A simple life is a good life, or that’s what I believe. Unnecessary complications are an unwelcome addition, a layer that lies on top of what is simple, that we do not need in our lives. We can all take steps to make life more simple, and although everyone might have a different definition of what this means, here are some tips to ponder:
1. Spend More Time Focusing On What Matters (And Less On What Doesn’t!)
Everyone has a different direction and different values in life. What is important is that we focus on what we truly value. To do this we must first identify what it is that we want to dedicate our time and energy to. When we understand what in our life that we value, we are more able to see the things that we don’t value! For a simpler life all we must do is drop everything that we do not value. This way we can remain focused on what matters, and live in the relative simplicity free of the excess baggage.
2. Don’t Get Involved In Other People’s Problems
Isn’t life hard complicated enough without having to get involved in everybody else’s problems? We all have enough going in our own lives to occupy us, and although we should make every effort to help out our loved ones in their hour of need, we should also remain somewhat detached from problems that don’t concern us, especially when we cannot do anything to help. No single person is supposed to carry too much weight on their shoulders, and life is much simpler when we learn to let go of other people’s baggage.
3. Take A Break From Social Media
If there is one source of other people’s problems that plagues us everyday, it is social media. It is not only the moaning, but also the masses of irrelevant information that can cause such issues. I do not think we are supposed to be so up to date with every little bit of social information. Save it for nice catch-ups with friends, rather than needlessly absorbing it everyday. The clarity of mind felt when we ease off the social media has to be felt to be understood. Take a break for a short while, and if you go back you will probably find your use has gone down to the times when you actually need it; rather than for mindless browsing of profiles and statuses.
4. Pay Costs By Direct Debit
If we do not plan, and stay on top of our finances, they can sometimes cause us a huge amount of stress. We have to learn to stay in control, especially where our basic outgoings are concerned. If you live hand-to-mouth financially, consider paying off major monthly charges via direct debit. Rent or mortgage, gas, electricity, phone bills, and other regular payments can be sent out of the bank on payday and forgotten about. Then you could do a monthly shop for everything that keeps well, and by that point most of your important finances have been dealt with straight away. This makes for less complications later on in the month, and it is easier to see how much money is left over to spend.
5. Reduce Clutter
Physical clutter can be reduced to make our living and working environments more simplistic. With a little organization we can soon find what we need, when we need it, and find ourselves more comfortable and able to focus. Our environment affects our thoughts and functioning, and so it makes sense for a reduction in physical clutter to help de-clutter the mind.
6. Look After Your Body
Health issues can cause major complications in life, and general good health, and an inclination towards keeping it that way, leads to a more simple life. When our body is treated well it has a tendency to become like an ally; helping us through the day. Our performance at work, socially, and our feelings of confidence and self worth, are dramatically improved when we feel healthy and our bodies are strong. Getting enough rest is important, including plenty of sleep to feel refreshed each day, and plenty of “down-time” for simply relaxing. A healthy diet, rich in nutrients and low in carbs, helps to give the body plenty of energy for functioning. Exercise is also very important, and a simple way to get it is by taking a walk every day. Enough exercise helps with our metabolism, blood flow, the oxygen to our muscles, and more. It is all about enjoying health, and enjoying diet and exercise which will improve it.
7. Follow Your Heart
This is a big one! Life sometimes seems complicated because we think too much about it. We try to think about what we want out of life, what career we want, how we are progressing. We think about it so much it can drive us insane. There are so many options and avenues, and using our rationality we find so many conclusions, some of which we cannot follow, even if we have worked out that they should be right for us. But really life is not that complicated, we only make it so. Life is actually simple if we can only learn to follow our heart. Our heart, or our intuition, our feelings; they know what is right for us. They do not require that we contemplate our options for days, or weeks; we simply know what we want. We feel it. If we can learn to follow our hearts life will be much simpler.
