Was Life Really Simpler Then? Or Are We Making It More Complicated Now?

Recently, I reconnected with a friend I’ve known since we were teenagers. We haven’t seen each other in well over a decade — and as we caught up and reminisced, he said something that really stuck with me:

“Wasn’t life just so simple back then?”

It’s something I’ve heard a lot over the years.
And, yes — at first glance, I get it. No mortgage. No business meetings. No school runs or work travel or taxes or caregiving responsibilities.
But it got me thinking…

Was life really simpler?
Or is it just our perception — the lens through which we view time, responsibility, and self — that has changed?

The Truth About Simplicity

Here’s what I’ve come to believe:

Life didn’t necessarily get more complicated. We started experiencing it through a more complicated mindset.

When we were younger, we had fewer obligations, fewer deadlines, and — let’s be honest — a whole lot more time.
The biggest shift as we age isn’t necessarily in life itself, but in the resource of time and attention.
We have more responsibilities, more people to care for, more places to be — and yet, less inner spaciousness.

But here’s the part no one tells you:

It’s not the external obligations that complicate life — it’s the internal resistance.

The Real Issue: Resistance vs Conscious Awareness

When we’re younger, we may not be conscious, but we’re often more open.
As we grow, we become more reactive. More opinionated. More resistant.
We live in our heads. We stress, overthink, and overstretch.

And while the outside world does become more demanding — it’s often our mindset that turns it into chaos.

We start layering everything with:

• Pressure
  
• Assumptions
  
• Perfectionism
  
• Fear of missing out
  
• Trying to do it all, be it all, control it all
  

And in doing so, we lose the ability to move simply, breathe freely, and think clearly.

What If Simplicity Is a Mindset?

Let me be clear:
This isn’t about being naïve. Or being "simple-minded" in the traditional sense.
It’s about choosing to strip away the unnecessary — mentally, emotionally, energetically.

It’s about returning to:

• Clarity
  
• Non-resistance
  
• Conscious thinking
  
• Intentional choices
  

Because the truth is, complexity often comes from within us — not just from the world around us.

So, What Can We Do?

Whether you're in your 20s or your 60s, you can choose to live with more ease.
Here are a few reflective questions and practices to help:

Ask Yourself:

• Am I making this harder than it needs to be?
  
• What assumptions am I layering onto this situation?
  
• Is the pressure coming from outside — or from me? 

Practice Conscious Simplicity:

1. Pause before you react. Create a gap between stimulus and response.
   
2. Don’t commit to everything. If it’s not essential or aligned, it’s noise.
   
3. Reclaim your attention. Set boundaries with tech, people, and your inner critic.
   
4. Let go of needing to be perfect. Show up as you are — enough.
   
5. Breathe. Inhale ease. Exhale complexity.
   

The Glow-Up Isn’t In Your Schedule — It’s In Your Headspace

Most of us don’t need a life overhaul.
We need a thought reset.
We need to remember that we have the power to choose how we experience our lives — regardless of what our to-do list looks like.

Simplicity isn’t a stage of life.
It’s a way of being in life — and we can return to it at any time.

Final Thought:

Before you blame the world for being complicated…
Ask yourself:

Where am I choosing to complicate things that could be more simple?
And what would it look like to move through today with a little less resistance, and a little more peace?

That’s the glow-up we’re all really looking for.

Please see Blog 2 for the second part of the Simplicity Series.
https://www.theeleganceadvisor.com/blog/what-we-can-learn-from-the-wisdom-of-older-generations