Living a simplified lifestyle off the grid can give a person a completely renewed perspective on what they find to be important. Some people might appreciate a “good traffic” day on their commute to work. But if this was no longer an aspect of your life, imagine the other things you could find appreciation for. You could find yourself spending more time outdoors, enjoy observing the stars, or maintaining your garden.

Here are some awesome lifestyle advantages one can acquire when choosing to live off the grid:

1. Closer relationships. By eliminating the non-essentials of your life, you will have time to re-connect with your spouse and with your children. You will discover the joys of conversation, of playing board games together and of just hanging out, sharing your lives together.

2. Lower stress and anxiety. Modern life is stressful. An estimated 75 percent to 90 percent of visits to America’s primary-care physicians are based upon complaints related to stress. When we voluntarily opt out of the rat race, we have less to be anxious about. By eliminating many of the sources of stress in our lives – the commute, the overtime, the appointments and the extravagant purchases – we take away most of the sources of the worry.

3. Enhanced creativity. One of the surprising outcomes of a simplified life is that we can focus better. This new way of looking at things can help us to develop a long-lost talent or to discover a new creative interest. Since necessity really is the mother of invention, as the saying goes, you will learn to refine some skills and to learn some new ones as you embark on this new lifestyle.

Many people who get down to the basics discover an artistic side of themselves that they never know they had. You may find yourself sketching the beauty around you or enjoying photographing your surroundings, for example. Perhaps you will rekindle a love for baking or for gardening.

4. Financial freedom. Although it may seem you have to work hard in order to get to the point of living with less at first, living simply does cost less. You will save money on so many costs that were draining your bank account before: heating and cooling, transportation, expensive wardrobe and food expenses to name a few. You will also save money by eliminating the things in your life that you had to spend money on to maintain, such as a second car or a storage unit. When you live within your means, you can also eliminate credit card debt and high interest rates.

5. Better appreciation of nature and beauty. Leonardo da Vinci is credited with writing, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” When we simplify our lives, we are able to see the beauty in the everyday more clearly. We can enjoy the colors of a morning sunrise or the smell of an approaching rain. The clutter and the noise and the busyness of modern life can rob us of our enjoyment of the wonder of the world around us.

A simplified lifestyle offers us a new perspective on what is really important. We begin to notice and re-appreciate the details of life –whether it is a butterfly’s wings or a good conversation over a cup of coffee. Whether you are just beginning your journey or have been on the road for years, the advantages of a less-encumbered lifestyle will continue to accrue.

Just piggybacking off the #3 above, this is very true. If you've ever taken time off work for a health related issue or injury, you'll find yourself more excited about being creative. This is because your brain isn't thinking about deadlines, shipments, spreadsheets, etc. You can work on projects that interest you vs. projects that are required for business or work. We really liked the ideas Off The Grid News put together above. You can read the complete list here if you're interested!

All the images found within this article came from the team at Art of the System and were taken by French photographer Antoine Bruy.

In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, most people can only dream about escaping to the quiet isolation of the rural countryside. French photographer Antoine Bruy, however, turned that dream into a reality when he hitchhiked across Europe from 2010 to 2013, wandering through remote mountain regions without any fixed destination or route in mind. Along the way, he met several individuals who had willingly abandoned life in the city and retreated deep into the wilderness, sacrificing modern comforts for greater autonomy and freedom.

We loved this whole concept and the photographs Antoine took. To read this article in full, please visit Art of the System.

Do You Think You Could Live Off The Grid?

If you think you have what it takes to live off the grid, we'd love to hear your story. Where do you plan to go? Who is going with you? When do you plan to make this life change? Share with us in the comments section below! Images and video links are welcomed.