Would you like reorganizing your life to be easier? Like a roller coaster, life is made up of ups and downs. And while it can never be without its headaches, it can be simplified. This article offers a number of ideas that you may find suitable for your situation, and could help you simplify your life. And given the subjectivity of the thing, and the impossibility of universal solutions, judge for yourself and choose which steps best match your needs; Each point is unlikely to be suitable for each individual, so just skip the ones that don't apply to your situation.
Steps
Method 1 of 7: Get started
Step 1. Try the simplified approach to simplification
It is about identifying what is most important to you and the consequent elimination or resizing of everything else. While the rest of this article provides specific examples of how you can simplify your life, don't go overboard with simplification, or you may be tempted to put it aside, overwhelmed by changing all the things you find too complicated. It is important to immediately realize that:
- Simplifying your life is a journey, not a destination. What works in this decade of your life may not work in the next.
- You will run into dead ends that don't work for you. That's fine; continue to learn and unlearn as you go. Don't judge yourself too much in the meantime.
- Sometimes those around you will feel threatened by your need to simplify. Be nice to them because they probably feel overwhelmed by complexity and would like to simplify themselves too. When you are ready, you can also help them.
Step 2. Create a manifesto of simplicity
How would you like your simple life to be? Write it down.
Method 2 of 7: Home and family
Step 1. Simplify your daily gestures
Think about everything you do at home. Sometimes the list of household duties is as long as the work list. And we'll never finish that either. So focus on the most important, and try to find ways to eliminate others (automate, delete, delegate or find help).
Step 2. Simplify your wardrobe
Fewer higher quality clothing will lead to you dressing better and feeling better and wasting less time deciding what to wear.
- Keep a versatile but basic wardrobe.
- Pick a couple of must-have styles and items.
- Mix and match 2 or 3 colors.
- Add different tops to black pants or jeans.
Step 3. Resize your life
- Get a small but comfortable home. Less junk, more space to move, breathe and do whatever you want to do.
- Learn to live with less. Buy less, look for quality and put aside the money you save for the future or for a reward vacation.
- Rent rather than buy a house or what you need. Then repairs, taxes, and mold are someone else's problems, not yours.
- Sell your car and get a smaller one. Find something that works for your family but is smaller than an SUV.
- Own fewer items but make sure what you have is more versatile. Objects capable of doing more things together are ideal to have at hand. Remember that working to pay for your items is not an ideal approach to a happy life; consider your priorities.
Step 4. Prepare quick meals
Find quick recipes to make. Spend your free time enjoying your meal and your family rather than complicating cooking more than necessary.
Use the internet to find quick recipes. Look in the pantry to see what ingredients you have. Decide the main ingredient you feel you want to eat and type it (and maybe some other ingredient) in a search engine with the word "recipe". Don't complicate your search - analyze up to 5 recipes and choose one. More to be much quicker than flipping through recipe books
Step 5. Simplify parenting activities
Many expectations of modern society have led to a parenting revolution in which parents do everything for their children, from homework to tying their shoes, to letting their children stay at home longer than they should. Stop doing all this for them and simplify this side of your life, confident that by doing so, you are raising a strong and resourceful son rather than a spoiled son.
- Teach by omission. Don't prepare lunch, don't wash clothes, don't put toys away. Expect your child to start doing these things on their own at the right time. It is no longer easy to "just do it" for your child in the long run, as that way you teach your child that there will always be someone who will do it for him and that he does not have to do it alone. Tell your kids where they can find the tools to fend for themselves, even showing them how to do it the first few times, but then step aside.
- Create a homework schedule for each child to follow and complete on a weekly basis. Get them involved in the writing and they will be more willing to use it.
- Stop reading manuals, books and blogs that teach you how to be a parent. Advice from other people can often bring stress and perfectionism that you can do without. We have the innate ability to be good parents, without seeking advice from others. So trust your instincts and be spontaneous. Your children will be glad not to see the book "How to Tame Your Children" open on the coffee table!
- Get your kids to explore nature more often and encourage them to go out. There is so much to discover out there and it is free, interesting and healthy. Many children deprived of time in nature suffer from "nature deficiency disorder", which also affects parents because they are always looking for activities to avoid boring their children or to distract them from the small obstacles in life. Get rid of your fears and find the benefits for both you and your children.
Step 6. Expect everyone to do their part
After all, it's not just your home, and everyone is responsible for its maintenance. Don't let anyone do anything. If you have, it's never too late to change. Sit down and hold a family meeting to discuss simplifying home life and assigning various roles.
Accept that people may not change. Either way, show that it's not about change. It is about carrying out one's duties and fulfilling one's responsibilities, because no one is more qualified than others to do the cleaning, washing and ironing, and consequently everyone is equally suited
Step 7. Prepare parties and gifts in advance
Avoid last-minute anxiety and madness by doing everything well in advance. Keep a pantry of gifts that are always ready, along with a list of quick and easy gifts to do at home.
Method 3 of 7: Finance
Step 1. Simplify your business life
Finances allow us to move forward by owning a house, maintaining a car, educating our children, allowing us to go on vacation to interesting places and ensuring we have the bare minimum to survive. Instead of giving in to the temptation to bury your head in the sand hoping your finances will simplify themselves, here are some great ways to do it:
- Create a minimal budget. Learn to manage money regardless of your salary. Save for the future.
- Pay in cash. If you don't have money, you won't spend any.
- Think before you buy something. You may not need it.
- Keep your receipts for 6-12 months and organize them in a large bag or shoe box. Keep important receipts with guarantees. Making it easy to find everything will ease the panic in case you need to bring back defective or useless items.
Method 4 of 7: Work
Step 1. Reduce the time spent working
If you work more hours than you are paid, it's time to understand why. Ask yourself what you are getting and be honest. If you keep saying "just this once", how many times will it take for the excuse to lose value?
- See if you can work fewer hours. Apply for part-time employment. Reorganize your expenses according to the lower salary, dedicate more time to yourself.
- Stop taking work home. Don't do it every day. If you haven't done everything at work, you need to reestablish your work habits. Ask yourself what benefits you and your job are getting from this situation.
- Stop working on weekends. As much as you may love your work, allowing it to invade your weekends begins to unbalance the proportions of your life. You may not notice it now, but it will soon affect and reduce your passions as well. Isolate your weekends for the next 6 months. None of them will involve work from now on.
Step 2. Simplify work tasks
Our working day is made up of an endless list of tasks. If you simply try to complete each task on the list, you will never finish anything, and even worse, you will not finish the important things. Focus on essential tasks and eliminate the rest.
Step 3. Try to commute for less time
See if you can do some of the work from home, even just a couple of days a month.
Step 4. Take some breaks
Whatever work you do, however much you love it, breaks are an indispensable part of refreshing your life. Life gets too complicated when you stop seeing things all over again. So make sure you take breaks, from breakfast to lunch to actual holidays. Your job won't seem too complicated when you return.
Step 5. Tidy up your desk
If you have a cluttered desk, you may get distracted and stressed out more than you should. Clean it up regularly, perhaps every Friday afternoon before you go home.
Method 5 of 7: Technology and communications
Step 1. Simplify your digital life
Your digital life can quickly get messed up. Bookmarks everywhere, emails piling up (many unread), sites you've subscribed to and have no memory of, etc. All of this has the potential to reduce the usefulness and entertainment of time spent online and gives you a sense of complexity that just shouldn't be, given the power of digital solutions to clean up the casino. Avoid this by simplifying your digital life in these ways:
- Stop accumulating. Do a total cleaning of the things that clog your computer, start by keeping it simple and repeating the process regularly.
- Try to keep the inbox empty. Reply, archive or delete emails after reading them.
Step 2. Simplify your tech routine
TV, internet, radio, magazines, newspapers, podcasts - there are many media available. The trick is to use them efficiently without letting them control your life.
- Fast from the media regularly. Spend weekends completely disconnected from the internet, TV or electronic games.
- Place timers on electronic devices that drain your time without you noticing. If you can spend more time online than you want, install a timer - and use it! You may be surprised by your level of intensity. Even just by inserting forced regular breaks, your use of technology will immediately simplify.
Step 3. Simplify your communications
Communicating with others is an essential part of life, but it can be too easy to get overwhelmed by messages, emails, SMS… Limiting communication times can be useful to keep this aspect of your life simple and effective.
- Reply to emails only at certain times of the day. Stop checking them every few minutes. Turn off sound notifications to block your urge to check.
- Do the same thing with phone calls.
- Only send messages for a limited part of the day.
Method 6 of 7: Personal health and wellbeing
Step 1. Simplify your health
There are several ways to make your health care less complicated:
- Choose a healthy diet and exercise every day.
- Monitor your blood pressure and heart rate at home. Keep records for your doctor.
- Avoid smoking, alcohol, drugs, and dangerous or extreme behavior.
- Get pampered regularly, for example with massages.
- Meditate. This brings lasting benefits and also helps you focus on the things that really matter.
Step 2. Save for emergencies
A credit card and a thousand euros should be enough to cover a sudden expense.
Step 3. Find a good doctor
Make sure he listens carefully before prescribing a cure.
- Request copies of your doctor's diagnoses and tests.
- Your medical record allows your doctor to make smarter decisions.
Method 7 of 7: Time spent with others
Step 1. Spend time with those you love
Re-evaluate the time you spend with people you can't stand and choose to spend more time with people you appreciate. Whether they are partners, children, parents, other family members, friends or anyone else, find the time to do things with them, talk to them, reach an intimacy with them.
Step 2. Spend time alone
Loneliness is sometimes good, although some are not comfortable. It may take some time to get used to the silence and make room for your inner voice. As new-age as it may seem, it is extremely relaxing. And this silence is necessary to find out what is important to you.
Step 3. Simplify your interactions
There are some absolute basics that can make your relationships a lot easier, making them less stressful and wasteful:
- Learn to say no. If you can't say no, you will always be the one trying to solve everyone else's problems besides your own. Learn to distinguish what's worth doing and dismiss everything else.
- Do not continue to give to those who do nothing but take. Don't try to please others by neglecting yourself.
- Follow your instinct. Don't get carried away easily. If you feel that something is wrong, it probably is.
Advice
- Limit your worries. They change little but drain huge reserves of energy, and complicate things more than necessary. Rather, be proactive about whatever worries you. Make lists and take steps to address the various points. Worry and stress go hand in hand so stop worrying to avoid stress.
- Everyone says they "be themselves". There is a reason why it has become commonplace, and it is mainly because when you prevent yourself from being yourself by pretending to have a personality that does not belong to you, you have to constantly strive not to let your mask fall. The more honest you are with yourself, the more likely you are to be happy, and much less prone to complications.
- Record your day if you are unsure where your hours have gone. A calendar also helps you simplify your days so you don't have to rack your brains to always remember everything.
- Don't waste time fussing over an issue. Instead, spend your precious time finding a suitable solution.
- Make smart choices about pets. For example, dogs require more attention than cats because they have to be taken out every day. The good thing, however, is that these additional activities can be liberating and force you to get in touch with the outside world.
