Doesn’t it sometimes seem like every day we get busier and busier, to the point where we hardly have any time for ourselves? We hear people talk about simplifying their lives all the time – maybe an Instagrammer or a Youtuber that you follow, or your college roommate, or your cousin. But how to do it? If you feel like you’re drowning under the weight of your to-do list or slowly being surrounded by clutter in your own home, the idea of simplifying your life can seem impossible. But it doesn’t have to be! Here are a few quick(ish) and easy ways to simplify your life:
- Stick to a schedule. Whether it’s a morning or nighttime routine, or a to-do list, or a full daily schedule, having a plan for your day can be a great help on especially busy days. If you’ve got a lot of emails to answer, give yourself a block of time in the morning to get them all done, or make a plan to go by the bank or call your landlord or other errands right after class. Making a plan is the easiest way to make your whole day less stressful.
- Set yourself a bedtime (and stick to it). This is sort of an extension from point one but setting yourself a reasonable time to go to bed and then following through with it can go a long way in improving your day. Not only is it easier to stick to your nighttime routine if you have a specific time that you go to bed, it’ll also help you get more sleep – something all of us could use.
- Declutter your space. If you’ve got the time, energy, and motivation, decluttering your entire house or apartment is a great project and can do a lot to help you get rid of stress and give you a more positive outlook. However, most of us don’t have all the time or motivation or energy to do that, so it’s okay to start small. Organizing a messy closet or sorting through stacks of papers are great places to start.
- Start saying no. This may not be as easy as some of the other ideas on this list, but it might be one of the most important. We can’t do it all, no matter how hard we try, and agreeing to everything that people ask of us or saying yes to every opportunity we come across is definitely not the best idea. While it can be hard to turn down a great opportunity or say no to a friend, it’s so important to think about yourself and your time, too.
- Minimize your to-do list. Some people might find it helpful to keep a master list of everything that needs to get done, but for most of us that’s just overwhelming! Instead, try making a more realistic daily list, making sure to keep it short. Not only will this give you a boost when you finish everything on your list, it will also help you prioritize and figure out which tasks are really the most important.
There’s so much going on in the world and in our lives that it can seem inevitable that we’ll wind up with overfilled schedules and not enough down time, but there are ways around it!