>>13374
Here are some things that I found improving my life, but also distance you from modernity (I use that word lightly, perhaps a better word would be "modern, status-quo life").
1. Ditch your smartphone and social networking.
Years ago I started into the smartphone trap, but I never clicked with it. Now I use a Nokia 3310 (not what I recommend, just a personal nostalgia thing for me), but any normal phone will do. You'll start realizing how much people cling to them and misuse them beyond an accessory to an actual life but rather as a replacement for their disinterest in the physical world.
2. Handwrite as much as you can
Any opportunity you have to write things down, take it. If you have a random thought, write it down. Make lists for things you want to do in the day. Make lists for things that you find interesting at the moment. Write down any random dream or aspiration. Write down things you know you'll remember. Write down your friends' or coworkers' birthdays. The fleeting thoughts and feelings start taking on more permanent characteristics and your brain seems to start thinking of things contextually connected to what you've been thinking about (if that makes any sense). You feel less like a blob reaching out in all directions. It's certainly not focus, but it's the banks of the river.
3. Walk everywhere you can and learn about the plants and animals you see
Stuff I saw in the woods used to just be green chaos that I didn't understand, but after learning the plants (a lot of them edible, too, but that's just PNW privilege) things take on a strange orderliness. As I've alluded to before, this is all in tune with this theme or form I've been personally that I haven't quite figured out the words for. It's a "you know it when you see it" but exploring the difference between ignorant eyes looking on something and wiser eyes looking on the same something has done a lot for helping me understand things that happen around me.
4. Start using free (as in freedom) software
I don't just throw away all my technology, but I do try to use as much free software as possible. It sounds odd, but when you are consciously considering each application or program you add to your life, you start realizing how little you use or need. Maybe this doesn't matter to others as much, but it's another thing that makes me feel less passive in what happens around me and more in control in how I get information.
5. Take time to savor something simple.
I have a dog and walking him has become such an important part of my day that I sometimes get lost in it and find myself running late. Don't take it that far (because your boss won't like it) but go outside with nothing but a cup of tea, or a loaf of bread and some water, find a spot to take in the moment and savor something that so many now take for granted. It's sometimes staggering how hedonistic even the most tame have become. Epicurus gave me more insight into this, by the way.
6. Find a creative way to interpret things
Meaning, find an art or craft to compliment things happening around you. I try to write short stories (even if they're only a paragraph) or paint a painting (even though I'm not good at it). In fact, I recently built a harp and started teaching myself that to give a way to clear out things from my subconscious (or artistic) mind. Results can vary wildly but don't do it to look for quality.
Don't feel as though you have to take all of it, but these are some things (among many) that I have been doing. If anyone wants more suggestions, I'd be happy to type some more up. I approach enlightenment the same way you would approach a crime scene. You follow leads that seem to fit until they don't. I'm not sure there is a one-size-fits-all, but I don't know a single person that found peace without stressing simplicity to some degree.