14 Simple Ways to Simplify Your Life and Feel Happier

To simplify your life doesn’t mean becoming lazy. It means deliberately choosing to live with less stress and struggle.

Life can get complicated and messy, especially if we don’t know how to manage our time, energy, and other resources properly.

We are all busy people with a lot of responsibilities. We need to somehow divide our day between family, friends, work, love, hobbies, working out, improving our mental well-being, and so on.

Sounds like a lot, and it is. But there are ways to make things simpler and more manageable.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the chaos of life, it’s time to start to simplify your life.

What does it mean to simplify life?

For some people, it might mean decluttering their homes and getting rid of material possessions they don’t need. For others, it might mean streamlining their work schedule or creating more structure in their daily routine.

It might also involve letting go of relationships that are no longer healthy or positive or making changes to the way you spend your free time.

There is no single right way to simplify your life. The key is to figure out what works for you and what will make you feel more relaxed, happy, and in control.

Why does life get so complicated?

It is so sad when people say “life is so complicated“. It doesn’t have to be! If you feel like your life is one big mess, it is time to make some changes.

However, why is life so complicated anyway?

There are a few reasons:

The list can go on. Some of these reasons can be easily changed, while others might take some time. But the point is that it is possible to make your life simpler and more manageable – you just have to be willing to put in the effort.

Why do you need to simplify your life?

Here are some benefits of simplifying life:

• To reduce stress. A hectic lifestyle can lead to burnout, anxiety, and other mental and physical health problems.

• It can help you focus on what’s important, make better choices, and enjoy a more peaceful existence.

• It can save you time. If you have a complicated life, you probably spend a lot of time running around trying to get everything done. It can be exhausting and leave you with little energy for the things you enjoy.

• It can save space. If your life is complicated, chances are your home is too. It can be cluttered with things you don’t need and full of clutter. Simplifying can help you get rid of the physical clutter in your life so you can focus on what’s important.

Ways to simplify your life

Simplifying life is life-changing. It can help you become happier, healthier, and more productive.

In order to do that, I have created a list of ways that can help you simplify your life and finally breathe with ease!

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Be mindful

A lot of the time, life is simple and easy, but we make it complicated in our heads.

For example, you might be worried to travel with your newborn by plane, but when you get there, you realize that it was not that bad. Situations like this happen all the time IN OUR HEADS.

We are constantly thinking about the past and future. We worry about what could happen, second-guess our decisions, and ruminate on things that have already happened.

All of this is just running in our heads all the time, and it can be exhausting.

I once heard someone saying that we are limitless beings, but we put limits on ourselves. This is often because we don’t know how to deal with all the thoughts running through our minds.

So, one of the best ways to simplify your life is to simplify your thoughts.

Start by paying attention to your thoughts and see if you can identify any negative thought patterns. Once you’re aware of them, you can start to challenge and reframe them.

For example, if you’re constantly worrying about the future, try to focus on the present moment. If you’re ruminating on a past event, try to let it go and focus on the present.

It takes practice but simplifying your thoughts can have a major impact on your life.

Reduce your possessions

We tend to hold onto things we don’t need, both physically and emotionally. We hang onto clothes we never wear, books we’ll never read, and trinkets that hold no sentimental value.

It makes our lives so much more complicated without us even realizing it!

Reducing clutter can not only make more space in your house but it can also lead to more gratitude, less attachment, and a more minimalist lifestyle. And you are going to start enjoying simple pleasures in life more, such as a cup of coffee or tea in the morning, a sunny day, or a good conversation with a friend.

Start by decluttering your home, one room at a time. Get rid of anything you don’t use, need, or love.

If you’re not sure, ask yourself when was the last time you used it? If you can’t remember, chances are you don’t need it.

Some relevant articles to read:

• Living with less
• The ultimate minimalist list of things to get rid of
• Minimalist items to keep
• Decluttering when overwhelmed
• How to stop buying stuff you don’t need
• Your COMPLETE clutter-clearing guide

Meal plan your week

I’ve noticed this myself: when I meal plan my week, I spend so much less time and money on food and eat healthier! But when I go to the grocery store and buy random things, I end up being in control over the food that I eat, and I always know what is the next meal I am going to eat. It is so much less stressful, I can’t emphasize this enough!

Therefore, meal planning is a great way to save time, money, and stress.

When you have a plan for your meals, you’re less likely to waste food, eat out, or make unhealthy choices.

To get started, sit down and make a list of all the meals you want to eat for the week. Then, make a grocery list of all the ingredients you need to make those meals.

There are plenty of resources online in case you are stuck. My recent finding is this One-pot pasta that I now make almost weekly.

Reduce social media

I’m sure you’ve heard this one before, but it’s worth repeating! Reducing the amount of time you spend on social media can simplify your life in so many ways.

Social media can:

• reduce the amount of time you spend comparing yourself to others.

• help you focus on the things that are important to you, such as your relationships, hobbies, and goals.

• lead to fewer distractions and more productive time.

How about you? Is social media simplifying or complicating your life?

Have a routine

What I love about having a simple routine is that it can make you so much more organized and productive with minimum effort.

However, don’t think that your routine needs to be complicated or time-consuming, or boring. It can be as simple as having some time for yourself in the morning in order to gather your thoughts for the day ahead, or taking some time at night to reflect on your day.

It can also be something as simple as making your bed every morning or taking a few minutes to tidy up your room before you go to sleep at night.

The point is that a routine can help you focus on what’s important to you and simplify your life by giving you a sense of order.

Read this article about creating a simple routine that sticks.

Get rid of negative people

You know the saying, “you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” There is also a book in this sense that has a scientific background.

This means that if you surround yourself with negative people, you’re more likely to be negative yourself.

What does it have to do with simplifying your life?

Well, if you’re constantly surrounded by negative people, it’s going to be harder for you to focus on the positive things in your life. You’re also more likely to get caught up in the drama, which can be a huge time and energy suck.

This might mean unfollowing them on social media or even taking a break from hanging out with some people. After a while, you might even find that you don’t miss them as much as you thought you would.

It’s not always easy, but it’s so worth it to surround yourself with positive, like-minded people.

Manage your finances

Another way to simplify your life is to get your finances in order. This might mean creating a budget, tracking your spending, or automating your finances.

Getting your finances in order can help you reduce stress, save money, and achieve your financial goals. It can also simplify your life by giving you a better understanding of where your money is going.

• Creating a budget. It is important to remember that a budget is not about depriving yourself of the things you enjoy. It’s about making sure that your spending aligns with your values and goals.

• Tracking your finances can also be a helpful way to see where your money is going. This can be done through a simple spreadsheet or budgeting app. Once you have a better understanding of where your money is going, you can make adjustments to simplify your life and save money.

• Automating your finances is another great way to simplify your life. This can be done by setting up automatic payments for your bills and savings goals. This way, you don’t have to think about it every month and you can be sure that your bills are being paid on time.

Have clear goals

It’s so important to have clear goals in life. Without goals, it’s easy to lose focus and direction.

Having a direction is an important part of having a simple life because it makes you not waste your time and energy on things that don’t matter.

Be sure to keep your goals realistic. You don’t want to set yourself up for disappointment by setting goals that are impossible to achieve.

But at the same time, don’t be afraid to dream big. After all, your goals are what will motivate and inspire you to keep going.

Some of your goals might include something like:

I want to…

• save $X amount of money by X date.
• declutter my home and get rid of X number of things by X date.
• ill exercise X times per week.
• eat healthy meals.
• read X number of books this year (Having a library as a minimalist).
• get a promotion at work.

No matter what your goals are, be sure to write them down and keep them somewhere where you can see them every day. This will help to keep you focused and on track.

Also, again, it gives you a clear direction to focus on, which means a simpler life, and this is what we want.

Plus, once you achieve your goals, you can cross them off your list and feel a sense of accomplishment.

Start saying “no”

It’s easy to say yes. Yes is the path of least resistance. It’s the safe choice, the comfortable choice.

But sometimes, saying yes isn’t necessarily the best decision. In fact, sometimes, the best thing you can do is to start saying no. Saying no doesn’t mean you’re a negative person, or that you’re not open to new experiences.

It simply means that you’re prioritizing your time and energy in a way that aligns with your values and goals. And that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it can be incredibly liberating.

When you start saying no to things that don’t matter, you free up time and space for things that do. And that can make all the difference in the world.

Related: People make time for what they want

Stop comparing yourself to others

When you compare yourself to others, you’re always going to come up short. There will always be someone who is smarter, more successful, and more talented than you.

This is not because you are a loser, of course, but because you are unique. And that’s a good thing.

So instead of comparing yourself to others, focus on your own unique talents and gifts. And use those to your advantage.

Remember, the only person you should compare yourself to is the person you were yesterday. As long as you’re making progress, you’re doing just fine.

Related: Comparison is the thief of joy, but it doesn’t have to be

Learn to let go

One of the most important things you can do for a simpler life is to learn to let go. This doesn’t mean giving up on your dreams or goals.

Instead, it means learning to let go of the negative thoughts and emotions that are holding you back. It means forgiving yourself for your mistakes and moving on.

It means letting go of the past and living in the present.

Let go of your possessions, let go of your grudges, and let go of your fears. These things are weighing you down and they’re keeping you from living your best life.

When you learn to let go, you make room for more positive things in your life. And that can make all the difference.

Learn to let go of everything that no longer serves you.

Organize everything

This means creating systems and routines for everything in your life, from your electronics to the way you keep your home.

Once you have a system in place for everything, it will be much easier to keep track of what needs to be done and when. Plus, you’ll save a ton of time in the long run.

Let’s take a lot of what we can organize:

• Desktop and files. Create folders and subfolders to keep everything in its place.
• Digital photos. Create a system for downloading, backing up, and organizing your photos.
• Email inbox. Create folders and labels to keep your inbox organized and unsubscribe from any emails that you don’t need or want.
• Social media accounts. Unfollow any accounts that don’t bring you joy or add value to your life.
• Home. Declutter and organize your space so that it’s more functional and efficient.
• Day. Plan out your day so that you can make the most of your time.
• Wardrobe. Put every piece of clothing in its own place and only keep the items that you love and wear regularly (How to get rid of clothes?).
• Goals. Organizing and streamlining your goals will make them feel more manageable and achievable.

Organizing everything will surely simplify your life! It is a big process of organizing everything, but once established, it will make your life much easier.

After organizing, you can start implementing a Minimalist Aesthetic Style in your house, here is how to do it.

Do one task at a time

Multi-tasking is overrated.

In fact, studies have shown that trying to do multiple things at once can actually make you less productive.

So instead of trying to do a million things at once, focus on one task at a time.

A simple life is a life that is free of distractions and clutter. So when you’re trying to simplify your life, it’s important to focus on one task at a time.

This means that you should turn off all distractions, including your phone, email, and social media notifications. Once you’ve eliminated all distractions, focus on one task and see it through to completion. You’ll be surprised at how much more productive you are when you focus on one task at a time.

Also, focusing on one thing at a time helps to really engage in what you are doing, being in a state of flow and enjoying the task at hand. This is opposed to multi-tasking where you are never really fully present in any one task.

Enjoy the life you have

Whether you think that your life is complicated and that there is a lot to do in order to simplify it, or you feel like you have a handle on things, remember to enjoy your life as it is.

Good or bad, life is happening and you don’t want to miss it.

Don’t strive for simplicity and just live.

Striving for simplicity is good, but don’t think that now you can’t be happy. Don’t chase happiness.

Just be here, at this moment, and be happy with what you have.

Related: 65 Simple Living Tips

Final thoughts

Have a simple life! Cheers!

Related: How to Set Powerful Daily intentions?