12 Ways To Simplify Your Life

Simplify Your Life

Feeling overwhelmed? Time-poor? Drowning in clutter?

Here are 12 easy things you can do to simplify your life.

1. Don’t Bring In The Mail

Accumulating piles of mail can make you feel stressed.

Instead, make it a habit to open snail mail over your recycle bin.

Ditch everything – only take inside those items you need to:

  • Action
  • File
  • Cancel.

2. Have A Ready-For-Donation Box

Keep a ready-for-donation box, basket, or bag somewhere handy and visible.

Any time you see something you don’t love or use – in it goes! Easy!!

It’s a great way to make regular decluttering a household habit.

3. Don’t Buy It

Less stuff around you means less clutter in your home, more time in your life.

Before you buy anything, ask yourself if you need it or love it.

If you don’t need or love it, just. don’t. buy. it.

4. Use Your Nice Stuff

If you have nice things, enjoy them!

With crockery and cutlery, you could forget ‘everyday’ versus ‘guest’.

Instead, have plenty of attractive, replaceable, dishwasher/microwave/family-safe tableware.

Too much saving for later adds to the clutter and overwhelm.

5. Streamline Your Social Networks

Limit your social media activities to just a few sites – unless social networking is your passion or business.

Focus on the two or three networks that matter most for business or friendship. (For me it’s TwitterFacebook Page and Facebook Profile, and LinkedIn.)

Any more, and you’ll be spreading yourself thin and feeling unproductive.

6. Only Watch Good TV

To help ease feelings of stress and overwhelm, it helps to have good quality leisure time.

When it comes to TV, be clear about what’s on your What Not To Watch list. Only watch TV that meets your viewing policy – perhaps it makes you laugh, learn, or relax.

Buy, borrow, or rent your favorite programs on DVD. Never be at the mercy of whatever’s on the box.

7. Do A Bedtime Tidy

Starting your day surrounded by chaos and disorder is a recipe for stress and unhappiness.

Instead, make it part of your evening ritual to do a quick tidy before bed.

A little nightime organizing before you end the day will help you feel lighter and more positive the next morning.

8. Say No To Things That Matter Less

Graciously say No thank you to low-priority tasks.

To feel more confident saying no, take a little time to decide what your true priorities are.

Remind yourself that you can serve others best by focusing on those few key areas where you have most to give.

9. Downsize Your Closet

Only keep clothes, shoes, boots, and accessories that you love or that make you feel fabulous.

Clear your closet of everything else – even if expensive.

Let others enjoy the items you don’t.

10. Only Read The Best (To You)

Cancel subscriptions to papers and magazines unless they enhance your life.

Stop reading books you don’t enjoy or learn from.

Give the best material your attention. The rest simply takes up time, money, and living space.

11. Decide To Have Less Stuff

Too much stuff in your home and your life can leave you feeling heavy, unhappy, and overwhelmed.

The less stuff you have, the easier it is to get organized and stay organized.

Every extra item costs you in organizing time, space, and energy.

Make a choice to buy less, donate more – and feel instantly lighter!

12. Limit Your Hangers

Keep just enough hangers for your current closet of clothes.

Whenever you buy something new, you’ll have to donate something in order to free up a hanger. How’s that for ‘discipline‘!

It’s a great way to live within your home’s boundaries and avoid clutter creep.

More Ideas?

Do you use any of these ideas? What else do you do to simplify your life?

More ways to SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE.

20 thoughts on “12 Ways To Simplify Your Life

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