Simplifying Life: 10 Simple and Easy Hacks to Make Life Simpler
Explore 10 straightforward methods to simplify your life. These easy-to-implement tips will help you reduce stress and create a more streamlined and enjoyable daily routine.
Making life simpler is one of the preconditions for living a peaceful life. We all want to work less and enjoy life more. But not all times this dream turns into reality in our lives. We work hard and spend long hours at jobs we don’t like or don’t bring us satisfaction, and at one stage, we’re stressed and broke.
Most of the time, our lives are complicated only because we choose to make it so. For instance, when we get a laptop, suddenly everywhere is the office. With smart phones or tablet, we do the same. These gadgets then become more complicated than necessary.
“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”
— Confucius
In our lives, simplicity is important. Living a simpler life can be a great way to reduce your stress and to relax. You can get numerous benefits if you live a simpler life. You’ll have more time to stay with your friends and family. You’ll have more time to spend on your favorite hobby. Most of all, there will be more joy and happiness in your life.
You can make your life simpler and more enjoyable by reprioritizing your life, adjusting your schedule, or changing your physical environment. Here are 10 simple things you can do to make your life simpler and more enjoyable. At least, it works for me. How about you?
1. Identify what’s important, and eliminate the rest — Days will fill up with time-wasting activities if you aren’t careful. An important thing you need to remember that being productive isn’t just about getting things done—it’s also about leaving things undone. The efficiency and simplicity of your days depends strongly on the elimination of non-essential tasks. So you must take time to identify what’s most important to you, and then eliminate as much as you possibly can of everything else.
2. Declutter your living space — The less things you have the less complicated your life will be. We create our own world around us and fill it with items. Things become old and useless with time. Survey your surroundings and get organized. Sort your items in three categories—keep, donate, and throw away. Keep the things that you really need, and throw away or give away old stuff you no longer need. Give yourself some extra breathing room. The more you clear from your living space, the lighter you feel. Know how to declutter your life in minimalist ways.
3. Sit and do nothing — Have you ever tried sitting without using your smart phone? If no, try to do it. To do nothing is an art. As Oscar Wilde said:
To do nothing at all is the most difficult thing in the world, the most difficult and the most intellectual.
Sit and do nothing as if you were doing something. Keep your cell phone away from you. You can close your eyes or stare out the window―just do nothing, just be. Let your thoughts come and go. Enjoy the moment, enjoy being you. Even if you have a five minute break, do it.
4. Slow down and relax — Life isn’t a race and it doesn’t always have to be rush and full of stress. These days we are so used to doing things in a hurry that we don’t see how fast-paced our lives have become. If you aren’t able to change this in your personal life, you will never be able to make your life simpler. Simply say yourself―slow down. If you slow down and relax, you will be one step ahead to make your life simpler and happier.
5. Stop multi-tasking — If you want to make your life simpler you have to avoid multi-tasking. So stop multi-tasking and do one task at a time with full focus. Research indicates that focusing on only one single task at a time is more beneficial than multi-tasking. The quality of what you are doing falls when you focus on too many tasks at a time. Most of all, single-tasking will help you greatly to make your life simpler and easier. Your days will be much simpler and enjoyable than ever.
6. Reduce your commitments — If you have to make your life simpler you have to say “no” to extra commitments. It may not be easy at first to you, but if you really want to make your life simpler, saying “no” is important. It is also important to recognize your comfort level for how many events you can smoothly manage. Off course, helping others is your noble trait. But before doing that, it is also important to know when helping others is making you suffer. We say yes to too many things where we should have said no, and at the end of the day we get mad at ourselves for saying yes. So, don’t be afraid to say no. Whoever you say no to, they will still love you, still respect you too. No one can always be the good person who says yes.
7. Stop buying extras — The more things you have the more complicated your life will be. It’s true that we need to organize our own world around us with stuff. But sometimes we own so much stuff that we actually don’t need. If you have 20 shirts, why will you buy another one? Buying extras means you’re just collecting junk. So, if you really want to make your life simpler, just say no to buying extras.
8. Enjoy the simple things in your life — We always find happiness in luxurious lifestyle. These days we are going to forget that happiness doesn’t mean having much money, big beautiful house, or expensive nice car. You don’t have to have a big villa or an expensive car to enjoy your life and to be happy. True happiness is found in simple things. There are many things around you you’ll find happiness. Try to find happiness in the simple things in your life— enjoying the beautiful moonlight, holding someone’s hand you love, building something with your own hands…
9. Live in the present — We learn from our past. We also dream about the future, for making our coming days happier. But if you think too much about your past and too much about your future, you’ll never be able to make your life simpler. As Lao Tzu said:
If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the moment.
One of the best ways to make your life simpler is trying to live in the present. The more you will live in the present the more happier and simpler your life will be. Don’t think too much about your past. Always try to appreciate the moments of today. Dream about the future, but work hard today.
10. Stop trying to be perfect — Do NOT try to be perfect in everything. It makes your life more complicated and adds a lot of stress in your life. Don’t take your mistakes so seriously, nobody is beyond of mistakes. Laugh about your mistakes. Try to learn from your mistakes, and in one stage, same mistakes won’t repeat any more. Making mistakes is absolutely normal and we all make mistakes. Just try to do most of your tasks with full concentration, and actually that’s the natural and playful way you will reach perfection.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the pursuit of a simpler life doesn’t have to be a daunting task. By incorporating these 10 simple strategies into your daily routine, you can significantly reduce stress, streamline your activities, and ultimately create more room for joy and fulfillment. Remember that simplicity is not about depriving yourself of the things you love but rather about prioritizing what truly matters and letting go of unnecessary complexities. Embrace these straightforward ways to make life simpler, and you’ll find that a more peaceful and balanced existence is well within reach. Start today and savor the beauty of a simplified life.