A life less complicated
A movement towards paring back our lifestyles, slowing the pace and placing fewer demands on ourselves and others is growing in momentum, writes Josie Steenhart.
Growing increasingly busy co-running a cafe, writing recipe books, maintaining a popular blog and looking after her three young children, Eleanor Ozich did what most of us have often thought about or dreamed of.
She made the conscious decision to set about creating a genuinely calmer, simpler life for herself and her family.
It had been what Ozich describes as a ‘‘whirlwind couple of years, working long, relentless hours, and losing sight of the everyday things that mattered to me the most.’’
‘‘Even though I had a career that I loved, I felt as though I was being pulled in too many different directions, each day becoming more detached from the simple lifestyle that I yearned to live.’’
The transition began with a big move, literally, when Ozich, her partner Valentin (founder of menswear label I Love Ugly) and their three children Bella, Obi and baby Archie shifted from central Auckland to the famously laidback, leafy suburb of Titirangi, out west.
‘‘We decided to move from the hustle and bustle of the city to a little 1950s beach house nestled among native bush and beautiful birdsong,’’ she says.
‘‘During this time, I felt inspired to shed unnecessary clutter and adopted a simpler style of living, I found myself with more time and energy to appreciate family, friends and the small pleasures in life.’’
Now Ozich is sharing the experience of her lifestyle shift, with plenty of inspiration and advice, in the form of a book – The
Art of Simple – released this month.
‘‘The book took around six months to write,’’ she says.
‘‘I styled and photographed almost all of the imagery inside too.’’
While working on the book, Ozich also had a very small sidekick to keep her extra busy – but having a baby at home proved to be of benefit to the content.
‘‘Admittedly, it was sometimes a juggle to balance writing with looking after the three kids, but I’m thankful for the experience as it helped me to understand how to find a sense of calm and balance despite having somewhat chaotic days,’’ she says.
A movement towards paring back our lifestyles, slowing the pace and placing fewer demands on ourselves and others (and the environment) is one that’s growing in momentum, and while it may seem daunting at first, Ozich is a delightful example of making it work, in style, without compromising on life’s little pleasures.
‘‘These days, living a fastpaced, busy lifestyle is considered normal for many of us,’’ she says.
‘‘It’s a familiar story – one where there’s work deadlines, bills upon bills, health challenges, the struggles that can come with parenting.
‘‘These challenges come with myriad emotions and can cause us to lose our centre, become unbalanced or feel overwhelmed.