What is a Lifestyle?
By definition, a lifestyle is a way that an individual or a community lives, typically constructed by routine, habits, and values. Celebrities and influencers use it to sell their brand, to make us want to be like them, look like them, feel like them. And usually, it is a façade. We know because we also build our social media profiles with a one-sided view — of a beautiful life full of happiness and fun. Almost anything can be considered a lifestyle. But, recently, I learned that it can be more than that.
In my search to align my life with my values, I came across the Simple Living lifestyle. It is not a specific lifestyle where you must be this, look like that, and have this. Simple Living is an approach to life to connect with your values. It was not what I expected from most lifestyles.
So, I propose another interpretation of it — how we live our lives to achieve fulfillment. In another phrase, it is a life philosophy. It is the style in which you go to achieve your life’s goals and dreams. It is more than another tool for marketing schemes. These are lifestyles that I am calling “Wholistic Lifestyles”, as they pertain to a whole way of thinking and go beyond superficiality.
I have yet to come across a site that contained a list of wholistic lifestyles. So, below is a list of different types of wholistic lifestyles that I have come across. This is by no means all-encompassing, but of ones that I have learned about so far.
Types of Wholistic Lifestyles
Intentional Living
Intentional Living is, as it is aptly named, about living your life with intention. Too many of us fall into the trap of living our lives outside of our intentions. We have dreams and wants, but instead of pursuing them, we take a side or offshoot route which takes us further away from our goals. For example, you may want to start your own business, but you don’t feel ready yet. Instead of prepping yourself for it, you keep working hard at your job for years without making space to start your own business. By living intentionally, you must continually analyze the choices you make to ensure that it aligns with your goals and values.
Minimalism
As the motto goes, less is more. Minimalism is a popular lifestyle that has, ironically, turned into a fashion trend. But, focusing on its original intent, it is living with the minimum amount of objects you need and disconnecting your attachment from these items.
Maximalism
There is debate on its definition, but the simplest one is the accumulation of items. More is best. It is the opposite of minimalism. Within fashion, it is associated with extravagance and non-functional style. The goal is to fulfill your life through bold expression and connection with your items.
Essentialism
As coined by Greg McKown, Essentialism is a mix between Minimalism and Maximalism. It is about differentiating external pressures and our inner voice. Essentialism emphasizes living with only the essentials that you need to achieve self-actualization. Ultimately, you determine what is essential for you.
Slow Living
Slow Living is about living life slowly — to incorporate slower approaches in your daily activities to enjoy the present. This lifestyle arose out of the Slow Food Movement in Italy, which prioritized traditional food-making over fast food. By slowing down, we can appreciate the sensory details in life: how it tastes, looks, smells, and feels. When you are constantly busy, your life can feel chaotic and stressful. There is no time to enjoy our day. By slowing down, you can appreciate the little details that you did not notice and enjoy the moment. These are not frivolous activities but are central to living a happy and robust life.
Simple Living
As described in my article Simple Living: The Lifestyle We Need, Simple Living is about getting rid of what you no longer need, whether it is items, relationships, or work activities, so you can fill your life with what matters to you. There are many benefits to Simple Living — spirituality connection, financial independence, increased leisure time, reduction of environmental impact. Some choose to declutter their homes while others live off the grid with the bare essentials. Simple Living means focusing on the simple things in life that are important to you. Anything that does not lead you to happiness and fulfillment should be left behind.
Downshifting
Downshifting is considered a subcategory of Simple Living, but some proponents see it as a separate category. This lifestyle is more personalized than Simple Living and emphasizes making gradual or small changes rather than a complete lifestyle change. It is about creating an improved time balance in your life, between work, leisure, relationships, and personal fulfillment instead of solely pursuing economic success. Similar to Simple Living, it is about removing unnecessary clutter in your life so you can spend time focusing on what matters to you. The ultimate goal is to live a meaningful life with self-understanding and awareness.
Sustainable Living
Many have taken up this lifestyle to combat climate change. There are various subcategories of sustainable living, such as zero-waste living, but, at its core, it is about refocusing our attention from ourselves to the Earth. It is about conducting our lives sustainability and respectfully to have a symbiotic relationship with nature.
Although each wholistic lifestyle has its own definition, it can be interpreted differently from person to person. They all have similar principles, even though there are many types of lifestyles, making it hard to distinguish one from the other. But, prescribing to a lifestyle does not make you stuck to it. The lifestyles can blend to create one that best aligns with your goals and values. The purpose of a lifestyle is not to adhere to it, but to build the path that will lead you to a happy and fulfilled life.
Comment below which types of wholistic lifestyles resonates with you!
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