slow Living with Lyndsay
This post is part of my monthly Campfire Chats series, available free to all of my subscribers. This series is an opportunity to ask, interview, or feature my community and their experiences of one of the main topics that I write about here on Substack - motherhood, neurodivergence, mental health, running a creative small business, and slow living. If those topics are of interest to you, we’d love to have you in our community. Come join us?
Today’s guest is Lyndsay Edginton who writes
here on Substack. Lyndsay would like to share the following with you:I believe there is a time and a place for a faster pace of life and sometimes in life, those times are unavoidable. However, the goal, or for me at least, is to move through these busier periods of life in a more conscious, mindful way as opposed to just moving through the motions and letting life happen to you. If life gets a little hectic, that’s ok. Just make your response to it intentional and find those pockets of calm wherever you can.
A brief introduction of who you are and what you do
Hi, I’m Lyndsay, author of Moments with Lyndsay here on Substack. I’m a Yorkshire girl at heart but I’ve spent the last year travelling Europe with my husband, and the previous six years to that living in Brighton. Before my career break, I spent my time as a Project Manager but this time away has given me the opportunity to explore my true passions of writing and adventuring with the added advantage of discovering the possibilities of a simpler lifestyle.
What made you start living a simpler, more intentional life?
It’s hard to say when the exact day was when I realised I wanted to simplify my life. I’d known for a while that I needed to break free from the shackles of societal pressure, the corporate nine ‘til five, from believing that being busy equals success. But I needed a big bang change. Such a drastic change playing out incrementally wouldn’t have worked, I wouldn’t have committed, it would have fallen by the wayside with excuses being made. My husband and I had many discussions, us both feeling the same way, and eventually we made the decision to sell our house on the south coast of England, along with most of our possessions, and quit our jobs to travel Europe in our campervan.
Travelling in a campervan forces you to slow down. The “doing” mentality has to become the “do less” mentality. The thing is, I was so wired at first, so used to being “on” all the time that it took me a while to work through the change. It’s only recently that I feel I’m nearing the other end and starting to enjoy, and relish in, a simpler, calmer life. And whilst we won’t travel forever and we will need to work again, we have the chance now to create a new life building from the basics, we have the luxury of leaning into all of the things we have learned this past year, and will continue to learn, to curate a perfectly balanced lifestyle. Well, that’s the dream anyway!
What would your perfect, slow, 24 hours look like?
I would wake up in a place with the beach in front of me and the mountains behind. Places like this do exist! I would go for a morning trail run above the clouds, after my obligatory morning cuppa and writing, followed by a dip in the sea. I would then return home to my husband and my dog to enjoy brunch overlooking the beach which we would walk on afterwards; strolling hand in hand, sand between toes, the sea breeze curling around our faces. Then I would maybe read, or write, or practise yoga, whichever slow-paced activity took my fancy that day. I would then spend the evening with my favourite people accompanied with good conversation, good food and good wine, whilst talking about life and dreams and the meaning of it all.
Tell us a secret to a simple life
My secret is to strip it all back and be brave in doing so. Remove any unnecessary stuff, whatever that looks like for you. It could be removing or minimising your possessions, it could be removing things from your life that no longer add any value or no longer serve you. It could be finding a new job or making a decision to do something different. It could be making time for you and what you love.
What's the best advice you've ever been given/ read?
“Believe in yourself”. Those three simple words sometime fade into the background when I’m nervous about something I’m about to do, or when I’m stepping out of my comfort zone. But I remind myself of those words that have been whispered into my ear by that familiar voice so many times over the years and the worries wash away.
A book/ website or other resource everyone should read is...
I went through an
reading spree earlier this year and I would encourage everyone to read Eat, Pray, Love. I never saw the film and I’m glad I didn’t as I was able to go into reading the book with an open mind and heart. I adored it and fell in love with Gilbert a little bit more with every page I turned. For every person out there trying to find themselves and go back to basics, this is the book for you.I would also encourage everyone to listen to a podcast featuring Mo Gawdat. I’ve listened to a couple now on various shows and he is such an inspiration, talking about happiness and life. I believe he has his own podcast too which I need to check out myself.
One practice of your slow living life that you couldn't live without is...
… my slow morning routine. It’s my favourite way to start my day. I wake up, usually early, pop the kettle on, greet my beloved dog and prepare his breakfast whilst he gets on with his morning business. With my mug of tea, I settle with my pen and pad and write for 30 minutes, writing whatever is on my mind. I then exercise, anything from running to yoga to weights or a dog walk. Then I eat and wake my husband with his morning coffee! I’ve also lately started to avoid checking social media until after I’ve eaten.
The biggest impact slow living has had on you is...
… I observe more. It sounds cheesy, doesn’t it? But I find I have more time to think, to reflect, to look around. I couldn’t sit still before. I couldn’t just be. But I find it easier these days. Although don’t get me wrong, sometimes it’s hard and I can feel my feet twitching, my legs restless, my mind spinning. But on those days where I can just be, that’s when it all makes sense, when it all feels worth it.
One thing people should do more of is...
… make more time for themselves. No matter how busy your life is, take five minutes or ten minutes, or whatever time you can and do something for you. Take yourself on a date, reconnect with yourself, start that hobby, do that thing. You won’t regret it.
One thing people should do less of is...
… worrying what other people think. Oh how I have been controlled by this in the past! But how can you live a simple, calmer life if you’re worried what others may think of you? People might not understand your new way of living, they might comment that you’ve changed. I imagine some people didn’t get our decision to sell our home and quit our jobs and that’s ok. People can give their opinion but don’t let that skew your decision. If you’re always worried what people may think, you wouldn’t do anything and instead you will live the life you think people want you to live, or expect you to live, instead of the one you want to live.
Your favourite quote is...
“Let us not become so cautious that we forget to live.” Elizabeth Gilbert wrote this in Eat, Pray, Love. Such beautiful words to live by.
A piece of advice you'd give to your younger self...
If I could tell my younger self one thing it would be to not fear failure. You are not a failure if you try something and it doesn’t work out. In fact, you are courageous, you are learning from your mistakes, you are building your character. The trying is what matters. I would rather try a hundred times than be the person who tries nothing through fear of failure.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to live a simple more intentional life?
If you want to live a simple, more intentional life, I would encourage you to look at the different areas of your life and determine where you can add more intention, more simplicity. Where can you cut back? Where can you create boundaries? Where can you add more as long as the more is going to serve you? Start small. Be realistic. Introduce a slower morning routine or a wind down evening routine. Don’t put pressure on it. Be kind to yourself in your endeavours to simplify your life.
A top tip is...
.. how to make a perfect cup of tea. You will learn that I love my tea. Yorkshire tea, no less.
Step 1 – Boil kettle and add teabag to your favourite mug or to your teapot
Step 2 – Pour water, not boiling water (wait a few seconds) into the mug or the teapot.
Step 3 – Leave for a minute or so. Then, if you are using a teapot, pour the tea into your mug. If you are using a teabag in your mug, remove the teabag without squeezing it against the edge.
Step 4 – Add milk, however much you fancy. And sugar if you desire.
Just a dash of milk and no sugar for me please!
Tell us about the time in your life that you felt the most content
I’m most content when it’s me, my husband and my dog. We could be lying in bed, relaxing on the sofa, walking on the beach or scaling a mountain ridge, and as long as we’re together, I’ll always feel content. I can remember one evening, we were parked in our campervan on a beach in Greece, Sean had started a fire, and we sat on the beach in front of the fire, watching the sunset. It was magical, contentment at its finest.
The best thing someone has ever said to you
“I’m so proud of you.”
Your go to when you you want to be creative is...
I have two things I do and which one I choose depends on my mood. The first is to find a spot - I usually have a spot in mind - light a candle, put on some jazz, pick up my pen and write or pick up a book and read. Alternatively, I go for a walk. Some of my best ideas come to me when I’m walking. I’m sure I’m not alone in this, it’s not ground-breaking that’s for sure! But it’s simple and it works. I usually come back with notes on my phone or a voice recording to listen back to.
When it all gets a bit much, how do you bring yourself back to calm?
I run. Running is my meditation. If I feel I’m having a bad day, if I’m agitated or whatever else, running makes it go away, it just lets me be. If on those days I’ve already ran and nothing is getting me out of my head, I make a cuppa, grab the biscuits and drown in feel good TV (Friends, Modern Family, Sex and the City) and have an early night. Tomorrow is a new day.
Tell us about your biggest extravagance
I enjoy putting my make-up on, wearing something cute and going out for dinner. I love food. I love a good restaurant with good company and good conversation. I love the whole package, the entire experience, the vibe. Some of my favourite memories of our recent travels has been the food we have eaten and the restaurants we have visited. You know, thinking about it now, I enjoy it not only for the food but it’s because in those moments I get to really connect with my husband; no phones, no distractions, just us and our free-flowing conversation.
Share a journal prompt for readers to ponder
What is one thing you can do today to reconnect with your inner truth?
A simple, beautiful memory you have is...
I wrote about this in a Substack post, so I’m going to be cheeky and paste it here….
I wade in, the cool water tickling my ankles, the moist sand squelching beneath my toes. I step tentatively, avoiding stones and shells and any creature that could puncture my skin. The sun is not yet fully high in the sky but the heat is high enough to warrant the coolness of a dip. The water soon reaches my knees, the salty sweat from my morning run mixing with that of the sea. Eventually I stop and without hesitation my bum is hitting the surface, legs flailing out ahead. I notice my coral nails bobbing against the blue like baby fish coming up for air. I lay back, my head shattering the surface behind me, my hair spilling out all around. As the water hugs my body and I breath in the sea air, the pureness permeating my nostrils, my mind begins to quieten. There is nobody else around; just me and the deep blue sea and the array of mussels which cling to the rocks to my left. When I think of my travels over the past few months, this is a moment I always come back to. It wasn’t ground-breaking, I hadn’t done anything adventurous. It was simple, meditative. I had given myself over to the sea. The sea, my happy place, grounding me as I look upon its vast expanse, reminding me of how insignificant I am. I suppose sort of in the same way when you look up to a night sky to observe the infinite universe which we are only a teeny tiny speck of. I remember thinking that morning that I was stumbling across something special, a defining moment that was not to be wasted.
One thing that makes life instantly better is...
A cup of tea and a biscuit or three…
A favourite recipe that everyone should try is...
Ok, I need to admit something here. I’m not a cook and I actually dislike cooking. As much as I love food, I prefer it when it is made for me. My favourite thing to rustle up however is a charcuterie board. I love going to pick out the cheeses and the meats and setting it up all pretty on a wooden board, complete with warm bread, olives, olive oil, and maybe a cheeky glass of port to wash it all down with. Simple. Delicious.
Where can people find you online?
My Substack, Moments with Lyndsay, where I share moments of my life with you.
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Campfire Chats Series. Please feel free to share this post by clicking the button below…
Speak soon,
Take part in the series!
I’d really love to bring in other people to chat about their own personal experiences with parenting, neurodiversity, mental health, being a creative business owner, and slow living, or a mix of these (parenting neurodivergent children or creativity to help with your mental health, etc.). If you have a story to share about any of those, I’d love to speak to you about collaborating.
Below you’ll find some links to some very quick forms to fill out if you’d like to collaborate in an interview style, or, alternatively, if you have an idea for a guest post, then please DM me or reach out via email (findingsimpleandcalm@substack.com) to chat further.
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Love this interview! So happy to see Lyndsay here 🥰
Lovely to see one of my favourite Substack writers in this series! :)
A lovely read full of calming, inspiring, slow-living gems, thanks Sophie and Lyndsay!