Over the last fifteen years, I have relocated from Sydney to a regional centre, have stopped wearing uncomfortable suits, have stopped using a car, have moved from a house to a multi-residence, decreased my income by about 60% and changed my hairstyle from slick to clipper-cut. I have increased my ability to change the society we live in, increased my ability to do what I believe is right and increased my satisfaction in life.

I now see just how much I have to be grateful for.

Read more

Try not to worry about what other people are doing, or what they think about what you’re doing. Our capitalist consumer culture does a great job of training citizens to self-govern, so a critical skill for the downshifter is being able to tune out the naysayers who will try to tell you you’re crazy for leaving your high-paying career or eschew consumerism to pursue an alternative lifestyle.

Read more

After many years, it became apparent to me that I was on a treadmill to nowhere, living in a concrete jungle in a culture to which I didn’t belong. With my accumulated capital, I left my boyfriend (who wasn’t on the same page) and returned to Australia to embark on a new lifestyle; one that would be more meaningful to me.

Read more

My downshifting journey to sustainable living has been long and tortuous, but full of learning opportunities. It is an ongoing process of skilling and adapting, and there is plenty more to learn.

Read more