Want to know how to live a simple life? These are some of the best ways to get you closer to your desired calm and peaceful life.
Deciding to start living a simple life can be very exciting. Many people desire to live more simply but don’t know where to start. If you’re anything like me, you’ve tried to change your life in many ways to start living the life of your dreams but struggle to implement some of these habits into your life and schedule.
You are going to learn more about how to live a simple life from changing your schedule to removing things from your life and prioritizing the most important things.
After learning these tips, you are going to know exactly how to start living a life of tranquility and calm.
This post is all about the best ways to live a simple life.
1. Slow Down
The first thing you should do when striving to live a simpler and more intentional life is to slow down. Slow down how you do things. It’s important to remember that life should not be hurried and things should not be rushed.
So, slow down and enjoy those moments that are so precious. Those small moments with friends and family are gone, so it’s best to take your time and learn to “smell the roses.”
I should also mention that slowing down will decrease stress and anxiety which is great if you are wanting to live a more calm and joyful life!
2. Say “No” More Often
It’s good to determine your priorities to know how you want to spend your time. Priorities can also be boundaries. For example, a priority can be spending time with family on Saturday mornings. If a friend asks you for coffee on a Saturday morning you can say something like “I can’t do Saturday mornings but how about afternoons?”. It doesn’t always have to be a “no” but it is about learning what you value, prioritizing it, and protecting that time.
There are times when it is good to say “no”. If someone invites you somewhere where you have no interest in going, or you have no interest in the activity, you can go ahead and decline the invitation. Or if you are not feeling physically or emotionally well and don’t think it would be wise to go somewhere, it is okay to say “no” to that event.
Another important thing to mention is that it is good to be intentional about what activities and events are added to the calendar. Asking questions like “Is this necessary?” and “Would this be beneficial?” are just a few questions to get you on the path of being more intentional with your time and energy.
3. Utilize Your Calendar
Okay. I love my calendar app! I love planning out my entire week and seeing everything at once. I know that might sound overwhelming, but it’s not and I will tell you why later 😉
One reason I love planning things on my calendar is that I can see exactly what I spend my time on. I don’t just include events, but I also include my daily routines like work, errands, and my cleaning schedule. It is so helpful to do this because your calendar will keep you on track if you forgot what you were supposed to be doing at that moment.
Utilizing your calendar will make you more prepared to take on the week and therefore make you feel less overwhelmed and stressed.
4. Don’t Overbook Yourself
This point goes well with the previous one about utilizing your calendar. Keep in mind that while you are inputting your daily routines and appointments, do not overbook yourself.
Adding a “cushion” of time between appointments and events will give you some time to slow down, breathe, and prepare for the next thing in your day. I don’t recommend booking events back to back too much to not induce more stress and anxiety.
Having enough time to take breaks and recharge is crucial to living a slower and simpler life. Taking just a few minutes to relax and reset will make a world of a difference.
5. Declutter
This is one of my favorite aspects of simple living. We’ve already touched on how to “declutter” your calendar/activities. Now we are going to talk about decluttering your space.
Decluttering your space helps you to get rid of unwanted and unnecessary things in your life to make more space for the wanted and necessary things.
Every once in a while it can be beneficial to go through your things and ask yourself:
- Do I need this?
- Do I like this? my
- Does this still fit me?
- Would I buy this again if I had to?
These are just a few questions you can ask yourself as you declutter your space.
6. Minimize
This point is related to the previous point. Decluttering is a great step, but what then? How do you stop the clutter from coming back into your space? You minimize! This can take a lot of thought and time, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Becoming more minimal is a mindset. Now, don’t think of minimizing as anything extreme; it’s different for everyone!
The thought of minimizing usually comes up when you are shopping for something or when a new item or object enters your home. Here are a few questions to consider when this happens:
- Is this something I truly need/want in my life? Will I use it?
- Do I already have something similar to this?
- If you are shopping in the store and you see something you want to buy, don’t put it in your cart. Put it back on the shelf and walk away. If you still really want it, you can return it and consider purchasing it.
- If you are doing online shopping, keep something on your wishlist or in your cart for a while to see if you want that thing. I usually keep something I want to buy on my list for up to a month.
7. Do One Thing at a Time
This one is super important! Doing one thing at a time ties into our first point to slow down. Doing one thing at a time will help to get things done well. It will also help with lowering stress and anxiety in our lives. I’ve found that focusing on one thing at a time helps me enjoy the moment better and appreciate the task at hand. I feel happier, calmer, and more at peace. One of my biggest aims is to live a happy, calm, and peaceful life.
This post was all about the best ways to live a simple life. These are the best ways to start your journey to the simple life you desire.