8 Ways to Live a Simple Life

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If you long for a less stressful life. One that is not quite so chaotic and overwhelming, then this list of 8 Ways to Live a Simple Life might be just what you need. Use this practical list to pare down, cut back, and streamline how you run your home and live your life.

Use one or all of these simple living tips and get closer to a life of peace and productivity.

8 EASY WAYS TO LIVE A SIMPLER LIFE.

It seems that life has become so complicated and, at times, completely exhausting. We live in a world of over-scheduling and multi-tasking, running ourselves ragged.

Living a more simple life can help alleviate stress, improve both mental and physical well-being, and overall, make you happier.

That all sounds good, right? But how do you make it happen?

There are a few things you can do to help you slow down and simplify your life. Here are my top 8 tips.

8 Ways to Live a Simple Life

This list is a great way to start; consider it your jumping-off point. Once you can implement these tips, you can add more from the list of resources listed below.

1. Declutter, Declutter, Declutter

Feng Shui experts will tell you; clutter is bad for your mental wellbeing. Even if the clutter is in a closet, out of sight is not out of mind. Clutter in your attic is literally “hanging over your head.”

What does that mean? Clutter in the home, whether you can see it or not, can affect you and that means it is time to clear it out.

Let’s put this into action.

  • Set up a sorting area. Create “Keep,” “Donate,” “Sell,” and “Trash” containers to put items into as you find them.
  • Start sorting working on one area at a time.
  • If something doesn’t make you happy, doesn’t serve a purpose, and you haven’t used it in at least a year, it’s time to let it go.
  • As you fill a box for donation, stop and take it out to your car and replace it with a fresh box that you can fill up.

SLCG Pro Tip: No time to spend hours sorting through the clutter? There is an easier way. Set a donation box in any room, you want to clean out. As you find things to donate, stop and toss them into the box. I call this Gradual Decluttering, and you might be surprised at how great this tip works to clean out some of the extra stuff in your home.

woman putting items into a box labeled donation in a cluttered attic.

2. Declutter Digitally

Do you feel overwhelmed by your email inbox, social media pages, and constant notifications on your phone? Then it is probably time to reduce some of your electronic clutter.

Let’s put this into action.

  • Unsubscribe from emails you no longer wish to receive. Don’t just move them to the trash folder; they’ll keep coming and keep cluttering your inbox. Unsubscribe and be done with them.
  • Dedicate specific times a day to check and respond to emails then turn off notifications, so you’re not constantly distracted by your email.
  • Turn off social media notifications and set times of day for looking at your feeds. You may even want to delete the apps from your phone so that you can only access the sites from your computer, making it harder to log in and keeping you from losing hours of your day watching pet videos.
  • Take a look at the apps on your phone. If there are ones you don’t use, delete them. For the others, consider turning off any non-essential notifications.
  • Set “Do Not Disturb” hours for your phone so that you don’t receive any notifications during that time. And when you’re working or need some quiet time, turn off the sound on your phone, so you don’t hear any notifications that come through.

3. Reduce Screen Time

This doesn’t just mean spending less time on your phone or computer, it also means reducing your TV Watching time.

Too much time in front of the TV can leave you tired and unmotivated. And, if you’re bored while watching, you may also find yourself doing a bit of unnecessary snacking. Cutting screen time will free up more productive time along with keeping your weight in check.

What can you do instead of watching TV?

  • Reach for a good book.
  • Start a new puzzle.
  • Play a game with your family.
  • Work on a craft or sewing project.
  • Write a letter to a friend.
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woman next to a little white dog working on a puzzle

4. Don’t Spend What You Don’t Have

It seems we’re always trying to keep up with the latest thing, upgrading devices, buying new cars, new clothes, or eating at the best restaurants. This may sound okay on the surface, but actually what we are doing is creating stress by going into debt.

Living a simpler life not only brings more joy but can also help you create more wealth by reducing debt.

Try to find ways to keep enjoying what you love without going into debt.

  • Start a savings account for dinners out. Find new favorite restaurants giving a more memorable dining experience.
  • Shop consignment stores both in person and online to save money on the things you buy.
  • Learn some DIY projects to help you upgrade your home, garden, or barn.

There are so many things you can do to cut costs, here are a few:

5. Plant a Garden

Whether it’s a big vegetable garden or a few potted plants and flowers, spending time in nature, digging in the dirt, and growing something have all been shown to increase joy and reduce stress.

Grow vegetables you love to eat, plant your favorite flowers, grow an herb garden, or plant a fruit tree.

Spend some time in your garden every week, pruning, weeding, and watering. Enjoy the lovely fragrances and beautiful plants. It’s a great way to relax and unwind.

More Gardening Resources:

a woman in a blue shirt and flower gloves planting a flower into a small pot

6. Stop Multi-tasking

The truth is, no one can actually multi-task. Physically you can only do one thing at a time, and mentally, trying to manage too many varying thoughts just makes you completely unproductive with any of them.

This means that multi-tasking leads to stress and keeps you from being productive. If you want to live a simple life, focus on just one task at a time giving it your full attention. Not only will this reduce unneeded stress, but it will encourage you to do things right the first time, eliminating the need to redo a project or fix a mistake.

Let’s put this into action.

  • Focus on one task at a time and give it all of your attention before moving on to the next task.
  • Time blocking can help with this. Schedule a certain amount of time for a task then don’t do anything else but that task for that set amount of time.
  • Turn off notifications, social media, and email while you work on the project at hand for the amount of time you scheduled it for.

Implement these tips and you will find that you are able to get more done than ever before.

7. Set Realistic and Reachable Goals

When goals are vague, it’s hard to know when you’ve reached them. For instance, “eating better and exercising more” is a goal that’s hard to track. But, “eating vegetable and protein-based meals three times a day and working out for at least 30 minutes a day” is a goal you can track and follow through on.

Let’s put this into action.

  • If you’re trying to reach a goal, set one that’s realistic and attainable.
  • Break it down into smaller chunks to make it easier to reach (i.e., a goal of losing 15 pounds can be broken down into losing 5 pounds 3 times).
  • Revisit your goals routinely to ensure you are staying on track.
  • Reward yourself each time you reach a level of your goal and when you reach the final goal. This will help to keep you motivated and moving forward.

Read more tips on Making Goals You can Reach here!

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8. Practice Gratitude

Being thankful for what you have will open your energy to accepting more of what you want. It will also help you to focus on the things that matter most and bring you joy and comfort when you’re feeling stressed.

Let’s put this into action.

  • Take a few minutes each day to focus on 5 or 10 things that you’re grateful for in your life.
  • Create a morning routine that will help you to practice gratitude at the start of each day.
  • Start a gratitude journal where you write them down daily to refer back to in moments of stress.
an open note book with the words "life is good" written on the page
Live Now Keep Smiling Concept

Living a more simple life is an easy way to find more peace and joy in the every day moments and focus on the things that matter most.

Try one or all of these 8 Ways to Live a Simple Life and add a bit of peace and joy to your days.

More Simple Living Resources:

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