It’s hard to remember a time before we had Instagram. Once upon a time, we didn’t feel the pressure to share our vacation or food pictures for everyone to see, and when we were bored in a waiting room, we didn’t have the option to scroll mindlessly through our feed. It seems as if we are always being told that this pre-Insta era was better. It’s easy to reflect on how much simpler life was before Instagram and its social media counterparts, but barring the introduction of a time machine, that period is not likely to return. The seemingly most prominent type of Insta account is lifestyle — people post about their daily lives and the “real” moments they capture along the way. While these accounts can be addictive, they could point us to unhealthy aspirations rather than healthy inspiration.Instagram doesn’t need to steal our peace, though — it can help us recognize beauty in the everyday, ordinary parts of our lives, which moves us to gratitude. Here are five lifestyle accounts that reveal the beauty of daily life in an authentic way.
- Anna Liesemeyer, mother of five, is the brainchild behind the account, In Honor of Design. The feed revolves around the Liesemeyer family home and the realities (some beautiful, some painful) of having a large family. Think Chip and Joanna Gaines, but more relatable!
- The overwhelming feeling one gets when looking through Helen’s account is one of serenity. She posts photos of beautifully wild gardens, baked goods, and the landscapes and buildings of the English countryside. I love Helen’s ability to find beauty in a common sitting room or dining room — she has an eye for capturing shadow and light in unique ways.
- Sophie has the unbelievable ability to seem at home and content even when she is traveling from her home in England to other parts of Europe. She has a heart for genteel spaces and snapshots (she started the hashtag,
- #thisjaneaustenlife
- for moments just like that!). On her Insta account, Sophie documents her life with her daughters, her work as a reader and writer, and her ardent love of flowers.
- A Slow Adventure is run by Maddy Lawson, and you get the sense from her account that she spends as much time as possible outdoors on mini journeys and adventures. As she states on her blog, “Adventures come in many forms, and the greatest one of all can be found in discovering that it’s often the simplest of things that make us truly happy.”
- Janet Easter co-founded Verily Magazine and worked as the style editor and later as the creative director. She now runs her own blog and is raising her two daughters, with a son on the way. Her love and talent for cultivating beauty is made apparent on her Instagram feed. Faith plays an important part in Janet’s life, and it shows on her account in nuanced ways.
