Simplify life: what does it mean?

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Since stress has been linked to multiple diseases, obesity, and a variety of addictions, if you live a stressful life you may be told that you need to simplify your life. This means trying through organization to reduce the things that make your life more complicated. To make your life easier, you may need to apply the organizing process not just to housekeeping, but to the social aspects of your life, relationships, and career.

There are a number of magazines dedicated to helping you simplify your life. While some of these may boast great tips to help you cut down on clutter and chaos, others are laughable in their advice. Tips from major renovations to your home and large, expensive furniture to reduce clutter aren’t particularly straightforward. While these things may be helpful for some people, more often than not there are easier and cheaper ways to make your life easier. The following tips can help you lead a less chaotic life:
Simplify your life at home

This tends to mean organizing your home so things aren’t hard to find. It can start by examining your possessions to determine what you actually need. Host a garage sale or donate items that are just taking up space. Invest in a paper shredder and get rid of paperwork that has no meaning. You could also subscribe to fewer magazines or contact catalog companies to get removed from mailing lists. When the children’s papers come home from school, save a few items each year, possibly putting them in a special folder or scrapbook, and shred or recycle the rest. A life can also be made easier by delegating tasks such as housework to other family members (children, roommates, spouses, partners or paid cleaners).

Simplify your life at work

It may not be necessary to change jobs, but consider the amount of stress your job entails. Are there ways to reduce stress at work, by doing less work or by not volunteering to work extra shifts, or to help with volunteer activities? Try to live in the moment, without bringing work worries home. You acknowledge that the job may have certain standards, but that you need not greatly exceed those standards. If workplace stress is high, consider other career options or working shorter hours. Just like at home, focus on organizing your work so you don’t waste time looking for the things you need. If you commute, contemplate a job closer to home or move closer to your job.

Simplify your life in relationships and society

Relationships are complex things and some are undoubtedly difficult to maintain. It’s a good idea to think about your relationships and how they serve you. Ask yourself how relationships make your life more complex and if they are “worth it”. For example, you might try to spend less time with others who are just passing acquaintances. Don’t attend an off-duty party with someone you know casually; participate only if you want. Learn to say no to people who make unreasonable demands on you. If simplifying doesn’t mean becoming completely selfish, it means reducing the demands on your time, especially those demands that will actually create stress.

Engage in fewer activities and get your kids signed up for fewer extracurricular activities. Sometimes the hectic pace of life is too stressful for adults and children. Instead, work into time to spend alone or to do easy, simple activities with the family, like a family game night. Having unscheduled time to spend alone or with your kids is one of the perks of a simpler life.

Overall, you won’t be able to accept every recommendation on how to make your life easier. You may have to work a stressful job. You may have very little personal time or very complex family relationships. Don’t stress about how you can’t make your life easier. Instead, make small tweaks where you can, and more importantly, give yourself permission to have an extremely complex life when needed. There’s nothing simple about feeling guilty about not leading a simpler life.

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