Sometimes life can get complicated. Between work, social media, and trying to live our best possible life, at some point, we all end up feeling overwhelmed, overstimulated, and underproductive. If you find yourself with a cluttered lifestyle, try these 10 ways to simplify your life.
1. Use an app like Fabulous to simplify your life
Take advantage of all the apps out there that are designed to help you simplify your life. Too many will overwhelm you, but one or two apps can help keep you on track. Whether it’s sticking to a workout schedule or diet plan, or sending you reminders of your project deadlines. The Fabulous app is a great way to build healthy daily rituals.
2. Start a goals planner
It sounds obvious, but writing down your daily, weekly, or monthly tasks and goals has a powerful effect on your productivity. Your responsibilities will feel more attainable (and less likely to be forgotten) when your to-do list is visualized
3. Try a minimalist lifestyle
As we get older, we hold on to more and let go of less. Practice living a minimalist lifestyle, and before you bring something new in to your life, consider whether it will have a positive impact on your life or no effect at all. More often than not, you won’t be able to justify buying yet another pair of shoes, and consciously thinking about this new addition to your life will make you more appreciative of the things you do have.
4. Break down your list of goals
When your responsibilities have piled up to the point where you’re tossing and turning at night, it’s time to simplify. An easy way to do this is to break down each task into feasible goals. The Pomodoro Tracker (Pomodoro-tracker.com) aids with productivity by giving you a short break every 25 minutes, and a longer break after every 4 sets of short breaks.
5. Plan for the future, but live in the moment
Having a plan for the future, knowing your goals and what you want to accomplish in both the long- and short-runs, will help to calm any anxiety you may have about the future. Sit down for 15 minutes and outline the goals you want to accomplish in the next few months and then the next few years. Whether you create a vision board to look at every day, or you simply establish these things to yourself mentally, you won’t feel so overwhelmed about the future and will be able to live in the moment more clearly.
6. Get your 8 hours of sleep
A clear head starts with adequate sleep. We’ve been conditioned to think that sleeping less is something to be proud of, but sleep deprivation can lead to unclear thoughts, mistakes, and ultimately, a lack of productivity. Being well-rested will simplify your life in that you’ll be thinking clearly and therefore able to check everything off your to-do list more efficiently.
7. Focus on progress, not perfection
Whether it’s in our work, our relationships, or our appearance, trying to attain perfection only ever complicates things. It distracts us from seeing the good, and adds more stress to our lives. Learn to be happy with “good enough,” and you’ll find yourself getting more done in the long run.
8. Start your day with a positive attitude
They say if you start your day with a positive thought, you’re laying the groundwork for a positive day. Along those lines, if you start your day with a clear, calm mind, you’ll go about your day more calmly. Don’t wake up and immediately start thinking about all the things you have to do. Instead, read a couple pages of your favourite book, sip your tea, or take your dog for a walk, and allow yourself to wake up naturally and at peace.
9. Get things done without sacrificing your health
The one surefire way to complicate your life is to neglect your health. Forgoing physical activity or eating the basic food groups will create more health issues in the future, even if it’s just a lack of energy. You can’t be your most productive if you aren’t eating or sleeping enough.
10. Learn how to prioritize
The most vital way to simplify your life is by knowing what exactly your priorities are. When you have a clear goal in mind, distractions fade away. Our minds are so cluttered by all of our responsibilities, but how freeing would it be to only have to focus on the things that benefit you and will lead to your best possible life?
