Most people associate a simpler life with merely decluttering their homes. In truth, making your life simpler is about more than just owning less. It’s about taking mindful steps to reduce stress and live the life you want.

1. Turn off the Notifications

Put the phone away for a few hours a day. The instant gratification our smartphones provide us actually detracts from things we need and enjoy, like sleep and hobbies. I downloaded an app that sends an automated message to anyone who sends me a text message after 7pm. It lets them know I have “disconnected” for the night and will respond the following morning. I have spent more time reading, painting,  and doing other hobbies that I had become too distracted to do. 

2. Clean Out Your Closet

Do you really need that? Do you really want that? Is this an item you will use or even enjoy in five years? Many items are bought simply because they are on sale or because they are the “in” things to own. The ability to purchase common and luxury goods is often directly associated with success and “keeping up.” Research has found, however, that the more we tie happiness to possessions, the less happy we are.² Clutter piles up quickly, most of which eventually gets boxed away going unseen for years. Additionally, the more items you own, the more you will need to continually organize and clean. What could you do with the time you save not managing so much stuff?

3. Own and Buy Less Stuff

Do you really need that? Do you really want that? Is this an item you will use or even enjoy in five years? Many items are bought simply because they are on sale or because they are the “in” things to own. The ability to purchase common and luxury goods is often directly associated with success and “keeping up.” Research has found, however, that the more we tie happiness to possessions, the less happy we are.² Clutter piles up quickly, most of which eventually gets boxed away going unseen for years. Additionally, the more items you own, the more you will need to continually organize and clean. What could you do with the time you save not managing so much stuff?

4. Say No

The older we get, the more work and familial responsibilities that come our way, the more difficult it can be to make time for socializing. Still, we should not apply additional stress to our lives by committing to social events we don’t actually have time for. It is better to attend fewer social events that you can be fully physically, mentally, and emotionally present for. The workplace is another area to empower ourselves to say no. Taking on too many tasks at work not only adds additional stress, but it can prevent the original goal of making a good impression. We should strive for quality over quantity when we consider saying, “yes.”

5. Be Less Busy

In today’s complex and fast paced world, we associate being busy with success. We associate multi-tasking with the ability to manage whatever comes our way.  Keeping ourselves busy prevents us from being able to fully devote ourselves and can even distract us from taking care of ourselves. Try focusing on one task at a time, being mindful to schedule smaller tasks for a later time or date. This is another area that can be improved by saying, “No.” to things you simply do not have the time for.

6. Create A Top 5 List

What are the top five things you enjoy most? Make a list of them and arrange your life around enjoying those things. Do you enjoy reading more than watching Netflix? Make a conscious decision to go home and read after work instead of binging Netflix shows. Make these things a priority and chances are, you will feel your quality of life improve. It is also important to communicate these priorities to those around you. Not only does this create healthy boundaries, it can help simplify your life in other ways. As my friends started receiving the “I will reply tomorrow morning” texts to message I received after 7pm, they actually stopped texting and calling automatically (except in the cases of emergencies) and saved whatever they had to say until the next time I saw them. This resulted in helping me “disconnect” from social media as well as improve my face to face conversations when I am able to see friends – we actually have things to talk about!

7. Choose Expereinces Over Possessions

Experiences have a much longer shelf life than the things we use to fill our homes. Try making your next impulse buy a trip to a spa for a massage or save that money all together to put towards a trip to take later. New research shows that visiting places or participating in activities we love has a much more positive influence on our lives than does trying to connect emotionally to sentimental items. ⁶

8. Take A Rest Day

Set one day aside to do nothing. Make it once a week, every two weeks, or once a month depending on the particular demands of your life, but take one day to yourself to rest. Truly do no work on this day. Simply spend some time doing things that will allow you to recharge: stay in bed all day, go visit a spa, binge watch your favorite TV show you’ve been missing. However the day looks to you, just set it aside specifically to rest and relax.

Sources

¹ ³ ⁴ ⁵ Popplestone, Tyson. “30 Things I’ve Done To Simplify My Life.” Mindbodygreen, Mindbodygreen, 24 Oct. 2017, www.mindbodygreen.com/0-27830/30-things-ive-done-to-simplify-my-life.html.

² Brown, Clair. “Luxurious Lifestyles Are Hurting Us and the Earth.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 2 July 2018, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/buddhist-economics/201807/luxurious-life….

⁶ Littlefield, Jamie. “Places Influence Well-Being More Than Possessions.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 31 Oct. 2017, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/placed/201710/places-influence-well-bein….

⁷  Elven, Marjorie van. “People Do Not Wear at Least 50 Percent of Their Wardrobes, Says Study.” Fashionunited, Fashionunited, 16 Aug. 2018, fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/people-do-not-wear-at-least-50-percent-of-their-wardrobes-according-to-study/2018081638356.