As the world re-opens and opportunities return, we stand on the threshold of choice. Will we quicken our pace or choose a slower one? Will we whittle life down to the essentials or revel in every opportunity to join the race? The decision is yours, but it may be a good time to simplify your life.
With most of the to-do’s stripped from life, we were all given the chance to evaluate what was most important to you and what wasn’t. This kind of clarity may have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to assess the people, places, and plans that were most valuable to us. If you didn’t do it during the pandemic, it’s not too late to do it now. To simplify your life, read our tips to create more margin, time, and energy for the things that matter most.
Declutter your home
Whether you’re returning to the workplace after months away or have been an essential worker all along, your home should be a place for restoration. When your home is in disarray and unorganized, peace is hard to find. Your environment affects how you feel, so tossing the non-essentials and organizing what remains is an effective way to simplify your life and free your mind to feel psychologically well.
Say no
Flexing your no muscle is one of the best things you can do for your overall wellbeing. Saying yes to too many things creates an overly busy schedule that leads to emotional, physical, and even social health issues. Declining opportunities that don’t fit your values, strengths, or goals provides space for you to say yes to the things that matter more to you. Practicing self-care in daily life includes using the word no more often.
Evaluate your relationships
Social distancing gave us a chance to notice toxic people in our lives. Assess who brought joy and who brought negativity and give more attention to the life-givers going forward. If you live with difficult people, determine what steps are necessary to make that relationship healthier. It may be counseling or creating more distance in your interactions with one another. Setting healthy boundaries is an important way to simplify your life because it frees up mental space for other things.
Be thrifty
Everything you own is something you have to manage. The more stuff you have the more time you will spend managing it. Be selective about adding material things to your life. While you don’t have to become a minimalist, parting with material possessions that aren’t essential is a helpful way to simplify your life. Create a budget and stick to it to stay on top of your financial goals, or use an app like BetterYou to help you spend time on the things that matter most.
Control your thoughts
Negativity robs you of joy. Ruminating on thoughts that aren’t true or are self-deprecating depletes precious time and energy. Learning to recognize toxic thinking and overcome it is an important way to simplify your life and create a healthier mind and spirit.
Take time today to decide how you can simplify your life by using one of our strategies or discovering your own. Let us know how it goes!
