Modern life creates an unnecessary amount of stress for us. Living off grid is a growing concept in the UK that aims to remove the everyday issues that are constantly on our minds. Distancing yourself from the pressures presented by social networking sites and the mass media can do wonders for your mental wellbeing.
But living off grid is about more than just leaving trivial problems behind you. It’s about creating a whole new way of life, from your general outlook to living sustainably.
People often ask us, “What is living off grid?” We always give more than one answer because there’s no way to pin it down to one aspect. Living off grid means different things to different people. Below, we explain what off grid living means to us and the people already embracing the concept in the UK.
What is Living Off Grid in its Simplest Terms?
When we’re asked for the short answer, we would describe living off grid as disconnecting from trivial matters to discover what’s really important in life in an eco-friendly way. Being off grid means experiencing a life of true freedom while welcoming what nature has to offer in terms of food, power and water.
Living off grid does not mean having to live primitively. The most literal description for this lifestyle is being unconnected from the electrical grid. Anything else comes down to your personal preference. You may need a wifi connection to work from home, you might not want to grow your own vegetables, or you may not see enough rainfall to collect drinking water.
Off grid living is about finding a way of life that works for you. Whatever reduces the stress in your life and improves your wellbeing can only be a good thing and you can adapt to this lifestyle however you please.
What are the Advantages of Living Off Grid?
Off grid living has a lot to offer the world. The two biggest advantages are:
- Improved Mental Health
- An Eco-Friendly Lifestyle
Let’s take a look at each point in greater detail.
Improved Mental Health
We firmly believe there should be nothing more important in life than your own wellbeing. Modern life has conditioned us into believing our social standing is the be all and end all. This simply isn’t true.
Recent studies have shown how toxic social media sites and technology can be to our mental health. 62% of adults claim they hate how much time they spend on their phones, but many feel like they can’t live without them. 40% of adults admit to looking at their phone within five minutes of waking up, and that percentage rises to 65% when you only look at the data collected from under-35s. This dependency on mobile technology has been proven to increase anxiety levels.
Living off grid, you gain freedom from technology. When you’re surrounded by nature, you’re not thinking about getting as many likes and shares on social media as possible. You’re simply living in the moment, and seeing the beauty the world has to offer.
An Eco-Friendly Lifestyle
A lot of damage has been done to the planet in the last two centuries. National Geographic states the earth’s temperature has risen by 1.8 degrees fahrenheit in the past 100 years, which has resulted in extreme changes to the environment, including rising sea levels.
One of big advantages to living off grid is knowing you’re doing your part to reduce carbon emissions. Our off grid living units use significantly less energy than average UK properties, and with solar panels, hydro-electricity and other sustainable power sources, you can keep your unit running without damaging the environment.
Natural and sustainable materials are also used to furnish our repurposed containers. This ensures you’re living as closely to nature as possible while still enjoying modern decor and comfortable surroundings.
What Else Does Living Off Grid Have to Offer?
Spanning from the two main benefits of off grid living, the concept has many other positive aspects to it. These include:
- Improved Physical Health: Not only does a healthy mind result in a healthy body, your location plays a huge part, too. Away from the urban environment, you’ll have access to much cleaner air, you’ll be away from noise pollution and you’re more likely to eat healthier if you grow vegetables and prepare your own food.
- Improved Finances: When you live off grid and generate your own power, you’re not paying to use the National Grid’s electricity. This can save you a lot of money on utility bills. If you end up producing more electricity than you can use, the National Grid might even be open to buying your excess electricity.
You’ll also save on the weekly shop if you can grow your own food, take part in foraging, tend to livestock or have permission to hunt.
- Independence: One thing we all strive for is complete independence. Living off the land and implementing ingenious energy solutions are making this dream a reality for hundreds of thousands of people across the world. When you realise you can thrive on your own, that’s when you know you’ve achieved true independence.
Want to Live Off Grid?
This lifestyle is growing in popularity in the UK, and it’s not hard to see why. More people than ever want to escape the pointless pressures modern life has thrown at them in order to discover what truly matters in life. The Live Off Grid team aims to provide everyone with an affordable way to unwind, recharge and reconnect with themselves and nature because we believe in creating a better, healthier society.
We put our all into every unit we design, making sure you have everything you need to live comfortably and self-sufficiently. And if you need more room, we can fashion larger 40ft containers to give you all the space you require.
Make sure to contact Live Off Grid for more information on how we can help you achieve true independence and to help you reconnect with yourself.
