Life is busy, it’s hard sometimes, it’s jam-packed with all kinds of task, events, errands and things that make us feel like we don’t have a second to ourselves to take a deep breath in. But that’s just it; there comes a time where we need to take a long, hard, deep breath in and decide it’s time to cut down and simplify our lives. Simplifying your life is definitely easier said than done, it takes a lot of dedication, but following these 10 tips will help get you on your way to a stress-free, more simplified life.
Routines are key to a simple life, but somehow following one is rarely used in the majority of people’s lives. Creating a routine for yourself, even the smallest kind, creates structure, eliminates stress and will help you feel much more put together.
Pack yourself a small makeup sized bag to throw into your purse to carry around with you at all times. This little essentials kit will house all the necessities that you absolutely need rather than filling a purse with useless loads of belongings. You can be the judge of what you feel you need in your kit but including basics like tissue, lip balm, painkillers and hair ties are a good place to start.
This is not saying to completely shut TV out of your life, that’s a bit much; however, most often we turn on the TV for background noise on a random channel which Is fine. However, the problem lies with productivity levels after the power switch has been turned on. A lot of times once we turn on the television, even just for noise, our eyes get stuck on it and we forget about the task we should be doing. Somehow washing dished goes from 5 minutes to half an hour, so for the sake of time management, stop turning on the TV.
I heard about this tip a few months ago and decided to try it out and while surprised by how efficient I have become; I want to share it with you. The two-minute rule simply means that for every task that takes only two minutes or less, do it immediately and do not put it off until ‘later’. The problem with putting off small tasks, even the ones that only take 30 seconds, is that they begin to build up and build up fast. All of a sudden you have about eight two minute tasks to do and it becomes much more frustrating to do it all back to back then right then in the first initial moment.
This is something I think I will forever struggle with and I’m almost positive I’m not the only one who has multitasking hanging over their head. It’s really hard to rapidly shift focus between tasks and realistically, it’s not very effective, so for that reason, move on from multitasking and say hello to single-tasking instead. Dedicate your time to one single task or activity at a time.
We don’t realize how much clutter we hold in our digital databases until we really look into it. We often find ourselves swamped in long lists of emails, text or ads that fill up our phones or computers. Try scheduling yourself a digital delete day once a month. During this time, you will unsubscribe from emails you never look at, unfollow peoples content on social media you don’t enjoy, delete files you don’t need and clear up your text and email boxes.
We’ve all heard of decluttering and could use a little of it in our lives, no doubt about it. Whether it’s your home space, bedroom, office or inbox, decluttering will make you feel like a brand spanking new person once you’re done.
This might sound odd and useless but trust me on this one, space is important. Having no clear space, both physically and metaphorically usually means it’s time to simplify. If there is no small blank space in your bedroom, living room, desk, then chances are you have too much stuff that you probably don’t need. If your calendar is full and there is zero time for yourself, then you’re likely doing too much and feel overwhelmed. Build space in your life and enjoy it.
Staying in control of your time and attention is important and push notifications are taking that away from you. By turning off these notifications, you are deciding when to go on social media play a game or read an article rather than your phone telling you to “look now.” It seems scary to give up that instantaneous attention but believe me, you won’t miss it.
Tracking your expensive does not mean budget but it does mean you will be much more aware of your spending habits. The simple trick of jotting down every purchase you make can quickly change your life in a good way. You will be more aware of where your money goes, what your expenses are monthly and how much you spend on miscellaneous things. If you are someone who stresses about where your money goes then this tip will definitely help simplify your life.
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