Disclosure: ‘How to simplify your life’ is a collaborative post
Life can be pretty complicated, it’s true, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Or at least, it doesn’t always have to be that way. There are plenty of things that’ll cause things to get a little away from us from time to time, but if we have the right systems in place, then there are things we can do to ensure that these things don’t have an overly negative impact.
It’s all about making your life as simple as possible. In this blog, we’re going to look at some of the most effective methods for keeping things straightforward and as easy as they can be.
Table of Contents
Get the House In Order
Your surroundings have a big impact on your state of mind. If you’re surrounded by chaos, then it becomes more likely that your mind will be chaotic, too. You can’t control your surroundings everywhere, but there are some areas, such as your home, where you absolutely can. So take a look at your property, and assess whether it’s conducive to a calm mind or not. If it’s cluttered with belongings, dark, and all-around inspiring, then it’ll be time to make some changes. It’ll take maybe a weekend of work, but it’ll be worth the effort — because you’ll get to enjoy all the benefits for a long time to come!
5 Minute Cleaning Spells
Of course, once you’ve got your house in order, you’ll want to keep things that way. We have busy lives, and it can be hard to stay on top of the cleanliness of your home. But if you don’t, then not only will you enjoy being in your home less, but you’ll also have to set aside a day to get things straight again. The simpler solution? Commit to those five minute cleaning spells. You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve in five minutes, and if you’re already starting from a place of cleanliness, then you’ll find that you’re able to keep your home in tip-top condition.
Family Mornings
It’s all good and well to have a simple life for yourself. But if you have a family? Then you are, of course, only one small component. There will always be difficulties when you have a clan of people to look after. But there are things you can do that’ll make things easier. Take the mornings, for example. Chaos can reign when there are so many people that have to be out of the house by a set time. It doesn’t take much imagination to see how things can get complicated when everyone’s trying to jump in the shower at 7:45. The solution? Have set bathroom times. Everyone will have their fifteen minute (or however long) slot. Trust us; it makes everything so much more straightforward!
Easy Meals
If the basics of family life are taken care of, then you’ll find it much easier to live a tranquil life. The basics cause problems because they’re non-negotiable. You have to put dinner on the table each night. You can ensure that preparing meals isn’t a headache by having a rotation of go-to meals for your family. If you have a list of, say, 10 meals that you make again and again, then the process of making dinner will become so fluid that you won’t even think about it. You’ll still want to have those special dinners where you make something different from time to time, but on a day-to-day basis, you’ll know that things have been streamlined.
Buying the Essentials
You’ll need a fully-stocked home if everything’s going to run smoothly. Alas, keeping your home fully-stocked can feel like a chore. When time is limited, you don’t want to spend time driving to the store and doing your shopping. It would just be oh so much easier if you could get what you needed without leaving your house. Well, guess what? You can! You can get your everyday essentials delivered to your door by using Amazon Fresh, though there are plenty of Amazon fresh alternatives, too. Buying the basics online is a highly-effective way to simplify your life; even with one order, you’ll have saved yourself plenty of time and hassle!
Keep a Notebook
There’s nothing worse than realising you have to do something…after the deadline has passed. While we always think that we can keep important information in our heads, this isn’t the case — and if you think that you’ve remembered everything, then there’s probably something that you’re overlooking. And the issue is that once you’ve forgotten something, it usually sets off a chain reaction of more chaos since you’re then trying to catch up — and other activities get pushed to the side. One simple solution to this problem is to keep a notebook, in which you write down all the things that you have to do during the forthcoming week. Plus, it can be highly satisfying to see yourself ticking off the items on your list.
Life Admin
Life can’t be all fun. There are boring tasks that we have to take care of if we’re going to prevent it from spiralling out of control. The best solution to this problem is to set aside an hour a week to stay on top of those life admin tasks, such as reviewing your finances, paying bills, things like that. It won’t be the most fun hour of your week, sure. However, it’ll give you peace of mind that all the important stuff has been taken care of — and you’ll also get to enjoy the rest of your week guilt-free!
Easy Exercise
We all know that we need to live a healthy lifestyle, including working up a sweat from time to time. But let’s get real here: finding the time, energy, and motivation to put on those workout clothes can be a challenge. You can make things much easier for yourself by making your exercise routines as straightforward as possible. For example, setting out your workout clothes the night before, and then going for a short jog first thing in the morning. By doing things like this, you’ll ensure that you’re staying on top of your health, without really sacrificing that much.
Digital Decluttering
We tend to think of the internet as a positive force in our lives. And by and large, it is. It’s difficult to imagine what our lives would look like if we didn’t have Google! However, while the internet is mostly a positive force, it’s not always good. If you’re not establishing some pretty clear boundaries between you and tech, then it could have a negative impact on your life. For example, are you spending too much time on social media? Are you getting too many emails that end up occupying your mental space for no good reason? Sometimes, a digital detox or spring clean can do the world of good. You won’t just regain headspace and free up some time during the day, you’ll also sleep better — and we all know how much more straightforward life can be when we’ve had a good night’s sleep!
Clothing Staples
We all want to look our best! But when we have so many other responsibilities in life, then it can be difficult to find the time to come up with new and trendy outfits. And this is especially true during the week, when we only have limited amounts of time to get ready. You can make things much easier for yourself by investing in some clothing staples, such as high-quality shoes, bottoms, and a few nice tops. If all your items are quality, then you’ll know that there’s always something that you can throw together and look your best.
Learn to Say No
It’s one thing to have our personal lives in shape. But if you’re constantly being asked to do things by other people, then your life could become a little chaotic. There’s a lot of power in learning how to say no. Some people feel that they have to say yes to everything, just because they were asked. But the truly liberating feeling is knowing that you have the power to say no. The other person probably won’t even mind! Your time is a highly precious resource, the most precious that you have, so don’t waste it doing things that you don’t really want to do.
Slow Down
Life can get pretty fast-paced at times. And when it does, simplicity more or less goes out of the window. It’s just not possible to feel calm and peaceful if it feels like we’re in the middle of a storm. One effective way to calm that storm is to practice mindfulness meditation. It’ll help to put a buffer between you and the wider world, and that can be a life-changing experience. You can’t always control what goes around you, but you can control how you respond to it — and meditation is one of the best ways to do that.
Take our tips outlined above, and it won’t be long before you’re living a more tranquil — and happier — life.
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