I have cracked the code over.
Consumption is a problem that i can relate to, and if you listen to my podcast, you know that i am on a frugal living journey, and one thing has made me realize is that real luxury is not about spending money.
It's about rituals and mindsets and habits that make life feel elevated.
All right, let's dive in, shop your closet like it's a boutique.
Shopping is fun, but you know what's even better?
Rediscovering your own wardrobe.
You know we get caught up in the thrill of buying new things, but the real joy comes from appreciating what you already own.
Here's what you can try that I like to do.
Put away clothes that you don't wear that often maybe it's seasonal and then revisit that in a few months.
And what you'll realize is that it's like shopping all over again, because you will find forgotten gems and re-energize your wardrobe without spending a dime.
Because often, what fuels our shopping addiction is this addiction to novelty, to the search, to waiting for the package, to trying it on for the first time, to fantasizing about when and how we're going to wear the item.
But you can create that newness within your own closet.
You just need to be intentional and a bit strategic.
And I think an underrated skill when it comes to dressing well and fashion overall is being able to take what you already have and create really cool outfits, instead of always having to run out and buy new stuff.
Revisit your notes app like it's a journal.
Your notes app is a treasure trove of ideas, dreams and reminders.
Open it up like it's a journal and revisit your past self.
What did you dream about?
What goals were you working towards?
It's like getting a letter from your past, and you'll be surprised by how much you have grown and how many little sparks of inspiration that you've forgotten.
So take a moment to acknowledge what you have accomplished, even the small things.
Carry your bathroom shelf like it's a spa.
In my opinion, your bathroom isn't just for getting clean.
It's your personal spa experience.
So don't let your shower turn into a cluttered mess of half-empty bottles.
Instead, carry your products like a boutique display and organize your shelf with intention, you know, beautifully placed shampoo poo, a body wash, a calming candle.
Create a peaceful atmosphere with dimmed lights and soothing sense.
In this simple ritual, transform your routine into a daily moment of luxury, which we tend to take, those daily moments, for granted, and just kind of work through them on autopilot, not even considering the fact that we can make them feel like a luxurious experience.
And that goes hand in hand with the next point, which is to set the mood for mundane tasks.
You can transform everyday chores by setting a vibe with lighting, with music and even scents that can elevate almost any boring task.
So, for example, what i've been doing is that every morning, now that i wake up, because it's getting super dark here in stockholm, i light my electric candle they're very good, love them and then i grab my book and i put on my chest and sometimes i'll read something, sometimes i won't, but a book is just comforting.
So i have it there and i just take a little moment to not rush the morning, to not wake up feeling annoyed because it's dark and it's cold and you know, seasonal depression, and i romanticize it by two super simple steps And it makes me feel better, genuinely.
You know, you don't have to wait for an occasion to make mundane tasks feel luxurious.
You have to create it yourself.
This next one has been a game changer.
I'm not exaggerating.
Changing my alarm sound.
For years I woke up to the same jarring alarm sound, feeling startled and stressed before I even opened my eyes.
And then I realized why you know your alarm sound unless you're a super heavy sleeper, should gently wake you up and not feel like an assault to your ears and your senses.
So i changed the sound to something very soothing and simple, a little chime and it might seem small, but it changed the tone of my entire morning and waking up ritual.
And if you pay attention to your days, i'm sure there are other things that are small but that are reoccurring throughout your day that might be sounds or anything similar and check in on that and be like is that startling me?
Is that giving me negative energy?
Can i modify that somehow to be more peaceful or joyful?
Think about what current mindset shifts you need.
I know mindsets and quotes and stuff can seem silly to some people, they can seem cliche, but that is what they're going to be to you if you don't believe in them and if that's the way you view them.
A lot of things in life are about perceptions.
So if you let an inspirational quote or passage from a book inspire you, motivate you and actually let yourself absorb it honestly, then it's going to influence you in a good way.
But if you're dismissive and you don't believe, then it's simply not so.
For me, my current mantra it's my mantra for a little while is ambition without action becomes anxiety.
Why?
Because it's something that i really needed in my life right now and it's something that's making me reconsider a lot of the daily choices that i'm making Now.
Maybe you need a reminder to be more present or to stop overthinking.
Find a quote, a passage from a book or even a personal affirmation, and let it be your focus for a while.
Put it on your lock screen, on your mirror, or notebook.
Be ruthless about what you consume.
Your environment is constantly shaping your mindset, both online and offline.
So I try to be ruthless about what I consume.
I unfollow accounts that drain me.
I don't scroll through content that doesn't align with where I'm trying to be, whether that's my values or my goals or just my current focus in life.
This applies to your physical space as well.
You know, surround yourself with things that uplift you.
Your space reflects your mental state, and so curate it to match the highest version of yourself and watch how your mindset is going to shift along with it.
So, for example, for me, besides having a clean home, some things that i find to be important to have around me is books, it's souvenirs from my travels, it's photographs of people that i care about consume, to create, not to remain stuck.
Before you scroll through social media or consume anything, ask yourself am i doing this to feel inspired or am i doing this to avoid something in myself?
You know, oftentimes we live through others on social media and i think actually that's kind of the point, not in a good way, because you watch someone else do something and it tricks you into thinking that you have had that experience, that you have done that thing, that you have been there, when in reality you have been nothing but a witness.
You haven't lived, you haven't experienced, you haven't accomplished, you've just seen someone else do it and somehow you think that you have partaken in that.
In reality you haven't.
So inspiration is good, and it doesn't always have to be followed by action.
We don't have to have pressure to do something just because we watch others doing it.
But if you want to do something but you're stuck in the saving screenshotting Pinteresting, moodboarding phase with no action, then maybe you need to reevaluate, romanticize delayed gratification.
This one is tough.
In a world of instant, everything delayed gratification feels like a luxury, because we see so many people doing things and we don't know the backstory, we don't know what it took to get there.
We get this illusion that they got there overnight, that they have everything that we want, that they're living the life that we want and we can start feeling deprived.
We can start feeling like we're, but instead of doing that, start noticing how much you grow during that wait.
Whether it's a project you're working on or a goal that you're striving for, or even waiting to buy something that you truly want, embrace that process.
It teaches patience, perseverance, and it makes the reward feel that much sweeter when it arrives.
This next one is for me and for many of you.
It's for us who always, since we were kids, loved buying empty notebooks and had piles of them, because we loved the newness and we were addicted to this idea of starting fresh, starting over.
If a single page was already written on, nope, I can't continue.
I need a new one.
This one is for us.
You don't need to scrap everything and start fresh to feel better.
In fact, the more that I've thought of it, I think it's just procrastination.
Often, a small change is all that you need to reset your energy.
You know, sometimes I'll feel like I need to start over.
I need a new year.
I need a holiday.
I need something.
But then I'll go and play tennis and I'll have a good session.
I'll be like hmm, I feel refreshed, I'll have a glass of water, or I'll take a few deep breaths, or I'll tidy up a cluttered corner.
It is the baby steps that really move the needle, so we need to stop looking for a new self.
That's not even a real concept.
What does that even mean?
I know it's very popular around New Year and whatnot.
I'm sure I participated, but what does that even mean?
Instead of looking for the new self, reinstate the real version of you, the one that you were before all of this noise took over.
I don't know.
I think a full reset is overrated.
You know, small, mindful shifts will get you exactly where you need to be.
Let stillness be the reward.
Rest is not a price, it's a necessity.
But we often treat it like it's something we need to earn after being productive.
Instead, here's what you can try.
Once in a while, allow yourself to just be.
Even if you haven't accomplished everything, you haven't finished everything, let yourself be without feeling guilty.
And I think if you meditate, this one is easier for you.
There's a special kind of self-respect that comes from pausing and enjoying peace.
And when you let yourself rest, it becomes an act of self-care and not an indulgence.
Microdopamine versus deep satisfaction.
Quick hits.
Of dopamine, i believe, has become an epidemic, like scrolling through social media or getting a notification.
They feel good in the moment, but it's not sustainable.
You almost always feel kind of crappy afterwards.
On the other hand, deep satisfaction comes from creating, completing a task, Having meaningful interactions.
Because micro dopamine leaves you feeling drained, but deep satisfaction refuels you.
You know, I think we should all start investing in activities that give us lasting joy and not just momentary pleasure.
The micro integrity rule.
Having integrity, I think, is the highest form of self-respect and class, and it definitely cannot be bought with money.
It is a little promises that you make to others but to yourself, whether it's getting up on time, finishing a task, keeping a commitment, those things matter.
They are what shape you and your character.
It's who you are and doing those things compound into self trust.
Because when you keep those small promises, you build a reputation with yourself that you can rely on, even if no one sees the effort.
That's not what integrity is about.
You know that you showed up and that is priceless.
Forgive the versions of you that survived.
You know, you didn't always need to be thriving.
Sometimes surviving is enough and you need to give yourself credit for making you through tough times.
Maybe you didn't achieve every goal, but you got through it when you had to.
And you need to forgive past versions of yourself who were just trying to survive.
In a world obsessed with constant growth, which has its place in time.
Remember that sometimes just getting through is an achievement in itself.
It's not the serum, it's the regulated nervous system.
You know, it's not the skincare or the high-end products might help a little bit to give you a glow, but really it's about how calm and centered you are.
I believe that people who seem to glow have mastered emotional regulation, because when your nervous system is at ease, You just exude effortless beauty.
And I think it's about peace and not about perfection.
Because stress chaos, trauma you haven't worked through things that are eating at you, occupying your mind.
Not only can you feel them, they show up on your face, on your body, on the way that you move, the way that you present yourself in the world.
If you have an unregulated nervous system.
I think one of the most valuable things you can do for yourself is to invest in practices that soothe your mind and your body.
It's a long journey.
It's not a quick overnight fix.
I know because i'm working on it but i think we can get there.
Make your life a collection of micro beauty.
You don't need to wait for grand moments to feel joy.
You can find beauty in little things.
I do it all the time.
Another thing i'm actually pretty good at it's the way that sunlight falls on your desk.
It's The sound of rain, I was gonna say but I don't actually like the rain which I also talked about in my podcast and it was quite controversial.
But it's the small things.
It's how the leaves fall.
Actually, now that it's fall, I love the sound of the leaves on the ground as you walk through them.
Crispy.
Love it.
I love the quiet mornings.
Now that I have my little candle, I actually love how dark it is for that first hour or so.
These micro-beauty moments if you notice them, you pay attention to them, they compound into a life full of joy and full of beauty, without needing everything to be perfect and without needing to spend the time.
So stop waiting for life to become beautiful and see the beauty in what's already there.
