Have you ever thought of unplugging the keyboard, putting the out-of-office reply on permanent, taking an axe to your desktop, raising a middle finger to your boss and heading for the hills? I think we all have. And somehow, after the pressure cooker of Christmas; the shopping based stress, the racist aunts, the family disputes, the overindulgence…..the idea seems even more appealing. A new year, a new you, indeed. It’s not a decision to be taken lightly though, so if you’re thinking of making a clean break and bidding farewell to city living, then you might want to consider these; our 5 IDEAL tips for living off the grid in 2019.
KEEP CONNECTIONS
Remote living shouldn’t mean cutting yourself off from the world entirely. Loneliness and isolation isn’t the goal here; an unburdening of the pressures of modern life is. So, keep in touch with friends and family, and your remote life won’t feel quite so remote. There are a variety of ways to secure internet access in far-flung places, even without a phone line, so don’t assume that living off-grid means losing contact with the rest of the world. Plus, you’ll need to access this list periodically, right?
ENERGY ESSENTIALS
It’s vital that you have a consistent and reliable source of energy when you’re far from where the action is; if not you’ll be shivering, hungry and longing for London. Many ‘off-grid’ homes look to traditional energy sources and heating solutions like coal to provide the necessary energy. But obviously, environmental concerns make constant coal burning a careless move. Fear not; there are some fantastic alternatives to coal that could save you money and ensure that you have the reliability of modern technology without that dependence on the grid.
GROW YOUR OWN
To truly feel like you’re living a low-impact, high-independence existence, you’ll want to look into growing your own food. There have been some amazing tech advances in the farming industry recently which you can make use of them with a fairly low financial outlay. Look into AI and automation, and optimize your space through vertical farming.
As well as nurturing fruit and vegetables for your new life’s larder, consider more out of the box thinking too. Keep beehives for a fresh supply of honey and having a few chickens running around is a great way to get an endless supply of eggs. You could even sell any extras to local restaurants or neighbours, if there are any near enough that is.
MAKE YOUR MONEY
It’s all well and good planning to live off the fruits of the land, but you’re still going to need an income of some sort to maintain your new way of life. Consider options which don’t involve a commute and an office; the aforementioned selling of excess produce, or perhaps copywriting, editing or buying and selling online.
EMBRACE THE PEACE
You’ve made the decision to cut ties with the daily grind for a reason. It’s best then, not to bring all of your baggage – emotional and physical – with you to your new, off-the-grid home. Embrace letting go, appreciating peace and practising your own brand of mindfulness. The stillness will cleanse and refresh you. And that’s what you’re looking for, right?
