Life is full of distractions, but it’s important to spend time on things that are meaningful. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, simplicity can a powerful tool for change.

As a society, we are constantly bombarded with different ideas on how to live life. As such, you feel that you need to work more, buy the latest gadgets or the biggest house in order to be happy.  Unfortunately. even if you do achieve all these things, you may still feel unfulfilled – either due to your growing addiction to materialism or simply because you are too busy to take it all in. However,  often ‘less really is more.’ That’s why you should be increasingly interested in tips on how to simplify your life.

But it can be hard to know where to start when there is so much going on in your life. So, I have created this post with the tips and tricks that will help you live a simpler, happier life.

What does it mean to simplify your life?

Simplifying your life means to make your life easier and less complicated. It is the act of removing the unnecessary elements, distractions and stressors in your life so that you can have more time for yourself and what’s important to you.

However, in this day and age, finding simplicity can be a challenge. In fact, there’s no one way to simplify your life.

Here are some of the different strategies that people use to simplify their lives

“As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.” – Henry David Thoreau

Simplifying your life through minimalism

Minimalism is a lifestyle where you focus on the things that are most important to your life and get rid of everything else. This includes living with only what you need and letting go of excess material goods like clothes and furniture.

Notably, it’s not only about physical space, but also mental space. 

Actually, the more clutter we have in our minds, the harder it becomes and the longer it takes for us to make decisions or even figure out what we want from life.

Simplifying your life with ‘The Slow Movement’

As the name suggests, the slow movement is a shift towards slowing down the pace of life. It promotes quality over quantity and satisfaction over stimulation.

Essentially, if you are focused on quality, processes and activities tend to take longer. But, they will likely be of much greater value.

As such, implementing this strategy to simplify your life can ultimately improve family life, promote professional success and a greater sense of community (Wendikae, 2021).

Simplifying your life with ‘Downshifting’

Downshifting includes voluntarily dropping out of the rat race and moving to a smaller home or community. It also means scaling back your hours at work and taking more time for family and friends.

This trend is focused on escaping materialism and decreasing the stress and expense that comes with it.

As such, this idea to simplify your life will lead to greater opportunity for personal fulfillment, building relationships and reducing your ecological footprint.  

Notably, voluntary simplicity is based around the idea of using fewer resources and consuming less so that future generations can enjoy the same life on earth as you do now.

“Voluntary simplicity means going fewer places in one day rather than more, seeing less so I can see more, doing less so I can do more, acquiring less so I can have more.” — John Kabat-Zinn

Specific tips on how to simplify your life

Tips on how to simplify your life include ideas for  your work, social and personal life.

Here are ten tips on how to simplifying your life:

• Don’t obsess over perfectionism
• Set boundaries on phone and social media usage
• Declutter email lists and newsletters
• Don’t be afraid to say no
• Delegate/Ask for help when you need it
• Feel okay about saying “I don’t know”
• Know your limits and boundaries
• Be willing to simplify your wardrobe
• Clear your clutter
• Organize your schedule

1.Don’t obsess over perfectionism

We live in a world where people are always setting unattainable expectations for themselves and others. It can be easy to fall into this trap and let your thoughts and self-esteem spiral out of control.

In fact, perfectionism is a bad thing because it’s unrealistic and unachievable, and can lead to resentment and self-loathing.

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t work on self-improving and excellence. But, overcoming perfectionism will lead to more productivity and simplicity.

Related: The importance of increasing personal productivity. 

2.Set boundaries on phone and social media usage

Social media is a great way to stay connected with friends and family. But, too much social media can be overwhelming and can distract you from other things.

As such, if you’re wondering how to simplify your life, consider limiting the amount of time you spend on social media and the number of social media platforms that you use.

Also, being more aware your your relationship with social media or even going without social media for a period of time will likely lead to a simpler life.

“Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity.” — Thor Heyerdahl

Read more on the how to manage screen time. 

3.Organize email lists and meetings.

Decreasing your unwanted email subscriptions will help you eliminate information overload. It will also decrease the time it takes to go through all those emails.

Also, if you have a meeting, send out a notice beforehand so people can prepare in advance. Plus, avoid going to unnecessary meetings or gatherings if possible.

4.Don’t be afraid to say no

If you want a simpler life where you don’t feel like your days are filled with endless tasks you  can change that by learning how to say no. Saying no allows you to focus on what matters most. 

We all have a limited amount of time in our lives. As such, we need to make sure that we spend our time wisely.

Unfortunately, saying yes too often means saying no later on down the line – which may mean missing out on important opportunities and experiences. It’ll also leave you feeling stressed and overwhelmed.

5.Delegate/Ask for help when you need it

To live a simpler life, you should be okay with asking others to do things for you or help out more in your life. Often, people do want to help; you just need to ask them!

Additionally, if possible, try to delegate tasks to other coworkers. They may be happy for the opportunity to gain new experience and grow as a worker/employee.

6.Feel okay about saying ‘I don’t know’

It’s a lot of unnecessary pressure to feel as if you need to be an expert on everything.

As such, saying ‘I don’t know’ can actually be very freeing and remove lot’s of stress from your life. This will also give others the opportunity to share their knowledge and ideas.

“There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth.” — Leo Tolstoy

7.Know your limits and boundaries

Many people are struggling to keep up with the demands of modern life. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

However, you need to know what your limitations are in order to prevent yourself from burning out on work or school, or even crossing personal ethical lines.

Related: Burnout from work: Signs, Causes and Prevention 

8.Be willing to simplify your wardrobe

If you’re trying to figure out how to live a simpler life, consider donating clothes that no longer fit or suit you, or that you haven’t worn in the last year.

Having too many clothes can be frustrating to organize and clean. Plus, it can make it much more time consuming to make decisions.

9.Clear your clutter

Your physical space correlates with your mental state – if your space is cluttered and messy, you probably feel stressed out. 

Ensuring that your space is organized and uncluttered could lead to a less cluttered state of mind. Thus, get rid of the items that take up space in your home such as furniture that you no longer use.

10.Organize your schedule

Use technology to assist you in organizing your schedule and to keep up with current events that may affect you.

As much as possible, try to cut down on the number of commitments you have by being more selective about new tasks that are assigned to you.

Remember to schedule some time for yourself where you can pursue your own hobbies or do something that interests you. This may mean eliminate some other activities or even hours of work from your schedule.

“When you are enthusiastic about what you do, you feel this positive energy. It’s very simple.” — Paulo Coelho

Benefits of simplifying your life

Undoubtedly, there are numerous benefits of living a more simplified life. According to research, people with less complex lives have stronger responses to live events, higher self-esteem, lower rates of depression and illness if they have more social support (Allen et al., 2009).

Here’s a list of some of the benefits that people who simplify their lives generally experience:

• Being able to focus on fewer things at once so that they could be of a higher quality.
• Reduced stress levels.
• Simplicity is good for the environment by reduce waste and pollution related to making or buying new products.
• You are able to learn more about yourself and what you really want in life.
• It makes it easier to find time for important tasks such as family, friends, work, etc.
• Simplifying your life can improve relationships with friends and family because you have more time for them.
• It allows people to spend time on hobbies or developing new skills.
• You are able to reduce clutter at home, work, etc., which means a tidier environment to live in.
• More savings due to making less or smaller purchases.

However, like most things in life, you may encounter some challenges after you figure out how to live a simpler life and actually get started on your journey.

Challenges of simplifying your life

People who simplify their lives may experience challenges such as:

• It can be difficult to let go of belongings that have a lot of sentimental value or memories associated with them.
• You may need help from a professional service or product to help you simplify your life.
• You need to make time for organizing and decluttering because it isn’t easy work.
• People may feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff they have and not know where to start.
• Lack of knowledge on how to simplify your life which leads to indecisiveness and procrastination.
• It can be argued that a truly simpler life is a luxury of the wealthy, who have more chances and security including the possibility to work less.

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” — Hans Hofmann

Final words on how to simplify your life

Your life is a precious thing. You deserve to live in peace and contentment – free from the burden of unnecessary stressors that you’ve allowed into your daily routine. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy.

But with time and commitment you can simplify your life and make room for what matters most. They’ll surely be lots of benefits if you do.

Share you tips about how to live a simpler life in the comments below!

Related Topics

How to life a more meaningful life?

Living a more meaningful life will give you a sense of purpose. In fact, having a deeper meaning is the key to being personally fulfilled instead of just going through the motions each day.

However, it’s not always easy to figure out what you want from life because it can be a long process of trial and error. In this article, we have five suggestions that will help you live a more meaningful life today! Read more

What is meditation?

Meditation is the practice of training your mind or cultivating a particular state of consciousness.

It can be used to calm your mind, reduce stress, improve concentration, sleep better, a deeper connection with your inner being and increase feelings of well-being.

Essentially, meditation is a method for taking time out from your hectic schedule to relax the mind and body. There are many different ways to meditate depending on what’s best suited to your needs.

Related: 12 spiritual tips for self-care that will boost your health.

References

Hamilton, Clive (November 2003). Downshifting in Britain: A sea-change in the pursuit of happiness. The Australia Institute Discussion Paper No. 58. 42p. ISSN 1322-5421
 
McConnell AR, Strain LM, Brown CM, Rydell RJ. The Simple Life: On the Benefits of Low Self-Complexity. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 2009;35(7):823-835.
 
Wendikae (2021) Cultural Vision: What is the slow movement