One content creator posted an eye-catching TikTok video describing in very simple terms how they and their partner "moved off grid."
"How I moved off grid," Zorya's (@_._zorya_._) 15-second video explained. "My partner and I found land for sale. We built a little house. We use wood for heat. We have solar panels for electricity. And a little garden."
@_._zorya_._ Creating a simple life in the woods #offgridliving #slowliving ♬ September (Dreamy Version) - JU$t
It would seem that the first step to moving off-grid (not counting the TikTok account, apparently) is to somehow acquire enough money to buy land that is for sale, and to construct a new house from scratch. Then it's as simple as finding some wood (for heat), and you're basically good to go.
In reality, the process of separating yourself from society is probably a bit more involved than one brief video could capture — but there are several nice things to take away from Zorya's video.
For one, you can really power a home with solar panels. Unlike common energy sources such as gas and oil, solar panels are able to harvest electricity from a clean, renewable resource — the sun — without creating heat-trapping air pollution that fuels the overheating of our planet. Even better, solar panels can actually reduce your energy bills and save you money in the long run.
Zorya's vegetable garden, which is the source of much of their TikTok content, is also enviable, and displays how possible it is to grow (a portion of) your own food. Growing your own food allows you to minimize waste, eat healthy crops that haven't been treated with chemicals or toxic pesticides, and also save money in the long run. Studies have shown that even the very act of gardening can improve your physical and mental health.
Zorya's 267,000 TikTok followers were, of course, inspired by their lifestyle. Some even pointed out how they had made some of the same choices without going fully "off grid."
"We live in town but have solar for all our heating and electric," one commenter wrote. "A well and septic. We grow our food, have chickens and are getting goats next. I may not be in the woods but I love this life."
"I love your place … I've been working on a tree house village," another wrote.
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