Humans always make life complicated. We worry about something too much. We live our lives full of anxiety. We always look forward to what tomorrow will bring. We keep on running towards the edge when life only wants us to take a step and start walking. We let our fear of the unknown holds us back. We complicate things instead of trying to simplify life.
Psychology Today gives us 5 ways to simplify life:
1. Declutter your house
There is more to decluttering than just throwing out stuff or freeing up space. It actually has a positive impact on our well- being since the environment we live in affects how we feel physically and psychologically.
Let go of the things that are no longer useful. Donate, sell, or recycle stuff that can be of good use. Do yourself a favor and get rid of the things that are taking too much space and bring negative energy to your life. A clean and organized home brings a positive and light feeling. Make your home a place of refuge and comfort.
2. Get rid of bad mental habits.
Sometimes we fail to notice that the thing that’s weighing us down is actually our selves. We overthink a lot, worry too much, and we take things too personally. We are our number one enemy and critic. Studies even estimate that about 2/3 of our spontaneous thoughts are negative.
Though normal, we have to keep in mind that thinking negatively can easily become a habit. It can ruin our self-esteem, brings unhappiness to our lives, and can even affect our relationship with others.
Give yourself a break and stop thinking the worse of yourself. When you feel like your thoughts are wandering into the path of negativity, take a deep breath, and remind yourself it’s not healthy. Instead, give yourself a pep talk. Be your own best friend.
3. Cut out toxic people.
Toxic people are everywhere. They can be in the form of a relative, so-called friend, and a colleague. Avoiding them is hard, especially when you have to deal with them every single day. The best thing to do would be to sever all ties with them and be free. However, it’s simply can’t be done the way we want it to be.
Distance yourself from them. Toxic people love to torment you, but don’t be bothered and learn the art of not giving a damn. They are not worth it. Focus your energy on the people that matter instead.
4. Take charge of your money.
Money may not be the source of happiness, but let’s admit it, having less or no money at all makes everyone upset.
Enjoying financial freedom is not about how much you are earning. It is more about how you spend your money and what you are spending it on. Make a budget and establish your goals. In that way, you won’t have to spend most of your time thinking of how to pay this and that.
5. Gain control of your time.
There is just so much you can do in 24 hours. You can’t possibly squeeze all your activities in one day. It may not be a concern for us at the moment but, always remember, our time is limited.
Do not spend most of your time in the office. You are not living to work. Make time to the things that matter more; go for a walk, hang out with friends, play with your kids, or just simply enjoy the sunset. Every day is a step closer to our last. We don’t know how much more time we have. Spend it wisely. Make sure you won’t have any regrets when you look back.
While we have various ways of simplifying life, at the end of the day, what matters most is how much we give importance to our well-being. Life will not ask how many battles you’ve fought but how well you survived. Life is not supposed to be complicated. Life is simply is.
“As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.”
― Henry David Thoreau