10 Ways to Simplify Your Life

With our baby girl coming in December, I have found myself looking for ways to simplify our lives. I am deep in the nesting mode. What items or obligations can I do without? How can I make things easier in the months to come? If you are like me, looking for ways to alleviate future stress, then please enjoy the 10 Ways to Simplify Your Life. And if you have any more ideas for how to make life more simple, feel free to send me an email or message me on Instagram!

1. Learn to Let the Little Things Go

The smallest changes in my schedule used to send me into a panic spiral. Then I married a man who lives life on a whim and his approach to life helped me, for lack of a better word, chill. Life is messy, and things are not always going to go to plan. The house will not always be clean. You will not always accomplish everything on your to-do list. That’s okay! Do your best and give yourself some grace.

2. Do All Your Errands in the Same Day

Rather than running to the grocery or hardware store every day, lump all your errands together. For us it’s 20 minutes to our preferred grocery store, so making that drive several times a week really adds up. Make a list throughout the week of everything you need to buy or places you need to go. Then pick a day and crush all your errands at one time. This will not only save you time but sanity.

3. Food Prep Once a Week

To be honest, I struggle with food prep. I don’t like the idea of preparing a salad and allowing it to get soggy by day three. However, if you live with a carnivore like I do I highly recommend taking time once a week to prepare meat. It’s easy to throw together tacos or burgers if the meat is ready to go. You could also cook pasta or baked goods for the week or make freezer meals, whatever works best for your family.

4. Learn to Live Without

This season of quarantine has really taught us how to live without. Turns out, we don’t need to go out to eat. We don’t need to travel or even watch TV every evening. Simplify your life by learning to live without a few things. Less is more. What could you cut out of your schedule or budget? Try less TV or social media time, subscriptions, time out with friends. Whatever brings you stress or doesn’t fill your cup, find a way to live without it.

5. Reduce Your Screen Time

Every article about improving your life recommends reducing your screen time, and there’s a reason for that. Scrolling through Instagram or watching five straight episodes of the Office might feel like it helps you unwind, but honestly it’s just making you numb for a few minutes. You can’t process your day while watching an hour of Tik Tok. Reducing your screen time will help simplify your life by giving your brain a much needed break.

6. Intentionally Choose Relationships

You can’t please everyone. I know… it’s difficult to accept, but true. Who are the most important people in the world to you? Make a list, mentally or physically, of the relationships you want to focus on and cultivate this year. It’s okay to be cordial and friendly to others, but don’t feel you have to invest 100% of yourself into every single relationship. That would be exhausting and honestly impossible. Spreading out your attention isn’t good for you or your core few.

7. Practice Doing Nothing

Yup, I said it. Every now and again, do a little bit of nothing. Just sit and think and breath. Listen to the wind in the leaves of the trees in your backyard. Maybe snooze a little. Allow yourself to daydream. Just give yourself a break and enjoy it. It’s okay to slow down every now and then. In fact, it’s good for you!

8. Prepare for Your Day the Night Before

If you know tomorrow morning is going to be hectic, then take time the night before to prepare. Set out your clothes, make your lunch and tidy the house. Honestly, there’s nothing worse than starting your day unprepared and stressed. Give future you the gift of an organized morning. She will be thankful for your efforts in a few hours.

9. Clean the Clutter From Your Home

Clearing your home of clutter is an excellent way to simplify your life. What do you have that you don’t need, never use, or could live without? Get rid of it. Donate what you can, give to friends or have a garage sale. Whatever it takes to live with less in your home will help make life feel more simple. For example, if you only wear 20% of what is in your closet you might think about simplifying your wardrobe. Are you someone who keeps every box or bag you ever receive? Maybe it’s time for a trip to recycling. Taking the time now to clear the clutter will benefit your life in the long run.

10. Allow Yourself to Say No

Last year I starting learning the art of saying no. I’m a people pleaser, so this word did not come easy for me. The truth is when you say yes to everyone then you are saying no to yourself and the people you love most. If you find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer volume of obligations on your calendar or items on your to-do list, learn to say no. Learn to delegate. It does not make you weak, it makes you wise.

Thank you for reading my 10 Ways to Simplify Your Life. For more content, check out the blog posts below:

8 Reasons You Should Keep a Journal
How to Create Hygge Habits
5 Reasons You Should Make Your Bed
6 Books You Should Definitely Re-Read in 2020

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Love always,