There’s a lot going on in the world – and our lives – at any given time. It doesn’t take much for stress to ramp up.
There’s no doubt that at times, life can become complicated. It’s not that we want it to be that way. It just creeps in little by little until we’re at our wits end shaking our heads in disbelief.
We head to work every day, head home to cook dinner, do chores, take care of the kids, run errands, take vacations, mow the yard, plan the party, and more. All these things can certainly cause fatigue and chronic stress.
- Do you sometimes feel like you’re on a never-ending treadmill of just…doing stuff?
- Have you ever just thought of stopping everything and starting over?
You can choose a simpler life right now if you want. It’s time to de-stress, un-complicate, and feel more peace and joy than you’ve ever felt before.
7 Tips to Go From Complex to Simple Living
1. Get rid of clutter.
Most people accumulate clutter over time.
Maybe you’re not a hoarder, but if you’re really honest, you can admit to having way more than you really need.
- Remember the treadmill you just had to have?
- The collection of toy trains?
- The after-sale Christmas decorations?
- That Snoopy yard statue that your daughter fell in love with ten years ago?
Sure, they were nice for a minute, but it turns out lots of things you’ve bought through the years now sit inside or outside your home cluttering it up. To simplify your life and experience more peace and joy, it’s time to get rid of clutter room by room.
Grab some boxes and fill them up. Donate your excess “stuff” to charity or give it to friends. You’re sure to breathe a big sigh of relief and feel so much lighter.
2. Stop purchasing things.
Chances are over half of the things you buy you really don’t need.
Do you really need another pair of shoes? Earrings? Tools?
Most people impulse buy and then don’t even utilize what they’ve bought. It just feels good to buy, but it also feels yucky to be a slave to debt.
Stop buying what you don’t actually need and put that money into savings. You’ll certainly experience more peace and joy with a larger savings account.
3. Don’t do it.
Make a “not-to-do” list and stop doing things that waste your time or things that don’t make you happy.
Do you really need to check Facebook 100 times per day? Or watch Tik-tok for hours? Do you realize how much time that wastes?
It can also stress you out, depending on your mood. Take note of time wasters and stress boosters and make a commitment to stop doing them.
4. Downsize
If you’re in debt up to your ears and it is stressing you out, it might be time to downsize.
In fact, many people have downsized and are now much happier and at peace because they don’t feel tied down by debt and keeping up with the Joneses.
- If your house is too big for your britches, sell it and purchase something that fits.
- If you’re in credit card debt up to your ears, cut them all up and vow to never use them again.
Begin thinking in simple terms. Embrace simplicity and before you know it, you will be smiling and relaxing the majority of the time.
5. Educate yourself.
Living a simple life is a foreign concept for many.
Even though we came from a time when simple was the way of life thousands of years ago, we’ve evolved into a busy machine that doesn’t always know what to do or when to quit. Begin learning about simple living.
Read simplistic or minimalism websites. Join social media groups that embrace simplicity and be inspired regularly. You can embrace simple living little by little and as you do, you’ll notice that your life is flowing more smoothly.
6. Let others know of your plans.
You may want to tell your family and friends of your intent to simplify.
This way, they are less likely to give you flack when you tell them you don’t do what they may expect you to do. Who knows? You may inspire them to simplify!
7. Do monthly monitoring.
It’s easy to slip back into old patterns, so monitor your life every month to see how you’ve been doing.
Check your closets, garage, yard, and rooms to see if you’ve cluttered them up again. You may simply have to have a de-clutter session to start feeling lighter.
Simple Living: Take The Plunge
Simple living is simpler than you think.
If you talk to those that have adopted a simpler lifestyle, chances are they’ll tell you they’re really happy they did. It might take you a while to get the hang of things, but you will eventually get it.
You may even want to journal about your experience or start a blog about simplifying your life and sharing what you learned with others. Your actions may inspire others to do the same.
Begin simplifying little by little and before you know it, you will feel so much freer and happier. Life doesn’t have to become so complicated and stressful. We do have some control.
Follow in the footsteps of many who have taken the simplistic pledge and create a life that you absolutely adore.
Updated from Jan 17, 2022
Photo by Jacek Smoter on Unsplash
