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Is your life becoming hectic trying to balance it all: finances, social life, personal growth? Do you feel like you’re living in clutter & unrealistic expectations? or consuming other people’s lives? And you’re just tired of having more and more on your plate? Well, here is how to simplify life and be happy in every area of your life. And most of all, focus on what matters most to you.
This post is for ordinary women who feel overwhelmed & tired of living in a physical, emotional, environmental, financial, and mental clutter. Moreover, they want to simplify every area of their life into a meaningful lifestyle by getting rid of the mess weighing them down.
I also want to let you know right now that you are not alone. In this day and age, most of us live in clutter because of all the curated advertisements that encourage us to buy more. Personally, when I log in to any social media platform, I’ve always felt like I have less and need to work extra hard so that I can get all the material things that are so-called “goals.” But is it?
Nevertheless, I’ve always thought that my life would be complete if I purchased that expensive beauty product. Or do that perfect self-care regimen I saw on youtube. Or get a house with three dining rooms. So on and so forth. Not saying that all those things are bad, but honestly, do they add value to my life?
Why Simplifying every area if my life is important to me
I watched some beauty influencers using this expensive face product from an aesthetically pleasing blue packaging, not mentioning product names. And I thought to myself, wow! that is true self-care. Therefore, if I could only get into the skincare routine of using a million products, my life would be 1000% happier, so I thought. Honestly, I cringed when I spent my hard-earned coins on the boujiee products. But I convinced myself otherwise as I enjoyed the process of application every night and morning. It was within days when my face started to break out around my jawline. But guess what, even with the new black scars on my face every week, I religiously continued to apply the face products. Only because I wanted to fit in this “skincare” culture.
It was not until a big abnormal-looking pimple popped on the left cheek that I became fed up. Therefore, I decided to go back to the basics and simplify my life. Mostly my skincare routine. It was not easy, but within months, my scars were starting to go away. Y’all, all along I needed only three simple products that are so cheap: oil for the night, sunscreen for the day, and drinking enough water. That’s it! Right now, my face is not poreless, but I am comfortable without makeup.
That whole situation made me think, what are other things that I’m trying to force into my life that aren’t for me? And that’s why I’m an advocate for simplifying your life.
What does it mean to simplify your life?
Simplifying life does not necessarily mean getting rid of every belonging, packing your bags, and moving into the middle of nowhere with no interaction with the modern world whatsoever. However, simplifying life means decluttering every area of your life from unnecessary material things, relationships, and lifestyles that don’t offer you value.
Moreover, a minimal lifestyle is about focusing on what truly brings you happiness, peace, and freedom. Generally, simplifying your life means paying less attention to vanity and more to you and your needs.
What are the benefits of simplifying life?
There are a ton of benefits of simplifying life. But the most important, simplicity is the key to happiness. Generally, this is because simplicity means living intentionally every day with less baggage and making every moment count. Who wouldn’t be happy with less stress, financial baggage, and a million things to take care of? Simplifying life helps you to let go of baggage and be happy in every area of your life.
8 Ways to Simplify Life & be Happy in every Area of your Life
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1. Say Yes to simplifying your Life
The first step to simplifying life is embracing the concept of minimalism. Look around you and ask yourself if you’re are ready to declutter your life. Mostly this is because lifestyle changes have to come from deep within. Not because your friend is doing it, but because you’re truly tired of living unfulfilling lifestyles. Or else, you will find yourself unsatisfied living in other people’s dreams. So most definitely dive deep into your soul and assess if a simple lifestyle is for you.
2. Make a List of Priorities
If your answer to simplifying your life is heck yes, start by finding out what is truly important. Make sure to take everyone out of the equation and assess what makes you happy and smile every day. Moreover, think about what matters to you more than money. Is it time? Freedom? Family? Travel?
When you find out what matters most to you more than money, those are your life priorities.
Therefore, at the beginning of the year, make a list of things you can do to simplify every area of your life. Avoid multitasking and focus on your top three priorities.
In addition, create a daily routine that helps you be productive and focus on the most important things you need to accomplish in a day.
3. Declutter Your Life
When you think about simplifying life, what comes first to mind?
I am 100% sure the first thing that came to mind is decluttering a million pairs of mismatched socks in your drawer. Well, you are right! Simplifying life is mostly about decluttering all material items that don’t serve you anymore. However, surprisingly it’s just not about material things because there is more to it. Therefore, here are three ways you can declutter, simplify your life and be happy.
Home
Look around your home and see what items bring clutter to your space. The best way to simplifying your home life is by mercilessly getting rid of unused items, duplicates, and unwanted things.
I know this might hurt, but please allow me to be harsh on purpose.
Here are ways you can simplify your home life:
- Get rid of clothes you haven’t worn in a year. Yes, including those 8-inch pair of heels that you’re waiting to wear out on a “special day.” Pssst! The break ankles Ma’am.
- Stop buying vacation souvenirs. Do you need the million fridge magnets?
- Get rid of that extra couch you’re saving for somebody else to use. Truth be told! They probably don’t want it, just saying.
- It’s time to grow up and get rid of all sentimental childhood memorabilia. I mean, keep photo albums, but who has space for teddy bears and blankets? Not me.
- Donate all the gifts that you will never use. I don’t care who it comes from, but if you are not going to use it, it will clutter your house. Plus, I think it’s nice if someone else can gain value from it.
I am so sure you’re probably thinking, “how rude?” But yes, you have to be brutal with yourself to get rid of unnecessary items in your home, or else you won’t do it.
Nevertheless, get in the habit of getting rid of something before purchasing new items, to make room.
Friendships
To simplify your life, you have to evaluate all your commitments. As much as it is nice to be there for everybody, it is honestly unrealistic. The last time I checked, 24 hours in a day is not a lot. Therefore, avoid any relationships and friendships that do not serve you or add value to your life.
Here is how to declutter friendships:
- Determine mutuality and expectations of friendships. Are they there for you as much as you are there for them? Are they listening to you as much as you listen to them?
- Spend fewer days doing activities that drain you. If you don’t like it, then don’t do it. Learn to say no.
- Avoid complainers, nagging, and emotionally manipulative people. Avoid falling into a dependent kind of friendship by creating clear boundaries.
Also, make sure to find a perfect balance between having alone time and spending with the people you love.
Mind
Lastly, declutter your mind and thoughts. Sadly, we spend most of our lives thinking about what’s next to the point we forget to enjoy the moment. With so much societal & personal pressure to scale up by a certain age, we all tend to set unrealistic expectations that may not be for us. Therefore, take the time to check your mind out and filter out comparison, guilt, negativity, and judgment. To simplify life and be happy, declutter other people’s expectations of you and focus only on your three priorities for yourself.
4. Organize Your Finances
Money is such a touchy subject that a lot of women don’t feel comfortable talking about it. However, to simplify your life, you have to organize your finances to set you up for success. It doesn’t matter how much you currently spend or how much debt you have, or your financial baggage. But as a big girl, you need to roll your sleeves up and deal with money issues, one at a time.
Here’s how to simplify your financial life and be happy:
- Stop paying for what you don’t need and use. Examples include monthly memberships. The gym you never go to, the music you barely listen to, the beauty product subscription, etc.
- Use the 50/30/20 rule to budget your take-home pay. 50% goes to your needs such as bills, 30% goes to wants such as dinner dates, entertainment, and 20% goes to savings, etc.
- Watch out for fashion and beauty products sales. Truth be told! You don’t need all of them.
- Use free forms of entertainment. Who cares if the free Spotify has a minute-long ad?
To achieve the ultimate financial freedom, you have to be frugal, spend less on vanity, and pay off your debt.
5. Create More Time
Simplify your life by doing all you can to create more time in your day. Mostly this is so that you can enjoy being present in the moment with your loved ones and yourself. It affects your mental health and relationships when you have to work to the point of burnout. Therefore, look at your life closely and determine how you can be productive by working less and accomplishing more.
Here’s how you can simplify life to save more time for yourself:
- Be more productive by intentionally blocking time on your calendar.
- Delegate & automate tasks that don’t need your full attention to focus, such as meal prep, cleaning, etc.
- Practice atomic habits by making small efforts throughout the day that leads to the bigger picture. Such as washing your one plate after every meal.
- Transition your life to working fewer hours. Honestly, bragging that you stayed at work till midnight is highly overrated.
- Set personal and work reminders so that you don’t have to worry about forgetting important events.
- Stop being everything for everyone and focus on you.
6. Consume Less Of Other People’s Lives
Being involved in other people’s lives can take so much time, energy, and focus from yourself. Honestly, I think it does set you back in life comparing and watching what other people are doing all the time. Therefore, be mindful of what you allow yourself to watch, listen to, and participate in life.
Here is how you can simplify your life and be happy by limiting what you consume:
- Spend less time on social media by deleting all platforms you don’t need, setting a time limit, and unfollowing all accounts that make you feel bad about yourself.
- In the world of advertisements, you have to pay attention to what you need vs. what you think you need because your favorite influencer showcased it. There are so many sales going on, advertized as YOLO, FOMO, and OOTD. Be super careful and filter what serves you and what doesn’t.
- Stop paying attention to the latest gossip and celebrity lives. When is the last time they helped you? You’re out here spending money being a loyal fan, but what do you get in return?
- Watch less tv every day.
- Unsubscribe from emails & newsletters that don’t add value to your life.
In summary, to simplify your life, you need to stop crowding your brain with other people’s lives and start focusing on yours and how you can better yourself.
7. Focus On Personal Growth
Once you have set priorities, decluttered your life, looked into your finances, and created more time for yourself, now it’s time to focus on personal growth. Think about how you can evolve as a simplified and happy individual in all areas of your life.
Look at yourself inside out and assess what lifestyle changes can help you reach the point of self-actualization.
We all know that personal growth does not happen overnight. But it’s a matter of appreciating who you are now as you seek to grow into the best version of yourself.
Here is how you can simplify life to focus more on personal growth:
- Start by practicing self-acceptance and becoming a confident woman. Let go of any societal beauty standards and embrace your natural beauty, “imperfections.” If you look closely enough, every woman we think is our “goal” in life is just edited. Think about their Instagram photo, for instance. Their smooth skin, perfect makeup, smile, big house, and expensive cars. Sorry to announce to you that those are edited lifestyles. Their home and cars are just loans. Do you want that?
- Focus on healthy living, such as spending more time outdoors, doing home workout routines, and making healthy meals at home.
In addition, be aware that personal growth and learning never stops. We all keep evolving at every stage of our lives.
8. Prioritize Happiness & Slow Living
Last but not least, to simplify your life, prioritize your happiness and ditch everything that brings you down. Most of all, do what you love and be who you want to be without an apology. Nevertheless, make sure to embrace slow living, which means enjoying every little thing you do without rushing.
For example, wake up early so that you can enjoy your morning cup of coffee on the balcony, listening to the birds chirping without a rush. When you’re on vacation, instead of overdoing ten activities in a day, how about doing one or two. Mostly this is so that you can enjoy each activity fully without feeling rushed.
In the world of next next next, we have to take a step back and be present in the moment. Slow living is not about being lazy but just about avoiding the pressures of the fast world.
Last thoughts on how to simplify life and be happy
In conclusion, I hope that you have found amazing solutions to how to simplify your life and be happy in all areas of your life. I genuinely cannot wait to inspire you more and more to be successful in life. Therefore, please leave a comment and join my newsletter, so that you don’t miss out on other self-improvement tips for girl bosses.
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