howhow-can-i-simplify-my-life

Are you constantly feeling overwhelmed and stressed and asking yourself, “How can I simplify my life?” I hear you. I feel the same way, and I want to share a few things I’ve learned while working to simplify my life.

(Let’s all take a few lessons from our fur animals and learn how to keep our lives simple.)

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been reading all of the articles on simplicity, trying to declutter, and even thinking of becoming a minimalist. Basically, you’re looking for any way you can simplify your life. But I have found that with every “simple” habit I added or subtracted, my life didn’t feel less complicated. At times, it felt even more overwhelming. So if you are feeling this way, you are not alone!

When you’re asking, “How can I simplify my life?” what you really want to know is how to create more peace. You’re longing for a calm body, mind, and environment. By definition, simplify means to make something less complicated and easier to do or understand. In a world filled with constant chaos, it’s getting harder to create a simple life.

This post gives a few answers to the question: How can I simplify my life?

How Can I Simplify My Life?

First of all, don’t confuse simple with easy. If you remember trying to put math equations in their simplest form you know that it isn’t always an easy process. The word simplify is a verb, and it’s an action. So, friends, that means to have a simple life, you must work to create it.

Easy, on the other hand, means without great effort or difficulty. The word “easy” is descriptive. Basically, in order to reach an easy life, you first have to simplify it – which means (just like it did in math class all those years ago) you need to get busy.

Get Rid Of Stuff.

I know what you’re thinking. You’ve heard this all before. But what I’m telling you is actually to cut stuff out of your life. And I don’t just mean you need to toss a few coffee mugs and scale back on the number of jeans you own. I mean this on a deeper level. (Well, I also mean that you need to get rid of actual stuff because I feel strongly about that, too).

What I mean when I say this is to get rid of things in your life that no longer serve you. I’ll give you an example. When I got a scary Dr. call a few years ago, I evaluated my life more deeply. And, I no longer felt I had time to hold onto things that weren’t adding value to my life. I got rid of a lot of physical clutter, but I also decluttered my calendar and even my thoughts. I took a hard look at my calendar and stopped saying yes to things I didn’t really want to do. Partly because I had to make room for new health appointments but also because I didn’t want to attend certain things. It was freeing to slash things out of my life.

If you’re wondering what I personally decluttered out of my life… Here are just a few things:

I stopped volunteering out of guilt.
I stopped going out to coffee socials with random school moms.
I decluttered my entire wardrobe and I’m still working on my house.
I stopped listening to doctors decide my fate.
I stopped eating meat – and not because it’s on trend, but because my body was working better without it. And I NEVER thought I would be a vegan.
I stopped taking my bulldog to the groomer. It made him miserable and because he’s my best friend, it made me miserable too!
This might make me unpopular in more than a few ways, but I got rid of my cleaner. I loved her, but I didn’t love having someone else cleaning my house each week. I’ll explain more later in this post.

The good news is you don’t need a health scare or any big life event to give you permission to declutter your life. You just need to make a decision that your peace is worth it. I promise this simplifying process is way more rewarding than the math we did in middle school.

Add Things To Your Life.

On my journey to simplicity, I realized that building a simple life doesn’t just mean letting go. It can also mean holding on to certain things and even—GASP—adding to your life. Before you start taking your tattered sweaters out of the donation pile, you need to hear me out. I didn’t add stuff, I added services. I sat down with my calendar and a list of goals and realized I needed help.

Here are a few things I added to my life:

Acupuncture– I needed to help my body heal, but meditation and diet could only do so much. I found an amazing 4th generation doctor of Chinese medicine who agreed to work with me to help me heal. (FYI – Acupuncture IS NOT CHEAP, but before you decide it’s too expensive, check with your insurance company because some plans will cover some of the cost.)
Reflexology– On the weeks I don’t see the acupuncturist, I try to go to reflexology. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a massage therapy that applies pressure to your feet and is thought to promote healing and balance. Does it work? I have no idea, but it’s the most relaxing thing in the world and I believe it does something.
Car Washes- I am one of those people who needs to drive a clean car most of the time. If you know, you know. My local car wash spot offers unlimited washes for a monthly cost. Yes, I spent the money, and, yes it’s worth it. You might need a subscription to a music app or some other service you love. If you have the budget, it’s time to at least try it.
Salon Nails – I’m still on the fence about this one. I HATE going to the nail salon, but don’t seem to do a thing with my nails if I don’t go. I went about a year saying NO to the salon and hated how my hands looked. I recently went back. I am adding this back for a few months to decide.
Organizers and Labels– Decluttering my life came with an obsession to organize what I kept. I added beautiful organizers and spent time creating labels to keep everything neat and tidy. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Think Hard When You Replace Things In Your Life.

When you start evaluating your life, home, and stuff, you will most likely find things you need to replace. When I make any replacement purchase, I always think of my dad. He has a saying that he shares on repeat, “whatever you own, owns you back.” And, like always, he’s right. So, when it was time to get replacements for items in my house that were worn out or no longer served me, I did a ton of research and made sure the durability and care were simpler. I opted for less toxic and washable items and I couldn’t be happier with the upgrades.

Here are a few things I have replaced since I started my journey to a simpler life:

Rugs and Doormats – Every time I replace a rug, I replace it with a Ruggable. I no longer stress over dirty paw prints or a spill on the rug because I know everything will wash right out. (And, no, I’m not getting any commission for this post.) Ruggable rugs can be tossed into the washer (and dryer, even though they say not to), and they actually come out CLEAN. I have slowly been replacing them and the company just keeps growing so they have more options than ever. CLICK HERE to check out their rugs.
My Upstairs Couch – We decided to get a Lovesac sectional with built-in recliners. (Again, no commission) If you are looking for an upgrade, you should look for a washable couch because it just makes sense. CLICK HERE to check out Lovesac.
Pots and Pans (and soon… bakeware)- My pots and pans have been dying to go to retirement for a while now. They are non-stick and covered with scrapes and scratches, which also makes them a little toxic. Replacing them took some research and more money than we hoped to spend, but we are hoping it will be worth it. We opted for Caraway pots. CLICK HERE to read more about them. I have a lot to say about them so far and plan to write a full post on them in the future after they have been used for at least a month.
Jeans- When you’re blessed with a daughter, you are also blessed with a fashion trend consultant. Let’s just say that some of my jeans were outdated and out of style. I don’t tend to spend much on my jeans because I have learned that even expensive jeans fade and stretch over time. And, if I’m being honest, when I feel good about my body, I look just as good in a $40 pair of jeans as I do in a $245 pair of jeans. I’m not in a life season to spend a lot on my jeans and I’m ok with that. But, I did replace a few pairs and I feel much better in my outfits these days.

Be Honest With Yourself

Seriously, when you start to build a simple life, you don’t have time for bullsh$t. You just don’t. It’s time to get super honest with yourself and everyone else in your life. It’s ok to be weird. We’re all weird. Embrace yours and let others do the same. There is no better gift to give the world than your authentic self. We need you to be exactly who you were meant to be and share your gifts with all of us.

Here are some of my honest truths:

I Am And Always Will Be A Small Town Girl: I might not live in my little town anymore, but it’s the place that built me. It will forever be the place I call home. I think I went through a time in my younger years when I felt a little less sophisticated because I grew up in rural Ohio. Now, I treasure it. Some of my favorite people in the world still live there. That place taught me how to treat people, that money isn’t all that important, and that helping people is a gift you get right back every time.
I’m Vegan: I don’t love it. I don’t push it on to anyone. I wear leather. My parents used to own a hunting store and I helped tag deer. I grew up eating meat and cheese and pouring milk over my cereal. And if I’m totally honest, I miss it sometimes. But, when my health took a turn so did my diet. This is working for me right now so I am vegan right now. It’s not a religion. I don’t think it’s right for everyone and, yes, it’s hard. Oh, and, no, I’m not a perfect vegan.
I Don’t Drink and I Won’t Drink And I No Longer Care That It Bothers People: If you decided to cut alcohol out of your life be prepared. People will want to know “your story” or your reason. I used to make excuses and explain myself. I would even worry a little about what people would think. That’s over. My name is Sara Lee and I don’t drink. Take it or leave it.
I Don’t Watch The News: Do you want to talk politics or world issues? You might want to pick another girl. I find the news to be stressful and misleading. I don’t have the time or energy to weed through it to find my opinion. I also don’t complain about taxes or politics. I don’t feel I have the right because I haven’t spent the time educating myself on the topics. I live my life reading a few headlines and that is enough for me.
I Don’t Love TV: My kids can talk me into just about anything and that includes watching a show or a movie, but if I’m alone – the TV stays off. I’m just not that into it.
I Don’t Like To Eat Out: There, I said it. This is still a little hard to admit, but it’s so true. I don’t like eating restaurant food. If I want to spend time with my family I would rather do it at home at our table. I guess I hate it more because I’m vegan and I’m pickier about my food, but regardless, I don’t like to eat at restaurants.

So, whatever your truth is, please go live it loud and proud. It’s ok, we all know you’re weird anyhow.

Build Routines And Habits To Create Simplicity

I wake up at 5 am and start my simple cleaning routine around 5:30. It usually takes me 20-30 minutes. It’s just what I do every morning, and I don’t question it anymore. When you build routines and habits in your life, suddenly, hard things become easy. They become kind of woven into who you are. But, sadly, this can happen in a bad way too. If you eat chocolate every time you’re bored (like I used to) it can become a bad habit really fast. And, habits can be hard to break.

Here are a few of my habits and routines:

I walk my bulldog, Odie, every morning – without fail.
I clean my house on a rotating schedule every morning.
I work out every day after I drop my daughter to school.
I go to acupuncture every week on Monday. If I have a conflict on a Monday, I skip and opt for reflexology at some point that week.
I meal prep salads every 4 days and eat salad every single day for lunch.
I fill out my calendar and to-do list on Sundays.
I call my parents every day.
I wash 2 loads of laundry a day.
I wash my car every week.
I meal plan on Sundays.

So build some routines for yourself that make things feel easier. It might feel hard at first, but I promise, it will start to feel easy in no time! Just start. And if you hate it, change it. Just don’t stop trying to build habits that give you the life you want.

Plan Some Fun – Because It Doesn’t Happen If You Don’t Plan It.

A simple life isn’t a life without fun experiences. Often, we confuse simplicity with a boring life. That’s not true at all. The truth about fun is that if you plan it into your life, you’re more likely to have fun times. Social media can lead us to believe that people are having all of this “fun” all the time. And some of that can be true, but “fun” feels different for everyone. It’s your job to be honest about what you find fun and weave it throughout your life. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune. You don’t have to fly across the country. Fun can look like an early morning cup of coffee with your best friend in her garage, sitting near a little warmer in the dead of winter. (I love you, Min Lou).

How Can I Simplify My Life – Real Answers From Someone Who Is Trying