Do you ever feel like life is one big balancing act?
Your finances, job and studies in one hand, your relationships, dreams and plans in the other?
Oh, and don’t forget to eat your 5 a day, stay up to date on current affairs and keep your LinkedIn updated.
Not that those things are bad, but often it doesn’t feel like there’s enough hours in the day to do all that adulting and we can end up feeling overwhelmed.
I reckon sometimes we get so bogged down in getting through those To-Do lists that we forget to slow down.
I love living a full life but I’m convinced that the most fulfilling days aren’t always the busiest.
Are you in need of a little more balance in your life?
Here are 5 ways you can simplify your life…
- De-clutter that desk space. Wherever you study, create, hustle, get it feeling spacious and comfortable. Clear away those piles of paper and get them organised away neatly. It’ll save you the time you normally spend rifling through all those papers. A clear work space= a clear mind space.
- Stop buying things you don’t need. De-cluttering is counter-productive if you replace what you get rid of with more things you don’t need. Being super intentional about how you spend your money and setting yourself a weekly budget is also a great way to reduce stress. Any clothes you no longer wear and are just taking up room, why not pop them down to a local charity shop?
- Develop an evening routine. It can be tricky to wind down in the evenings so doing some activities you find restful is really important. Why not use the last 30 minutes of your day to jot down some dreams or light a candle, listen to a podcast or read? Whatever gets you feeling ready to drift off to sleep.
- De-clutter your computer. Get those files in order, clear your desktop as much as possible and keep on top of your emails. These are simple things but can make a huge difference when you’re working on a project and don’t have to waste time searching for a word document.
- Create some clear surfaces. We all seem to love filling every surface of our homes with stuff. Do you have a bowl in your house that literally has the most random stuff in it? Pens that don’t work, a key that doesn’t seem to actually open anything, old takeaway menus, that sort of thing. Get rid of it! Clear those surfaces and maybe put up one photo or piece of art that you can really appreciate.
I hope you found some of the suggestions helpful. If you struggle to rest, why not check out my recent post on finding guilt-free rest in a busy season.
How will you simplify your life this week?
Just moved into my new office this week and I have a desk and a computer, that is it! It is so amazing having a clean uncluttered space! Rose @ Our House of Love
Great tips! I’ve been working on decluttering not only my desk but my entire home. It was always so overwhelming to me, then I saw a challenge on Pinterest where you just declutter (donate, throw away, give away or sell) 1 bag per day. Big items count as 1 bag and you can work ahead. It gave me the motivation I needed to keep going and it has already simplified my life after just 2 weeks!
The clear surfaces advice is really great, I started doing it a while ago and you really feel more peaceful when everything looks more spacey.
The laziness really sets in when I have to sit down and organize my computer files. I try to do so every month, but I always put it off! Lol. Great list. Totally agree!
Oh gosh! I need to do all of those. I have been avoiding my office and working out of my kitchen because there are just too many papers to sort :S Thank you for the motivation!
Very helpful
Yes! I feel like I need to be constantly reminded about creating a night-time routine. I think I have the morning routine down now, but goodness, I struggle at night when all I want to do is jump into bed and scroll social media. Eeeek! thanks for the reminder. Totally agree on decluttering the desk area… this has helped me so much!
~ Melanie
http://www.imagineyou.co.za/
Great post! I think having a nice space to work is so important. It can make all the difference in productivity. I also think having an evening routine really helps.
Oh my goodness, do I EVER need to organize my computer files! Thanks for the great tips.
Can’t go wrong with simplification of your life and all around you. On my “to do” list 🙂
This is great advice. I’m going through it right now!