Simplifying Life
Life is busy. It’s what many of us say, right? It’s kinda how it is in this fast paced world – lots to do, lots to see, lots to achieve, lots to be.
And as we head towards the end of the year, life tends to get even busier...more social plans, more festive activities, more projects to wrap up...you catch the gist.
We get excited and say yes to all the things. And don’t get me wrong, a lot of it is fun, buuut add it into the mix of work and life admin, and it can all feel a little overwhelming at times.
You might also be putting pressure on yourself to finish a bunch of things before the year comes to an end – you know, those things you’d promised yourself and the goal you’d set at the start of the year. But when you really think about it – December 31 is a bit of an arbitrary deadline. (I’m tempted to go on a side rant here, but I’ll direct you to this blog post instead if you’re curious about my two cents on New Year’s resolutions).
I do have a question though – does life have to be so busy? Do we have to keep doing and doing and doing? (Okay so that was a few questions).
Or can we give ourselves permission to do less? To simplify? To give ourselves the gift of time and space?
It sounds pretty nice, huh.
It also sounds easier said than done.
Well, my loves, I’ve put my practical hat on, and I’m to give you some ideas on how you can simplify. Pick and choose what you like (or pick nothing at all, it’s totally up to you!).
PS - I realise the irony of giving you a list of things to do in order to do less. This is not that. The idea is to simply spark some inspiration and ‘aha’ moments about how you can make life a little easier for yourself. You’re welcome!
At home
Keep your weeknights (or most of them) plan free – no socialising, no life admin, just rest
Simplify meals – repeat your favourite easy dinners instead of trying new recipes
Don’t worry about ironing that piece of clothing – no one will notice, but you’ll feel lighter
With technology
Have nighttime as phone / laptop free time – instead of getting distracted by the outside world, enjoy relaxing and connecting with yourself instead
Delete social media apps off your phone – it’s crazy how much time this opens up!
Turn off notifications for apps unless vital
Unsubscribe to as many emails as possible (do you reaaaally need that random newsletter you signed up for years ago?)
Leave your phone in another room at night (if you use it for an alarm, buy an old school alarm clock instead)
Before touching your phone in the morning and getting swallowed up in notifications, have 10 minutes of me time – have a big lazy stretch in bed, enjoy some sunlight, listen to the birds
With people
Get comfy saying no – if you’re invited along to something but would rather not, say thanks but no thanks (I always remember the Dr Seuss quote “those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind”)
Give yourself a day each weekend to be plan free – not every free slot needs to be filled (this doesn’t mean you can’t do anything on those days, but it leaves space open for spontaneity rather than already committing to something)
Practice saying “let me get back to you” when asked for favours – it gives you space to decide if you actually want to
Leave events earlier if you’re tired – you don’t need to stay to the end
With work
Take a proper lunch break without screens (dare I say, go wild and get outside into the fresh air)
Finish work on time
Delete work emails from your phone (and don’t check work emails outside work hours)
Do one less meeting, one less email, or one less to-do item – you’ll be thankful for it
With self care
Let go of the pressure to do everything perfectly
Do one thing at a time – even if it’s just drinking your tea without multitasking
Swap TV time for something that genuinely restores you (a bath, stretching, reading, quiet time)
Before doing something, check in with yourself – “is this adding to my peace or taking away from it?”
Ask yourself “where could I do a little less this week?” or “what’s one thing less I can do today?”
So there you have it, lovely humans. A somewhat random list with some hopefully insightful ideas on how to simplify.
