My Favorite YouTube Channel for Intentional Living

I’ve been in a season of craving calm—not just in my schedule or surroundings, but in what I take in. Lately, fiction feels too heavy, TV feels too noisy, and even scrolling social media can leave me overstimulated and disconnected. But there’s one place I keep coming back to, over and over again: the Simple Happy Zen YouTube channel.

If you haven’t heard of it, Simple Happy Zen is hosted by Vera, a minimalist living in the Netherlands who creates gentle, thoughtful videos about simple living, intentional choices, and creating a life that feels light and meaningful.

Her videos aren’t flashy. They’re quiet. Grounded. Full of little pauses. And that’s exactly why I love them.

Sometimes I play her videos in the background while I’m tidying up the kitchen or folding laundry—just her voice softly filling the space, reminding me that peace doesn’t have to be earned through perfection. Other times, I sit down with a cup of tea and really watch. And I always leave feeling a little more centered, a little more grounded, a little more myself.

What I appreciate most is that she never makes minimalism feel like a performance. It’s not about strict rules or trendy aesthetics. It’s about choosing what matters and letting go of what doesn’t—whether that’s stuff, habits, or mental clutter.

In a world that tells us to be more, do more, and consume more, her content gently invites the opposite. To slow down. To breathe. To live intentionally.

And as a single mom, as someone who’s come through a lot, and as someone who’s deeply drawn to simplicity and meaning, that invitation means everything.

If you’re in a season where you’re craving more peace and less pressure—more stillness and less striving—I really recommend giving Simple Happy Zen a try. It’s not just a YouTube channel to me anymore. It’s a little anchor I return to when the world feels too loud.

Here are a few of my favorite videos to start with:

• “10 Things I No Longer Buy as a Minimalist”

• “How to Romanticize Your Life in a Simple Way”

• “Intentional Living: How to Slow Down and Live with Purpose”

• “Letting Go of What No Longer Serves You”

• “A Day in My Life – Slow, Simple, Intentional”

Whether you let them play softly in the background or sit down for a mindful moment, I hope they bring you the same sense of calm they bring me.

Sometimes, the most life-giving thing we can do is turn down the noise and listen to what our spirit is quietly asking for. For me, Simple Happy Zen helps me do just that.