A Year of Living Simply by Kate Humble

A Year of Living Simply

My journey from complexity to contentment

Kate Humble

If there is one thing that most of us aspire to, it is, simply, to be happy. And yet attaining

happiness has become, it appears, anything but simple. Having stuff – The Latest, The

Newest, The Best Yet – is all too often peddled as the sure fire route to happiness.

So why then, in our consumer-driven society, is depression, stress and anxiety ever more

common, affecting every strata of society and every age, even, worryingly, the very

young? Why is it, when we have so much, that many of us still feel we are missing

something and the rush of pleasure when we buy something new turns so quickly into a

feeling of emptiness, or purposelessness, or guilt?

So what is the route to real, deep, long lasting happiness?

Could it be that our lives have just become overly crowded, that we’ve lost sight of the things – the simple things – that give a sense of achievement, a feeling of joy or excitement? That make us happy.

Do we need to take a step back, reprioritise?

Do we need to make our lives more simple?

Kate Humble’s fresh and frank exploration of a stripped-back approach to life is uplifting,

engaging and inspiring – and will help us all find balance and happiness every day.

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My Thoughts

A Year Of Living Simply is written by well-known TV personality Kate Humble. Her cheery and friendly nature really comes over in the book along with her passion for animals and the great outdoors. She explains that after suffering several heartbreaking bereavements she felt the need to evaluate the areas of her life that really matter.

For years I have looked for little sparks of joy even when times have been particularly tough. I totally agree with the author that happiness can be found in the tiniest things like pegging clean laundry on a washing line, de-cluttering a cupboard, or eating hot buttered toast.

We all accumulate too much ‘stuff’ and have to work all our lives to pay for it all. However, as we get older we realise that the most valuable commodity we have is time…and we shouldn’t waste it doing things we don’t enjoy.

By simplifying our outlook we can find contentment, improve mental health and make our lives more sustainable.

During this pandemic people have learned more than ever that status and wealth are irrelevant in a crisis. Our connections with people and our environment are no longer taken for granted.

I loved the warm, enthusiastic style of the writing, it was so relatable with humorous anecdotes and inspiring advice. Instead of making huge life-changing adjustments Kate Humble gently coaxes you to make small changes that really work. She gives personal examples of how she simplified her own life and the benefits she gained. In addition, she interviews people who have made changes either by living completely off-grid or by learning to repair possessions, bake bread or grow their own vegetables.

Reading this book is like waking from a deep sleep feeling refreshed, energised, and ready to take on the world again.

Can I say a huge thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this beautiful, inspiring, and thought-provoking book. It was a privilege to read and review A Year of Living Simply and this copy will be thoroughly cherished and sit on my bookshelf forever. Thanks as always to Anne Cater for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.

Author Biography

Kate Humble is a farmer, writer, activist, entrepreneur and one of the UK’s best-known TV

presenters. She started her television career as a researcher, later presenting

programmes such as ‘Animal Park’, ‘Springwatch & Autumnwatch’, ‘Lambing Live’, ‘Living

with Nomads’, ‘Extreme Wives’ and ‘Back to the Land’. Her last book, Thinking On My

Feet, was shortlisted for The Wainwright Prize and The Edward Stanford Travel Writing

Award.

Find out more about Kate on Twitter @katehumble and @farmerhumble, on

Instagram @kmhumble and at http://www.katehumble.com and http://www.humblebynature.com

A Year of Living Simply by Kate Humble