I think we can all benefit from a little simplicity. Here are my top 20 tips for living a more simple life.
1.⠀Schedule everything.
Make sure everything little thing—cleaning, errands, reminders, all of it—gets on your calendar, so it can get off your mind.
2. Stop procrastinating.
Follow the one minute rule: if you can accomplish a task in under one minute, do it immediately.
3. Eat simple.
“The food you eat can either be the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” —Ann Wigmore
4. Go outside.
Experiencing the great outdoors is rejuvenating, giving the feel of a fresh start to the day.
5. Remove items you don’t need from your life.
Purge + declutter—one room at a time, one box at a time, whatever works for you.
6. Cut unnecessary expenses.
Cable, rarely-used streaming services, unneeded subscriptions—take back your hard-earned dollar.
7. Make your bed.
This simple task sets your mind up for feeling in control and organized right from the start of your day.
8. Say ‘no’ to events and invites.
Don’t feel bad if you need time to regroup, time for yourself, or a night at home with nothing to do. It’s okay.
9. Say ‘yes’ to events and invites.
The world we live in is so much less social despite ‘social’ media. Give yourself plenty of human contact and interaction.
10. Listen to music.
Music is proven to increase happiness, raise self-esteem, reduce pain, and even improve brain health. Crank it up!
11. Buy less and experience more.
‘Things’ rarely provide lasting contentment, but investing in experiences will bring you happiness that will last a lifetime.
12. Travel.
See new places and experience new things, you won’t regret it.
13. Spend less time cleaning.
Replace your chemical-based cleaners with microfiber cleaning cloths to simplify maintaining a clean home.
14. Do something that is just for you.
Join a book club, play a recreational sport, write, draw, learn an instrument—make time to step out of the ordinary and find something that brings you joy.
15. Spend time with family.
Everyone is so busy, it’s difficult to compare schedules and find time to be together. Make the time. Life is short.
16. Reduce your carbon footprint.
Switch to reusable bags, use refillable water bottles, compost—make one simple change to better the world we live in.
17. Drink water.
There are countless heath benefits to increasing your water intake, drink up.
18. Clean up your inbox.
Unsubscribe from unwanted promotional emails that are cluttering up your inbox and costing you time.
Life moves fast. Just think about how quickly 2019 went by. It can be hard to remember to slow down, so schedule it! Put family dinners, game nights, date night, etc. on the calendar and remove distractions, like cellphones, during those times. Don’t feel guilty for not relishing in every moment—like the moment my daughter is throwing a tantrum at the grocery store, or the tenth time today I’m removing her puffy coat to strap her into the carseat, or when my son lists all the powers of his favorite Pokemon characters—but take in the moments you’ll want to look back on someday. I will sit back and enjoy family dinners the kids actually eat. I’ll remember movie nights snuggled together on one couch with giant bowls of popcorn. I’ll cherish family game nights that are sprinkled with fits of laughter. Don’t get so busy that you forget to take time for the moments that matter.