Convenience Culture

Exploring how too much convenience can hinder our quality of life.

When I first moved to Paris at 19 my eyes were opened to a new way of life, one with much less “convenience” than I was previously accustomed to. My initial few months in the city consisted of sharing an apartment with seven roommates, including no dishwasher, dryer, and (of course) no air conditioner. We walked to grab groceries, usually making several stops instead of one. We ventured to the laundry mat, as you can imagine sharing one washing machine amongst eight college girls was quite the task. We hang dried our clothes. And so on.

I quickly realized just how convenient my life back in the US was. From driving place to place, parking right in front and walking a mere few steps to reach the destination, to finding everything you could possibly need under the roof of one mega grocery store. I won’t lie…the loss of these daily conveniences initially frustrated me, and sometimes still do when we’re back in Paris (especially now with children.)

However, after several months of acclimating to the “slow life” (however technically fast paced Paris may be,) I started to find joy in the inconveniences. The moments of pause while hanging wet clothes. The wonder of walking and admiring the environment around me. The regular shopping trips at various speciality shops, from the boulangerie to the fromagerie.

After moving back to the US several years ago, I began to notice how the plethora of daily conveniences actually hinder, not add, to our quality of life. We no longer have to leave our homes if we so wish, with groceries being shopped for on an app and delivered to our doorstep, and many of us working remotely in the comfort of our homes, limiting our in-person interactions and daily outings.

Now, I’m not saying to cast off all conveniences that make life easier. I myself am a regular customer of UberEats and Whole Foods, and enjoy the convenience of comfortably working from home. However, as with many things in life, too much of a good thing is often not such a good thing.

Living in Paris, or a place with a similar environment, naturally positions you to such “inconveniences” that actually in turn foster better habits, such as exercise, connection, and more. On the contrary, life in many US cities requires us to go out of our way to create such habits, as they aren’t naturally built into our daily way of living.

So, I’m writing this newsletter to encourage us all to add a bit more “inconvenience” to our lives. Because while conveniences tend to make our lives simpler, they also disconnect us from each other, ourselves, and the world around us.

Here are a few ways I’m personally trying to limit my “convenience dependence.” While it may not be realistic to cook every meal, or shop at farmers market’s every week, by even occasionally incorporating more of these things into our lives, we can begin to foster more joy, connection and wellbeing.

Cooking over Take-Out/Delivery

“Food” is a topic I’m always looking to improve upon, from where I’m purchasing from, to how often I’m cooking, to what I’m cooking and so on. While delivery and take-out are sometimes simply necessary, I’m on an ongoing mission to explore how to regularly cook in a sustainable way that doesn’t include hours of prep, cook and clean time for every meal. If you’ve already accomplished the cooking (kudos to you!) you can take this to the next level by beginning to grow your own food. A goal of mine on the “one day” list.

Farmers markets/specialty shops over mega supermarkets

While shopping for literally anything and everything under one roof is very convenient, one of my favorite aspects of Parisian life is that the city runs on speciality shops. This allows for deeper connection and knowledge of where your food is coming from, often coming directly from the source. So, next time you’re needing groceries or a fresh bouquet of flowers, consider which small businesses and shops you’re able to support.

Walking over driving

Depending on where you’re located, this may be a really difficult one to incorporate as many of us depend on our cars for daily living. However, if you have something, (anything!) nearby that you can walk to, whether it’s a park or a coffee shop, try to trade your car drives for leisurely walks.

Long meals over quick ones

If you’ve ever spent any time in Europe, you know well that meals typically last significantly longer than they do in the US. Many of us want quick, convenient food, especially during the workday. However, this mentality oftentimes applies for dinners and weekend meals as well. We want to be in and out, not having to wait long periods of time for food or in between and after courses. While these extended meals may not be the most convenient, they are definitely the most filling (both literally and emotionally!) So next time you’re about to have another at-desk lunch, think about giving yourself more time to linger and enjoy.

In-person meetings over virtual

In our remote, digital worlds it’s easy to schedule virtual calls and meetings, whether for work purposes or with friends and family. While it may be most convenient to stay in the comfort of our homes, sometimes we need the in-person, face-to-face meetings to truly feel connected. When you find yourself catching up with a friend over a call, or having a virtual meeting with a local colleague, suggest a coffee date instead!

I’d love to hear what areas of your life you feel are a bit too convenient. Currently for me that looks like too much sedentary time spent at home and relying on delivery services, whether it’s Amazon, food, etc. As a final example of a simple habit change, I’ve recently begun replacing my nighttime TV watching with reading. Now when I need a new book I only purchase from a local independent bookstore instead of “Amazoning.” Yes, this involves the “inconvenience” of getting in my car, searching for the book, and sometimes even ordering a book they don’t have in stock. But it also includes spending time in a place I find extremely inspiring, around other people, all the while supporting a local business.

So, I’ll ask you: what simple things can you begin incorporating into your routines to rely less on conveniences? Whether it’s something you adopt everyday, or only on occasion, I believe that moving at a slower pace has the ability to improve our way of living in the best of ways.

As always, thanks for reading along, and I’d love to continue the conversation with you! You can hit reply directly to this email, or feel free to send me a message over on Instagram.

Until next week,

P.S. Do you know someone who would enjoy receiving this newsletter? I’d be so happy if you’d share it with a friend!