I’m about to downshift myself. I have no illusions how much lower my cost of living will be due to selling my big city house and needing a comparatively tiny loan for the next one.

I’m reminded regularly about a line from the Dalai Lama. When we are young we sell our health for money and when we are old we will pay anything to get it back.

My original life plan was to do this maybe 8-10 years earlier. But the startups I picked didn’t go big (I chose for impact not cash out potential), two recessions and a divorce. And I can only do this now because I have simpler tastes (except for tools).

Yeah I think that quote is a lot more apt than some of the descriptions we see otherwise.

I'd like to do it, maybe try my hand at woodworking.

One thing I left out that your other comment brought to mind is that I don't think the lifestyle bloggers are accomplishing anything. I do feel we're shorting ourselves by hyperfocusing on a narrow field, since innovation is quite frequently the art of applying knowledge from other domains. But I don't say it often because I've seen that proselytizing about taking a breath and engaging with your surroundings just makes people double down. It's a thing I think you have to feel to understand and lecturing people about it works against your aims.

I come at it sideways by trying to encourage people to have more hobbies or at least see the sights/local events.