Living off the grid can be a challenging task, particularly if you are used to the conveniences of the modern world.
However, it is also extremely rewarding and fulfilling to become self-sufficient. Here are 9 ways living off the grid will make you happy.
9) You Are Set up For Survival
If you are living off the grid, a global financial meltdown, pandemic, food shortage or oil shortage is less likely disrupt your lifestyle.
Off the grid living helps give you the life experience, items and skills necessary to survive on your own. Many people who are living off the grid also gain bushcraft skills, so they can go back to nature in the event of a serious crisis.
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Because you don’t rely on the resources which may be affected by societal upheaval, your ability to survive is already far superior to other people.
Having increased levels of safety and security remove stress from your life, and gives you peace of mind.
8) Off the Grid Living is Very Human
Living in a self-sufficient way is something that humans have done for many thousands of years.
It was only recently that the human race began to live in cloistered and secure environments where they no longer needed to hunt or fend for themselves.
As humans have become more reliant on technology and other people to provide for them, they have become lazy.
Living off the grid reminds you what it is to be human — to farm, to grow, to learn, to exist within nature instead of apart from it.
It is the natural state of a human being to be self-sufficient and to be productive.
The reason why so many people in modern societies are depressed is that they are so far removed from their natural state.
Off the grid living can give you back what has been lost, an authentic, happy, productive and rewarding human life.
7) Self-sufficiency is Very Rewarding
Living off the grid requires you to become self-sufficient in a number of ways.
If you want to run electrical appliances, you have to generate electricity. If you want to enjoy a particular food, you may have to grow it yourself.
As you become more self-sufficient you will gain a feeling of independence, which is extremely satisfying. You will also be providing for your family, one of the most rewarding experiences possible.
Self-sufficiency also requires a person to learn a lot of new skills, which is a fantastic experience itself. Many self-sufficient people have learned how to build a house, wire an electrical system, raise animals, preserve food and much more. Every time you learn a new skill and become more self-sufficient, you will feel more accomplished and satisfied with your life.
6) Financial Freedom
When you are living on the grid, bills seem to constantly arrive.
Electricity, gas, telephone, Internet and cable television bills can be very expensive, often causing people to struggle financially.
When you go off-grid and live sustainably, the relentless pressure of utility bills ends.
With less financial obligations and bills, it is possible to reduce the hours you work and focus on your family more.
All of which results in increased happiness.
5) You Can Form a Close Relationship With Nature
The relationship between humans and nature has largely been obscured by modern society — most humans feel detached from the natural world.
People who are living off the grid find themselves coming back to nature because they are often dependent on it for food, energy, and shelter.
Building a closer relationship with nature nearly always leads to greater levels of happiness.
By obtaining a greater understanding of nature and developing bushcraft skills, you can teach your children and friends how to enjoy nature safely — a very rewarding exercise.
4) Sustainable Living
Off the live grid living requires you to work with a limited number of resources to produce more than you consume.
Instead of being a member of society that constantly consumes resources including food and energy, you will be producing resources to care for yourself and your family.
Sustainability is a rewarding endeavor that comes part and parcel with off the grid living. You will produce your own energy, grow your own food, reuse and recycle items and set a fantastic example for your children.
3) Avoid the Negative Aspects of Modern Society
While most people are happy living in a modern capitalist economy like the United States, it does have its fair share of negative aspects.
Celebrity culture, consumerism, violence and greed are all prominent in modern society.
Going back to nature helps you avoid these kinds of negative aspects and raise children who are unaffected by them.
You will also feel happier knowing that you aren’t contributing to many of the problems that society faces.
By being self-sufficient, you won’t be participating in the mindless consumption that plagues modern society.
2) You Will be Healthier
Most people who live off-grid often grow their own food or buy food from nearby farmers.
The food is usually locally grown and organic, which means it has not been exposed to large amounts of chemical pesticides and insecticides (unlike most food in modern society).
The produce is more wholesome and nutritious than chemically ripened fruit and vegetables found in most supermarkets.
Living off the grid also means you will be exposed to less pollution and contagious illnesses.
In addition to better food, people who live off the grid tend to spend more time being active.
Self-sufficient people tend to be mobile throughout the day — maintaining their property, growing vegetables and undertaking new projects.
1) More Time
Living off the grid can take you away from the distractions of modern life.
By simplifying your lifestyle and focusing on being self-sufficient, you will free up a vast amount of time.
Instead, go browsing the Internet for hours or watching television, you will be building things, farming, reading books and spending time with the family.
You will be living a meaningful and happy life that is not dominated by distractions.
