16 Ways to Simplify Your Life

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simplify | defined: “to make less complicated, clearer, or easier”

Living more simply is something I’ve currently been trying to get on top of these past few months, + more recently, this week. Sometimes the busyness of what we “have” to do each day begins to suck the life right out of us + consumes our time. But I’ve come to realise that to fully make the most of life, it’s all about living simply. Here’s some things I’m (trying to do +) doing. What do you?

:: 16 ways to simplify life ::

1: write down what’s important to you // write a list of 5 things that are important to you. When you write it down + see it with your own eyes, it’s easier to stay true to it + not be distracted. Look at + spend time doing those things regularly.

2: go offline // for some of us, we live online way more than we live offline. But I’ve come to realise that the more I live offline, the more I love life. Disconnecting to simply read a book by turning its pages rather than swiping a screen does my heart (+ eyes) happy.

3: stay connected with friends // friendships come in all shapes + sizes. Recognise the importance + value of friendship + invest into it.

4: ravage through your cupboard + give away all the clothes you haven’t worn in a year // I seem to spring clean my room every few months + there’s always items I can do without. Seriously, your room will breathe easier.

5: get rid of things you no longer use: jewellery, high school textbooks, stuffed toys, etc

6: food // don’t overcomplicate it. Eat good basic nutritious food (none of that highly processed stuff).

7: learn to say no // know your boundaries + when something comes your way that steps way too close to the line… remember: it’s okay to say no.

8: focus on a few things each day // can’t remember where I heard it, but someone once said: “if it doesn’t fit on a sticky note, it doesn’t fit in your day.” *ponder*

9: empty your email inbox // I have a personal game with my inbox every day – before I sleep, my inbox has to be at ‘zero’. Every email I receive either gets deleted, replied to + put in an appropriate folder, or in a folder. When you wake up in the morning + see your inbox, you no longer feel overwhelmed.

10: declutter your computer / macbook / laptop / etc // delete what you no longer need. Back up what you need for later. Reorganise your files.

11: practice gratitude // always be grateful because there’s always something to be grateful for.

12: do something kind for someone // acts of kindness can be simple + powerful. focussing on others helps you realise the more important things in life – people. for some lovely suggestions on 11 ways you can be kind today, click here.

13: detox your online world. // the past couple of weeks I’ve gone through all my social media accounts + blogs I subscribe to + unfollowed/unfriended/unliked/unsubscribed/etc from soooo many accounts. And it feels ridiculously GOOD!! Now, those social media streams simply show me information related to my field, inspire me, or are updates from people in my world.

14: quit something // Bob Goff quits something every Thursday for no other reason than.. “it’s Thursday, the day I quit something.” Examples: Example: quit smoking, quit cussing, quit that social network, quit speeding, quit biting your nails, quit your current lease + move elsewhere, quit green tea, quit gossip, etc etc. I may not be game enough to quit something every Thursday, but I’m definitely going to take a more open approach to quitting things on a whim + embracing change in the process.

15: live in the moment // pay attention to the people you’re interacting + communicating with. Breathe in, live life a little slower, + take in what’s happening around you…

16: you // spend time alone with yourself to simply ponder, think, + dream. Get to know yourself + enjoy your own company. Once you know + like who you are, it’s a lot easier to strip back life + make it more simple.

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