Simplify Your Life Right Now – Seven Effective Ways

Since we all seem to find ourselves busy as a bee (cliché), overwhelmed, and over-spending (or at least we did in December for the holidays), I thought I would research to find ideas on how we might live a simpler life - less stress, less debt, less clutter, more free time, and more happiness and contentment in our lives.

As I conducted my research, several ideas jumped out, which I listed below.  I hope they will be informative and relevant to you.

1. Do some soul-searching. List the things in your life that matter the most to you.  Be clear about what matters– your goals, values, and priorities.
2. Get rid of clutter in your home. Research has shown that clutter in your home results in chaos in your mind and everything you do. I know this one is true in my life.
3. Let go of comparing yourself with your friends, neighbors, or classmates. We are all unique individuals.  We were each raised in different households by different parents.  Our stories are special, and we should not want to be like others.  It allows us to live more mindfully.
4. Take a break from all the social media, whether it be the news on TV, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I know you want to keep up with the news happening around us, but much of what we read and see is of little value to us.
5. Practice an attitude of gratitude in everything you do. I realize there are days when this feels impossible to accomplish, but you can do it.  Take a big breath, exhale slowly, and guide your mind away from negative thoughts.
6. Control your spending. Financial worries can be one of the biggest stresses in your life.  It is the focus of everything we do or think of doing.  And I know from experience that we sometimes go out or go online and purchase items thinking it will make us feel better – when really, it makes us feel worse, especially if we cannot afford it.  A great way to stop this is to avoid those impulse purchases and get in the habit of asking yourself that you can only purchase things this week or this month if necessary.
7. Stop over-committing. Allow yourself more free time and more time to do what you want and what will make a difference in this crazy world.  For instance, go to the nursing home and visit your Aunt Alice like you’ve meant to do for months.  Or meet your best friend for coffee, which has been pushed back since before the holidays.

I want to escape the rush. You might feel like I do, watching the days, weeks, and months rush by, out of control, as I try to scale back my commitments and step into each new day with a spring in my step. Knowing what matters to us is one of the biggest keys to finding more happiness and less stress.

I hope these tips help you in some small way.  I’m working on these myself.

All my best,

Julie