Others have also had those feelings. Because of this, a movement toward simpler living is growing, and you can start on it today!
Living simply means different things to different people. How your neighbor decides to simplify his or her life may be far different than how you would choose to make such a change.
You can simplify your life with one small change at a time. These suggestions may lead you down the path to living more simply.
1. Examine the situations and people that bring stress to your life. Make a list of these. Also include anything that leaves you feeling overwhelmed or trapped.
• Consider how you might eliminate involvement in these circumstances or with these people.
• Can you follow through with disengagement from these stressful situations and individuals? Select the one that you can most easily disconnect from and begin taking steps to do so.
• Focus on reducing one stressor at a time. It isn't realistic to think you can do away with all of them at once.
2. Think about how you spend your money. Do you make unnecessary purchases? Review your bank account debits to see where the bulk of your funds are going.
• One way to live a simpler life is to reduce spending on unnecessary expenditures. Focus on streamlining your expenses to decrease unwanted stressors.
3. Pare down the amount of "stuff" you've accumulated. Many people collect a huge amount of things.
• The more stuff you have, the more time required on cleaning and taking care of that stuff! Not to mention the space in your home it takes to store it all, or the cost of an additional storage unit.
• If you haven't looked in those boxes in the garage, attic or storage unit for 5 or 10 years, you can probably disconnect from the items in them without much distress.
4. Begin spending more time outdoors. Returning to nature offers time and opportunity for reflection on your life and feelings.
• You don’t have to make a big trip. Look for a park, botanical garden or nature reserve close to your home.
5. Explore what makes you happiest. What brings you real enjoyment? Maybe spending time with your family and friends is special for you. Perhaps you want to revive a favorite hobby you love.
• Ask yourself: What am I doing when I feel most alive?
6. Regard your time as if it was pure gold. What do you do with most of your time? With whom do you spend the bulk of your life? Are you okay with that?
• Make a decision to spend your precious time doing activities meaningful for you. If you do them with others, ensure they're people you care about and really want to be around.
7. Strengthen your relationships with those you love. Protect your cherished connections to others.
• Set aside time on your schedule for intentional nourishing of those important relationships.
8. Examine your level of physical activity. If you find yourself feeling disconnected from your body and its importance in your life, try to do some physical activity each day.
• Talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program to ensure it's right for you. Even just walking for twenty minutes a day can bring you great peace of mind.
The path to living a simpler life is connected to returning to your true self. To find inspiration in beginning your own journey, review the above suggestions. Only you can decide your path toward living a simpler life, and you can begin today!
Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay
