5 Tips for Simplifying Your Life

Sep 18

September is a notoriously busy month for many people, between kids going back to school, vacations ending, and work starting to pick up. We may have less time or energy to put into tackling our to-do lists and daily tasks. During particularly busy seasons, I always find it’s best to focus on simplifying things in your life to make it as easy on you as possible.

Also read: 10 Tips for Creating a Strong Morning Routine

Firstly, let’s talk about what simplifying means. Simplifying your life is not about ignoring the tasks that need to get done, but rather, doing them to the best of your ability at the level you can accomplish them in the moment. For example, if you don’t have 100% to put into something, then don’t worry about completing it to 100%. If you don’t have your usual hour to fully clean the bathroom but only have a couple of minutes, do what you can in the time you have. It’s about focusing on what you can accomplish at the moment and doing it to the best of your ability.

Today, I’m going to share with you 5 areas in your life you can simplify when things feel particularly busy.

5 Tips for Simplifying Your Life

1. Your meals

Eating is a necessity, but making homemade, fresh meals daily is not. The reality is that a lot of us live very busy, tiring lives that aren’t conducive to making unique meals daily. There are two great alternatives to this. Firstly, is to prepare one big dinner you can eat throughout the week. This could look like making a big batch of rice, chicken and veggies that can be heated up throughout the week as needed. Additionally, it’s absolutely okay to throw a frozen meal into the oven. I try to buy them when they’re on sale so I have them on hand when needed.

2. Clean what you can

For many people, cleaning can feel like an all-or-nothing approach, where if we don’t have time to do something to its full capacity, then we don’t touch it at all. The reality is that something is better than nothing, and our best is always enough. Some examples of what this could look like include only vacuuming the high-traffic areas of your home, putting stuff in the dryer instead of hanging it, or only picking up one room. Another thing to look at is which rooms are a priority to clean, often bathrooms and kitchens are a top priority, but maybe the living room can wait. Remember, just focus on doing what you can, some are better than none.

3. Get rid of guilt

Were you ever told as a child that your room needs to be spotless? For many of us, we’re conditioned from a very early age to put all of our effort into something, so if we cleaned up, it had to be to perfection. It’s important to remind ourselves that it’s okay if not everything is completed to its full capacity and to remove the guilt surrounding this. It may sound easier said than done, but I promise you that leaving a dish or two in the sink at the end of the night is not the end of the world, so don’t treat it like it is. There are bigger fish to fry, especially in busy seasons.

4. Collaboration

Sometimes sharing with neighbours can be very helpful. If you make a large meal, perhaps share some with your neighbours. They can do the same for you when your world is busy. Sharing other responsibilities, like carpooling and snow shovelling can really decrease the amount of work that we have to do.

5. Talk about your feelings

Sometimes communicating with your friends and family, your availability and your current situation can help to decrease the feeling of obligation. Explain to others that if you do not reply to a text message or return the phone call it is nothing personal. You were just in a busy place or possibly a low-energy stage in your life and it’s nothing personal.