photo by Nathan Dumlao via Unsplash

by carol evenson, guest contributor

The demands of everyday life often seem never ending, and feeling pushed or pulled in multiple directions at once can make anyone feel frazzled and stressed. Fortunately, even those with the busiest of schedules can make a few simple changes to cut down some of the noise, shorten their daily to-do lists and clear some valuable mental real estate to provide a little room to breathe. 

Keep reading for seven helpful ways to simplify your life, and make everything a little bit easier, more straightforward and even more enjoyable. 

1. Do What Makes Sense For You

What works for your best friend may not work for you, and that’s okay. It may be helpful for your neighbor to organize their own laundry room, while you may benefit more from investing in a service with a housekeeping mobile cart to do the job. A lot of mental energy is spent wondering if you’re making the right call, so it’s important to trust your gut more often than not. If something doesn’t end up working out, you can always consider another option. 

2. Do Some Prep Work

Days can easily get jam-packed with tasks, which leaves little room to finally print out all of last year’s vacation pictures or cook an elaborate healthy meal. Reserve some of your downtime on the weekends to prepare for the week ahead. Maybe that’s preparing the week’s meals to stash in the freezer, coming up with a better pantry organization system or doing all of the laundry in the house. 

3. Lean On Your Support System

No man, or woman, is an island. It’s impossible for any one person to go at it alone, and so it’s important that you have a strong, supportive group of people around you. It may seem like it would be an odd request to invite friends and family over to help clean your kitchen, organize your pantry, or weed your garden, but that’s what our people are there for when we find ourselves in an overwhelmed season of life. Plus, you know you would show up for them if they made the same request, too. It's a lot harder to receive help if we don't ask for it. 

4. Establish Some Firm Boundaries

A great deal of overwhelm comes from going over your own limits, or even not knowing what those limits are to begin with. Sit down and really do some soul searching to discover where, what, how, and why you are comfortable or uncomfortable with different areas of your life. These boundaries will remove many question marks from your day-to-day routine. 

For example, you may set a limit on the amount of money you will spend during social engagements or decide a cut off time for cell phone use when winding down in the evening. Live by these decisions, as they are there to protect your own inner peace and your relationships in the process. 

5. Focus On Health and Nutrition

A healthy body and mind is not only just a good thing to strive for, but the status of your physical and mental health can either help or hinder your ability to manage your daily schedule. Sleep, good nutrition, water intake and exercise can easily fall lower on your priority list in favor of other more “necessary” tasks, but these things should be non-negotiable priorities for you daily. 

6. Declutter Your Space

If your space is disorganized or chaotic much of the time, it can prove stressful for both your body and your mind. Without a clear mental map of where everything is in your space, it creates a sense of panic when it’s time to locate something, no matter how small, and searching for what you need can elevate your stress hormones and eat up a good chunk of your valuable time. As well, visual clutter has been shown to increase your body’s stress response. 

Take a weekend to cut down on your possessions, find a home for everything and create a better system for yourself. 

7. Set Clear Intentions

Priorities are everything. You need priorities for work deadlines, family activities, and calendar events, but you also need them for yourself and your headspace. Take time to discover what will make you happiest, healthiest and most stress-free every morning, and set intentions to make those things happen for yourself. You deserve it. 

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