” Simplicity is the glory of expression.” – Walt Whitman
I love simplifying my life. It makes my commitments easier and less stressful every day. It gives me calm and serenity, helping me to better face obstacles and unexpected events.
But where to start? Or where to go if you are already on your way?
Below I propose some practical habits that in the last years have helped me to create a life based on simplicity.
Why not try it?
Table of Contents
1) Breathe
When you feel tense, anxious or stressed, lost in a problem or struggling with unnerving worries, then it’s time to take a deep breath. Inhale slowly, follow the flow of air that descends into your lungs and accompany it as it comes out of your body.
Become an observer and witness of your breath, focused exclusively on it. You will feel instantly more relaxed and your mind will return more serene and quiet to the present moment.
2) Do One Thing At A Time
Trying to do too many things at the same time will only make your life more complicated. Not only that, you will combine much less and you will be far less productive than when you try to do one thing at a time. Multitasking is often very harmful, generally produces the only result of diverting your concentration preventing you from doing what you’re doing best.
Doing one thing at a time, on the other hand, helps you focus on your individual activity, reduces distractions and lets you focus all your energy on what you’re dealing with. Simplifying your life a little.
3) Put the Things by Register
If you get an intuition if you develop an idea or even if you just have to remember something, take a piece of paper and write everything, rather than relying solely on the memory capacity of your brain.
This will allow you not to leave out any detail, to be able to have your notes available whenever you need them and to be able to use your mental skills for more stimulating activities than just storing.
4) Stop doing what you do not like
Passion, imagination, creativity, enthusiasm, and energy: try to always do your best to dedicate yourself to activities that are able to stimulate these feelings.
If you do not like your work, do actively to look for another that you are passionate about, do not just complain and spend the days between the desk and the coffee machine. Life is emotion, do not degrade it by becoming enmeshed in activities that do not fascinate you.
5) Stop trying to please everyone
Regardless of your behavior and your personal characteristics, there will always be someone to whom, for one reason or another, you will not like it. Accept it, make it a reason.
Act according to your values, your principles, and your passions, take care of yourself you and those close to you but do not think you can go to be everyone’s genius. It is part of life and this also helps make it wonderful.
6) Get rid of the things you did not use in the last year
Do a quick analysis of the things you have and ask yourself what you really use. I am sure that, like me, you will have, for example, mountains of clothes that you have not worn for several years. Chances are you’ll never use them again. So get rid of them, donate them to some charity or a friend, or simply throw them away. If you really want to simplify, make room in your life for the things you really need.
7) Ask Instead of Trying to Guess
Reading in people’s minds is not really easy, is it? One of the best ways to avoid misunderstanding and simplify your life is to communicate, ask when we have doubts and ask for the clearest picture. All this will help you simplify, eliminate negativity and save time and energy.
8) Do not Exaggerate Small Problems
Often what worries us is a problem present more in our mind than in the practical reality of things. Many of us have the extraordinary ability to make their little problems much bigger and more relevant than they really are.
The truth is that our greatest fears are unlikely to turn into reality and what is troubling us today probably next week will only be a pale memory. Therefore, learn to observe reality in perspective and not to consider small obstacles as mountains impossible to climb.
9) Use 15 Minutes a Week to Plan
Once a week, for example on Sunday evening, organize your agenda for the upcoming week. Identify your priorities and make a list of the activities you want to complete.
This will help you to identify in advance what you will be doing during the week and to identify what you actually intend to focus your efforts and your energies on. You will have more clarity on how to move and you will more easily realize your goals, minimizing stress.
10) Spend more time with those who help you simplify
Some people know how to make life easier for you. They know how to recognize what really matters and do not create drama for nonsense. Try to surround yourself as much as possible with people like this. Approach those who are able to show you the simplest and most wonderful side of every little thing.
Spend as much time as possible with those who do not waste time complicating their lives in unnecessary problems or abstract concerns. These kinds of people are not easy to find, but those who have these qualities can really enrich (and simplify!) Your existence considerably.
