Inside: Use these easy simple living tips to transform and simplify your life, one step at a time.
Tired of feeling stressed out and overwhelmed?
Consider embracing some easy simple living tips that will improve your life.
Adopting a simpler lifestyle is a great way to keep stress at bay, minimize feelings of overwhelm, and bring a sense of peace and balance into your life.
By focusing on quality over quantity in all aspects of your life, you can spend more time surrounded by the things that bring you joy and invest your energy into the people, activities, and things that make a meaningful difference.
And if completely overhauling your whole life sounds overwhelming in itself – that’s understandable. But you can reap the benefits of simple living without totally changing the way you live.
By incorporating some of these easy simple living tips into your routine, you can transform your life in a powerful way.
10 Simple Living Tips That Make a Big Impact
Simple living habits can be incorporated into virtually every aspect of our lives.
The things we own, the things we eat, the things we do, the relationships we maintain – all can be simplified in a meaningful way.
Not sure where to start? Here are some easy simple living tips that can make a big difference without a ton of effort.
- Spend time in nature.
Ditch the screens and get outside! Spending time outdoors every day is a great way to pass the time, connect with the world around us, and boost our health.
Whether you choose to walk around your neighborhood, read a book or sip a coffee in your backyard, or get lost in a nearby state or national park, reconnecting with nature is a powerful way to embrace simple living.
2. Prioritize healthy eating.
You’ve heard the saying – you are what you eat. While that sounds a little extreme, there’s certainly some truth behind it.
There’s nothing wrong with the occasional treat, but consistently consuming highly processed, low-nutrition foods can lead to a whole host of problems – from low energy and brain fog to much more serious medical conditions.
Focusing on incorporating simple, whole, healthy foods – fruits and veggies, proteins, whole grains, healthy fats – into your diet and appreciating those foods for the value they bring into your life is a great, easy step you can take toward a more simple lifestyle.
Also, ensuring that you drink plenty of water each day is a good habit to have in your life that offers a host of healthful benefits.
- Practice gratitude.
Simple living is all about appreciating the things we have instead of focusing on the things we lack.
Fostering a deep sense of gratitude for the blessings in your life – people, places, things, hobbies – is a simple exercise. But it’s one that fills our hearts with joy and keeps us grounded with the understanding that we have everything we need.
Start by noticing the simple joys all around you and strengthen your gratitude habit from there.
- Journal daily.
Another simple but effective habit that can transform your life? Journaling.
Picking up a pen and paper and simply writing down your thoughts might sound less than thrilling, but there are many great benefits and it’s a habit that you just may quickly grow to love.
Journaling can help identify sources of stress, embrace positivity, work through challenging situations, and so much more.
The best part? There’s no wrong way to do it. Whether you choose to take a stream-of-consciousness approach or prefer a more structured journaling habit with daily prompts, you’ll reap the benefits.
- Be present.
It might sound easy – but being present is a habit that’s harder to build than most. Many of us find ourselves thinking about anything other than what’s actually going on around us all too often.
We’re focused on the past, revisiting situations we wish we would’ve handled differently – or we’re looking ahead to the future, trying to figure out what’s for dinner and otherwise making plans for situations that have yet to happen.
By being present and focusing on the moment, you’ll deepen your connection with everything and everyone around you – the things that matter most. You’ll strengthen your relationships.
You’ll cultivate a stronger sense of appreciation for the things you have, the food you eat, the clothes you wear. And you’ll find it’s an effective way to minimize stress and anxiety.
Put boundaries on how and when you use your devices. Ground yourself in the moment by focusing on what’s in front of you.
- Say “no.”
Saying “no” isn’t something that comes easy to many of us. We aim to please, and showing up when we’re asked to attend an event, help a friend, or do something we otherwise wouldn’t is something that’s deeply ingrained.
But you can’t embrace simple living if you’re constantly overwhelmed and have no time to slow down, reflect, and relax.
That personal time is critical – and should be protected at all costs. And the only way to do that is to turn down the plans and social obligations that don’t serve you.
- Proactively prioritize the people you care about.
One of the best ways you can embrace simple living is to focus on connecting with the people you love – the ones who fill your cup, who support you, who make you laugh, and who don’t leave you feeling exhausted.
Making intentional time for friends and family is critical. Not only is it a fulfilling way to pass the day, but it’s key to continuing to cultivate those deep connections that each of us needs in our lives.
Sometimes, this might look like spending quality time together – making actual plans, getting out of the house, and doing something with each other. Other times? It’s a thoughtful phone call or text message, or even a handwritten letter.
- Buy less stuff.
To simplify your life, be more intentional with shopping. When you buy less stuff, you save more money and time.
Everything you own requires cleaning, maintenance, and eventually needs to be moved.
When you opt for quality over quantity you don’t need to replace things as often and save yourself time and money in the long run.
Owning less can lessen your stress and provide you more freedom in your life to focus on the most important things.
- Clean and declutter daily.
One of the hallmarks of a simple lifestyle is embracing a minimalist approach to physical possessions. You can’t live simply when your home is packed, floor to ceiling, with stuff that doesn’t add value to your life.
Staying on top of clutter and mess is a simple but effective way to maintain a simple lifestyle.
By getting rid of the things you do not need, putting the things you do need back where they belong, and caring for your possessions, you focus on the things that bring you joy while eliminating the things that don’t.
And by adopting daily cleaning habits you can keep your home organized and clean with minimal effort.
- Rest and relax.
The final simple living tip I want to leave you with is the importance of incorporating rest and relaxation in your life.
Yes there are seasons that may be busier than others and circumstances arise that are beyond our control at times. But to the best of your ability ensuring that you get a good night’s sleep and create an evening routine that helps you to wind down is great for both your physical and mental health.
Adopt calm habits for a greater sense of balance in your life. After all, you can’t live your life to the fullest if you’re constantly feeling exhausted and run down.