6 Ways Self Being Self Sufficient Can Make You Happier

A more self sufficient lifestyle encompasses SO many different things.  For some, it means living off the grid and being in control of their food, energy use and their own health.

But for others, self sufficiency may be living on your own land in an urban setting and being more independent and doing things yourself versus relying on others, credit, constant trips to the store, and the next best Target sale.

Then there is quite a bit of variance in between – and there are many reasons why people would prefer to life a life with greater self sufficiency – perhaps they are discontent with the current political system, or they prefer to make changes due to environmental reasons, for social reasons, or even to save money.

We live in a worrisome time right now – and most people may not see that at all.  We are in the middle of a war on food – where corporations are taking every opportunity to pull the rug from small, family farms – with food that is being thrown on shelves in grocery stores that is far from nutritional. 80 hour workweeks and a $5 pizza have replaced time with our family and those who live next to us (when is the last time you felt ‘connected’ to your neighbor?) 

Deceptive marketing practices have people convinced that factory farmed meat and processed food is not harmful for our health – lobbyists and politicians with an eye for money over what is truly good for the American public.  And at worst, a few wealthy Americans that run every media outlet and banking institution across the globe.  Most people are too distracted to even notice.

The problems we are living in now give light to many reasons to take more of an avenue to self independence – in many ways, it will make you a happier person.

#1 – Your Well Being

Being able to detach from the race of life and take care of things without a heavy reliance is one of the greatest feelings. If you have kids, it’s amazing to be able to teach them that there is more to life than dependency.  That dependency on credit, doctor visits, grocery stores for horrible food and that stressful, day to day job that do nothing but keep you in the rat race – is taxing on your well being.

Being able to free yourself of the chain of debt, the rat race work cycle, all while doing things that keep your family healthy and out of the doctor are amazing ways to support your health.

#2 – Makes you more Resourceful

When you have an overabundance of Zucchini for an entire month .. you learn new recipes or make your own recipes to keep zucchini as entertaining as possible. When you need to make a recipe that calls for sour cream, and you would rather not load 5 kids in the car to drive in the 115 degree Arizona heat to the store “just to buy sour cream” you think of resourceful ways to make your own or make the recipe with something else that actually works.

Sufficiency requires you to think quickly and use what you have. 

#3 – Lower Cost of Living

Self sufficiency is not always about growing your own or raising your own, it’s also means that you prefer to be free and clear from the things that {would normally} obligate most other Americans.

Sure, if you are growing your own garden, you are paying less than you would at the grocery store. You have more to spend in other areas of your life. Likewise, if you save up your cash and buy used (vehicles is a great example) you are not as obligated to working quite as hard knowing your car payment is on the line.  Many Americans are trapped. They are trapped in a constant cycle of going to work and paying bills.

There is no doubt that working is inevitable, but at least you can enjoy life and not be trapped in that job like others are.

#4 – Stress Relief

There is a certain feeling of amazingness when you can do things on your own. Not only does that encompass raising farm animals, it also comes with doing your own mechanical work (cars, household items, etc) and time in the kitchen. Sure, it might be easier to drop off your car at the dealer, but is it cost effective? Not so much.

It might be easier and faster to run into the grocery store for that pack of cheap hamburger buns – but making them at home is so much more rewarding, not to mention better for you. Working with your hands gives you an outlet to relieve yourself of stress and gives you something to teach your kids: there is nothing better than being able to do it yourself.

#5 – You will Spend Less

Self sufficient people don’t feel that they need more possessions or “stuff” to make them feel important or, to feel happy. They don’t feel the need to keep up with the  people next door, friends or even family. In fact, they just don’t care – and that is a great thing.

#6 – Perspective – What’s Important

People who are self sufficient are happy with their own company — while they aren’t antisocial, they don’t tend to be as social as some other people.  They don’t mind solitude and quietness, whereas many other people avoid that quieter lifestyle with things like internet or television – they tend to avoid those diversions.  They aren’t too interested in impressing other people.

Because their inner stability, they don’t feel the need to take a materialistic route to establish who they are, nor do they need a Facebook status update to propel them to seek the approval of others.

Even if you’re self sufficiency doesn’t mean that you raise your own cattle or animals, you at least value the perspective of organic, pastured versus mass factory farmed. You value your own gardening or local farms versus shopping in store. 

Becoming more self sufficient means trying to make common sense of hardships that we may come across. Of course, many of us would love to live in a different place, away from it all – the stresses of dependency, but it’s not practical for most.

However… there are many other ways you can become more self sufficient and live a little more independently.

How to Start?

Start by doing smaller things – like haircuts at home, starting a compost in your backyard, gardening, home-cooking (and not a fast food drive through), and if you can, homeschool.

If you can’t grow a large enough garden, consider a CSA to support a local farmer. Learn how to take care of your own family through self care instead of relying on a medical system and prescriptions that may essentially be doing you more harm than good. Learn more about your food, and do your own self research to understand why these options are not mainstream, but might be better for your family.

As you try to move in that direction, one thing to remember though about self sufficiency is that you can’t, and won’t be able to do everything yourself.