Downshifting - what is it in clear language, how to switch to it and is it worth doing?

Studying at a prestigious university, working in a highly paid position, own housing and a car - these items constitute the ideal life scenario for most people. Most, but not all. There are also those who have decided that such benefits are not capable of making him happy. Their name is downshifters. As a rule, such people exchange an office office for a cozy home chair or a small house in the village. It also happens that a person leaves a high position and becomes an ordinary office manager. Why is this happening? Are there any advantages to this? And what dangers might lie in wait? Let's figure it out a little lower.

Crowdfunding is not enough even for downshifting. Victor Pelevin. Love for three Zuckerbrins

What is downshifting

Literally the term is translated from English as slowing down some process or switching speed to a lower gear. In a general sense, this word reflects the philosophy of life for oneself, rejection of imposed goals. Fans of downshifting reject socially accepted norms and focus only on their own sense of happiness.

Such a lifestyle requires concentration on a person’s inner world and a sense of harmony. The concept that comes closest to it is simple living (from English “simple life”), or simplification. Adherents of downshifting focus on simple joys, slow down and move away from career growth, increased productivity, and success.

In simple words, downshifting is a transition from consumerism and career growth to spiritual values ​​and finding oneself.

Literature[ | ]

• Butonova N.V.
  “Downshifting. The new rule is the rejection of all rules.” “New traditions. Collective monograph”, ed. E. E. Surova and S. A. Rassadina. — Publishing house "Petropolis". S.-Pb., 2009, p. 169-176. //ec-dejavu.net
• Ilyin V.I.
  Downshifting as upward social mobility (Russian)// SocioTime/ Social time: article. – 2015. – January (No. 1). – P. 78-90. ISSN 2410-07737.

How this philosophy developed

The roots of the phenomenon go back to Ancient Rome. As they say, all roads lead there. In antiquity there was the philosophy of the Epicureans. Their main values ​​are enjoyment of life and pleasure, which can only be achieved by abandoning social activities.

It was these factors that became fundamental for the development of downshifting - this is what many historians and sociologists believe.

One of the greatest Roman emperors, Diocletian, became a downshifter himself. It was he who voluntarily abdicated the throne and spent the last 8 years of his life growing cabbage on his small plot in the village. They tried to return him to rule many times, but he refused.

In Russia, the founder of this way of life was the writer Leo Tolstoy. The main idea is the rejection of most of the benefits of modern society. This man left social life, settled in his Yasnaya Polyana estate and enjoyed a simple rural life, completely devoting himself to creativity.

If you have read the novel Anna Karenina, remember the hero Konstantin Levin. He quit government service and retired to his estate, where he led the life of a simple farmer. Perhaps the author personified himself with this hero.

Downshifting is also somewhat reminiscent of the American hippie movement that gained popularity in the 1960s. The main similarity is in the concept of human freedom. Hippies believed that only inner harmony gives a feeling of freedom and happiness. But in other respects the directions are significantly different.

Notes[ | ]

1. Anton Pishchur
   . A few words in defense of downshifting. Archived copy from July 23, 2011 on the Wayback Machine // pishchour.ru
2. ↑ 1 2 Alexander Sokolov.
   “Downshifting is an HR manager’s nightmare” (reflections of an “experienced downshifter”). — E-xecutive.ru, 02.13.2008
3. Vera Shengelia, Anton Chermensky, Anton Zlobin.
   Where did ours go? Archived copy from March 28, 2008 on the Wayback Machine - “Russian Newsweek”, 03/23/2007
4. Ambitions Falling Low: A Downshifter's Manifesto. — “Webplanet”, 08/18/2009
5. Sergey Antropov
   .
   Downshifting prevents you from becoming successful. // kadrof.ru (February 27, 2015) [ unauthorized source?
   ]
6. Carl Honoré.
   In Praise of Slow. - HarperCollins Publishers LLC, 2004. - 310 p. — ISBN 9780060750510.
7. Antonina Zakharova
   . "Life in Low Gear" When work interferes with enjoying life, the downshifter prefers to remain unemployed. — “Around the World”, 06/17/2008
8. Ilyin V.I.
   Downshifting as upward social mobility (Russian) // SocioTime/ Social time: article. — 2015. — January (No. 1). — P. 78-90. — ISSN 2410-0773.
9. Gref ranked Russia among the “downshifter countries” // RBC TV channel, January 15, 2021.
10. Moscow, which God is looking at // Private correspondent, June 16, 2015.
11. Sokolov A. When the iron Mirgorod collapses // Nezavisimaya Gazeta (NG-Ex Libris), 11/19/2015.
12. Stanislav Secretov. Rural news // It.Book Magazine, 03/07/2017 (unspecified)
    (inaccessible link). Date accessed: July 16, 2021. Archived October 24, 2021.

Downshifting in Russia and other countries

The research resource “The Australia Institute” published an article about downshifting in Australia. About 30% of middle-aged people preferred this lifestyle. Approximately the same percentage in the US and UK.

According to the survey, people start downshifting for the following reasons:

• unloved job;
• reluctance to work “for someone else”;
• desire to find inner balance;
• desire to avoid unnecessary stress.

In Russia, the phenomenon is not yet so popular, since a comfortable existence requires funds. As a rule, most downshifters from Russia move to other countries. For these purposes, Indonesia and India are often chosen.

Results

Downshifting can be a way out of prolonged dissatisfaction with your life. It's much better than alcohol and drugs. Downshifters are creative people who devote all their energy to rest and recovery, as well as to self-realization. But before you run away from reality, think about whether you really want to give up everything?

A downshifter is... Definition, basic principles and interesting facts on News4Auto.ru.

Our life consists of everyday little things that in one way or another affect our well-being, mood and productivity. I didn’t get enough sleep - my head hurts; I drank coffee to improve the situation and cheer myself up - I became irritable. I really want to foresee everything, but I just can’t. Moreover, everyone around, as usual, gives advice: gluten in bread - don’t go near it, it will kill you; A chocolate bar in your pocket is a direct path to tooth loss. We collect the most popular questions about health, nutrition, diseases and give answers to them that will allow you to better understand what is good for your health.

Basic principles of downshifting

So how does a proponent of this philosophy behave?

Firstly, he abstracts himself, trying to avoid the stress and bustle of the big city. Secondly, he learns to enjoy simple things. Thirdly, he devotes time to himself and loved ones.

Let's look at 6 basic principles of downshifting.

1. Slowdown. Achieved by changing activities. People move, leave their jobs, change their lifestyle and have time to do they love .
2. The value of time. Downshifters do not spend their days achieving imposed goals, changing themselves for the sake of existing standards. They use time to gain inner satisfaction.
3. Refusal of the cult of materialism (culture of consumption). Downshifters are not at all interested in brands, expensive gadgets, cars, clothes, etc. For them, the main thing is self-knowledge and the search for the meaning of life. Priority of quality over quantity, reasonable consumption.
4. Quality leisure. Self-development, a favorite hobby, and different ways to have fun help you enjoy life.
5. Eliminate stress. Slowing down and learning to enjoy the little things makes you happier. He can sleep as much as he wants, do what he loves and not chase big earnings and career growth.
6. Close to nature. Downshifting involves the ability to enjoy the beauty of the world around us. Supporters of philosophy respect nature and spend a lot of time outdoors, so they often choose warm countries to live.

Personally, I am very close to the ideas of this direction. I myself left my office job for the sake of what I love. Now I earn less, but I feel much happier. Although, of course, I am still far from a real downshifter.

What do psychologists think about downshifting?

How does psychology relate to such a phenomenon? Does this help our psyche or, on the contrary, encourage laziness in us?

There are two polar opinions among psychologists.

Some believe that downshifting is the right choice. After all, this lifestyle preserves our mental health and eliminates stress. Surveys show that 90% of downshifters are completely satisfied with their existence. There are very few people who return to their old lives again.

In addition to inner peace, the direction encourages self-knowledge and the development of creative abilities. It also frees up time for family and self, allowing you to raise healthier new generations.

The latter believe that downshifting is fatigue and laziness, and people who talk about self-development and inner harmony are simply deceiving themselves. After all, we are all susceptible to stress and mood swings from time to time. It’s just that some people know how to cope with them and work on themselves, while others run away from problems, not finding the strength to overcome them.

This group of psychologists argues that instead of making a radical lifestyle change, you need to give yourself time for quality rest in order to recover and gain strength for further development.

I recommend that you read the article about the causes of stress and ways to eliminate it. Perhaps you don’t need to become a downshifter, but simply throw out negative energy.

[edit] Links

• Essay on downshifting
• Community in Zhezeszechka
• Shaov about downshifting attempt
• Who is a downshifter and what is downshifting
• A site with information about downshifters who have their own pages on the Internet
• Community “Village downshifting or aliens from the city”
• Downshifter Mustafa Ibrahim's website
• A community of refugees from the consumer society
• A site about how to get out of town
• Downshifters-Robinsons forum

What does the life of a downshifter look like?

If you have a person in front of you who has traded a prestigious job for a free life and has lowered his demands for the sake of internal comfort and more time, then he can be called a downshifter.

Typically, such people devote time to a variety of activities.

1. Favorite hobbies: drawing, embroidery, dancing, blogging, renovation, gardening, writing and much more. This is often the source of their income.
2. Meetings with loved ones: family, friends, like-minded people.
3. Parenting.
4. Self-development: meditation, reading, taking courses on interests.

People who consider it their responsibility to be productive and constantly achieve new successes are skeptical about downshifting and consider this phenomenon to be degradation. But that's not true. Most downshifters work, they just choose something that doesn’t take them much time and brings them pleasure.

For comparison, read my article about what degradation is. You will understand that a simplified lifestyle has nothing in common with it.

A true downshifter is a calm, balanced person, clearly aware of his desires. He will never impose his point of view on others.

Alternative ways to improve your life

Downshifting is not the only way to make your life better. The most reliable prevention against becoming a downshifter is self-realization and a full, comprehensive life. You shouldn’t dwell on just one area, because money and career will not bring harmony to life. Creativity, respect from society, sufficient rest and interesting leisure time – this is what can replace downshifting and leave a person “included” in society.

Reasons to become a downshifter

Most adherents of this philosophy became so for the following reasons:

1. Tired of the rich life. It may seem impossible to you, but many wealthy individuals sell their businesses and live simply. The most striking example in Russia is German Sterlingov. This is a multimillionaire who sold his business, organized a peasant farm and earns money by farming.
2. They don’t want to spend their lives in the home-work mode, when it’s impossible to see something new or make time for their family and themselves.
3. They live according to someone else's script. For example, they work in a specialty imposed by their parents or choose a partner for selfish reasons.
4. They fail in their careers and do not earn enough money to live in a big city.
5. They understand that earning and accumulating money does not bring them any pleasure.

As a rule, the last point becomes the decisive factor. If a person feels uncomfortable living by the usual rules, he or she looks for another way, and downshifting is perfect for this.

Conclusion

Well, friends, you have learned what downshifting is and who real downshifters are. If you're tired of the constant race for success and you want to change your life, maybe you should stop and think?

You can relate to this movement in different ways, everyone has their own opinion. But there is something in this, do you think? After all, everyone wants to live in harmony with themselves? That's all I have for today. Natalya was with you. If you liked the post, share it with your friends!

PS How do you like the idea of ​​moving to warmer climes and living for your own pleasure? I'm waiting for your comments!

Pros and cons of philosophy

Everything in our world has a black and a white side. And downshifting is no exception.

Pros:

1. The freedom of action. You can do whatever you want if you organize your life wisely.
2. Lack of any rules. Only you choose what is right for you and what is not.
3. The opportunity to earn money doing what you love without spending 70% of your time on it. You enjoy your work.
4. No stress. Every day passes calmly and measuredly, you have less fears, dissatisfaction and irritation.
5. Finding inner harmony.

Minuses:

1. This lifestyle will not help resolve internal conflicts or cope with complexes and other psychological problems. If they remain, then you will not get pleasure from life.
2. It is not so easy to provide yourself with comfort: you need initial capital or certain skills to earn a minimum income. You also need to build a plan of action if things don't go the way you want.
3. The risk of encountering misunderstandings from loved ones. When we are significantly different from our parents or friends, it becomes more difficult to find a common language with them.

These are the main features of downshifting, but for each person the picture may change, depending on his perception.

If you don’t know what to do at all, don’t rush to change your lifestyle. Perhaps the article How to Find Your Purpose will help you.

Influence on social processes[ | ]

Impact on demographic processes[ | ]

Due to the chaotic pace of life in megacities and the stress inherent in it, downshifters move from big cities to places that offer a calmer pace of life (city outskirts, small satellite towns, suburban areas, villages, etc.). This trend is also accelerated by the rapid penetration of the Internet and other modern technologies into even the most inaccessible areas. At the same time, due to the accessibility of the Internet, downshifting does not remove this layer of people (downshifters) from the dominant culture in society. In other words, downshifters are modern people who keep up with the times and have equal access to information resources, because modern technologies make it possible to receive education and do work remotely, quickly learn about the latest events in the world, etc., without being in the center megacities.

Downshifting has a positive effect on the stability of family relationships and the birth rate, since part of the freed-up time, which was previously taken by the employer and office, is devoted to sexual relationships and the birth of children.

Influence on socio-political processes[ | ]

Although downshifting is motivated by personal desires rather than political views, it identifies overconsumption or environmental pollution as a source of discontent. It is known that overconsumption is based on the disproportionately excessive use of natural resources, which, in turn, causes environmental pollution and climate deterioration. Downshifters who preach a thrifty attitude towards resources and place greater emphasis on intangible values ​​than on material ones, sooner or later begin to have a negative attitude towards overconsumption. In the modern world, when periods of volatility and turbulence occur more often than before, downshifters represent a largely politically indifferent category of the population, in contrast to the growing pace of populist politics, which concentrates the electorate around itself through appeals to the broad masses and promises them a quick solution to socio-economic problems. problems. Consequently, downshifters remain indifferent to attempts by populist politicians to draw attention to the unwise use of taxpayer funds by governments (the so-called hip-pocket nerve).