I grew up with the idea that productivity defined success. That the normal narrative was the secure or safe path, filled to the brim with hustling and striving. I followed the crowd and never questioned the road that was laid out before me, all planned and approved by society. This automatic way of thinking consumed me as I entered my early 20s until I met Jesus, and He clearly told me to go another way.

I then graduated with a degree that I chose, not because I was passionate about it, but because I thought I would be good at it, not knowing what I truly wanted to do. Instead of a choosing a career, I worked six different jobs in the span of a few years post grad, enough for my husband and I to afford a materialistic lifestyle. This was the lifestyle I thought I always wanted, yet it never seemed to fill me. It never felt like I was truly living the life God wanted for me.

It wasn’t until my husband and I moved from a busy city on the east coast to a small suburb in the midwest countryside and became pregnant with our first child. I felt led to reevaluate my life and how I was truly living. To do a deep dive into who I was.

How would I mother her? What example would I set? What about life do I want to teach to her?

With this realization, I came before the Lord and asked for Him to prune me entirely during this season of pregnancy. To renew in me a new mind and heart. Sure enough with this ask, God spoke to me and asked me to lay down my social media and phone addictions, the constant comparing spiral habit that I had struggled with for years, and the everyday rush and desire for more materialistic things. I wanted to simplify my life. My home. My time. To slow things down. To feel more present with my husband and to be more intentional and undistracted with the moments I am not promised in my life.

With this, I completed several total digital detoxes, made my phone boring, and decided to fully embark on exploring the practice of slowing down and embracing the simple, small moments of everyday, while also entering into the life-giving space of minimalism. Decluttering extra clutter in our home has allowed us to make more room for each other, make more precise decisions, and spend time less time cleaning (big win!)

Now, I have been off social media for awhile now… and it feels so freeing. Though it wasn’t the perfect detox journey, my life away from the rush and constant stimulation of the online world has been so relieving. And yes, I am still connected to my friends and family.

I’ve found so much freedom by adopting this slower way of living. I can leave my phone at home if I’m going to dinner with my husband. I can be present with the Lord in prayer and reading His word. I can clean up our whole home in about 20-30 minutes. I’m not standing at my closet every morning wondering what to wear. I don’t feel the anxious urge to stage my morning cup of tea and devotional in the morning for my Instagram feed. I don’t feel the pressure to buy this new sweater or kitchen appliance because it’s the new trend. By embracing digital minimalism, while also decluttering and slowing down, my life has transformed. Though counter-cultural or weird to society, I love being disconnected, unhurried, and unplugged from this busy, noisy world — living instead more present, joyful, undistracted, and focused on the moments that truly matter while becoming the woman God created me to be.

I decided to create this space to share resources on slow living, minimalism, mindful motherhood, health & healing, as well as gentle business encouragement and small notes from my life. The Lord has planted in me a seed to write, so I pray that this reaches the women it’s meant to. I am thrilled to share the lessons I’ve learned and my journey. I hope that this tiny space of refuge and peace inspires you to create a life that feels authentic and true to you.

If you’re curious for more details about my story, you can dive into the full blog post here.