Simplify your life week
Well, if you didn’t happen to know, the first week of August is National “Simplify Your Life Week”. Whether or not you knew that such a holiday even existed, I think it is a good time to pause and reflect on ways you could make your life a bit more “simple”. As we head into August I want to give you a few ideas on ways you might choose to simplify parts of your life. I don’t recommend trying ALL of these suggestions at once, but perhaps focus on one you know will simplify a part of life that doesn’t bring you a lot of joy or something that drains you. For example, my husband and I are not super picky about what we eat and we don’t mind eating the same thing over and over again. So, since we were getting stressed about menu planning and trying to get home to cook dinner and make lunches, we decided to simplify our food routines. We found things we liked and could make in bulk and then we literally eat those same foods all week long. My lunch on Monday is exactly the same as my lunch on Friday. Same for breakfast and dinner too. This choice not only simplified our meal planning, but it simplified cooking, shopping and just eating in general. For us, this decreased a lot of stress and we gained more time! However, if you get a lot of joy out of cooking and eating a variety of foods, this would not be the best area for you to simplify your life. But, perhaps some of the other suggestions below are areas you could use a little bit more simplicity.
Declutter your things
Declutter your living space by getting rid of anything you no longer need or use. This can include clothes, books, and other items that are taking up unnecessary space. When you declutter, you make it easier to find things when you need it, you know when you are running low on things so you can plan ahead, and you just have more space around you to breathe. Start by decluttering a place in your home that you would go to rest and relax, perhaps your bedroom or the family room.
Create Daily Routines
There are certain things you need to do every day. Some of these are routines to help you relax, some are to help you be more healthy or be prepared for the day. What if there were ways you could simplify these daily routines? Taking time to create morning and evening routines can mean you are taking care of all the necessities without having to overthink things. In your evening routine, incorporate time to prepare your outfit and lunch for the next day so you don’t start tomorrow feeling rushed to get out of the house. Perhaps for your morning routine you try to wake up a bit earlier so you can squeeze in a workout before other people in your house wake up. Bottomline, if it is something you have to do each day, take the time to make it into a routine to simplify all of the things you have to think about in a day.
Reduce your commitments
Another way to simplify your life is to reduce your commitments. Learn to say no to activities that don't align with your priorities or bring you joy. This will free up time and energy for the things that truly matter to you. Give this one a try by just saying “no” to one commitment or request of your time.
Decrease Digital Clutter
Consider simplifying your digital life. Set aside one hour to unsubscribe from emails that clutter your inbox, delete apps you no longer use, and organize your digital files. This will help you feel more in control and reduce distractions. Once this hour is over, you will have simplified a part of your life that is notorious for sucking away your time.
Remember, simplifying your life is a journey, not a destination. Take it one step at a time and enjoy the process.
Happy Sprucing!
