11 Tips for Simplifying Your Life and Finding Greater Happiness
You’re in control of your life. Nobody is going to live it for you. So, when life hits you hard with all its challenges, and pouring down the whole stress in its wake, you have two options. You can either accept the status quo and let it overwhelm you, or brace up to the challenge by wrapping your hands around it and find ways to make it better.
Most of the time, we tend to complicate our lives – it is human nature. But when we decide to take that bold step and make a dramatic change that we are going to live simply, there is a rapid fall in stress levels, making it possible to live happier lives.
It is a choice—take it or leave it!
Here are 11 tips for simplifying your life and finding greater happiness.
1. Prioritize what you consider important.
It is as simple as it sounds. Know what is important to you and eliminate every other thing you possibly can. This is not as hard to do as you might think. Plan out how you intend to simplify your life by taking a list of everything you do. Then divide this list into categories depending on how much time it takes, how stressful it is and how necessary it is to your life.
Next, look at your list after things are categorized and determine what do you place most emphasis on in your day-to-day activity? What do you think could be discarded? View things with an emphasis on reducing stress and simplifying.
2. Declutter your space.
Let everything have its space and only it’s space. When the clutter is clear, you’ll be able to take care of tasks faster. Likewise, things will generally feel lighter to you. When the clutter is cleared, your life becomes simpler and less stressful.
There is a definite mental and emotional component to clearing out the clutter. This process is something that is not a one time deal. It needs to be done over and over to keep your environment clear and simple.
3. Slash the time spent on media and devices.
So much is devoted to media and devices including social media, television and smart phones. Most people don’t realize just how much time they spend this way. Time spent on social media and on devices can be beneficial, so it doesn’t need to be eliminated entirely, however, much of it can be a waste of time leaving you with less time to do the things that are important to you.
Place a limit on these activities by specifically carving out time for it. When you do this, you’ll be so amazed by the time available for you to do more meaningful things.
4. Review and evaluate your commitments.
If your stress level is becoming overwhelming, it’s time to cut down on your commitments. Over-commitment is a real issue for many people. If this is you, figure out what things are not adding value (or adding only minimal value) to your life or the lives of others and eliminate them from your life.
You’ll be so shocked how much stress is released when you discard of commitments that are of less importance. Even just an hour here or an our there can create a lot of necessary space needed for greater peace.
5. Evaluate your spending habits.
Financial stress can such the life out of you. Unfortunately, this is the case for many people. By simplifying the things you purchase, you are actually buying more room for peace in your life. Do an evaluation of the things you buy on a regular basis and determine if these items are necessary or not. A great resource for anyone wanting greater financial freedom and peace is MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom.
6. Create time for mediation and reflection.
Each day, make sure you create time for mediation and quiet reflection. Note, these are two different things. During meditation, let all thoughts go and just be. During quiet reflection, think about what you are doing and what needs to be done to continue simplifying your life. You will be amazed at how much meditation and quiet reflection can help.
7. Learn to say “no.”
Most of the times, we are stressed because we have not learned the act of saying no. This can involved saying no to other people in our lives but it can also involve saying no to ourselves. It is of grave importance that you learn when it is appropriate and important to say no. For many people, the issue of saying no is a big deal and is very hard for them. This could really be a tough thing to do, but it is possible.
8. Trim down your beauty routine.
Beauty is a time-consuming aspect of life for most women. Many women spend more time than necessary on their beauty routine. Determine where it is possible to eliminate time and still feel and look your best.
9. Simplify your work.
Work can be so tiring. Similar to the aspects above, think about where you are spending the most time, what is truly important and what is stressing you out most. Make decisions based on this of how to better organize your day. Likewise, figure out what is actually worth the effort and what can be done in a more simpler way. Of course, many aspects of our work cannot be ignored, however we always have the ability to work smarter.
10. Clear your surfaces.
Similar to clearing the clutter, you’ll have to clear your surfaces on a daily basis. Things have a way of piling up. When things build up and there are piles of papers, little “do-dads” and anything else covering our surfaces, it creates a chain of stress. If you take just a few minutes each day to keep your surfaces clear (or at least more organized) you will find that it can work wonders on your emotional state.
11. Learn when it is enough.
In our fast-paced world, we always seem to want more and others seem to always be asking more of us. Learn when it is enough and be content with it. Finding happiness is much more likely when we are grateful for what we have and where we are than when we seek beyond. It doesn’t mean you can’t have goals and dreams. Just remember to be happy with what you have.