A simple life is much less stressful, fulfilling, and meaningful. And, in order to make the transition to simple living, here are 10 habits you should develop.
Nowadays, we lead harried lives. Our desire for more drives us to acquire more items, more gadgets, fit in more activities, and get more things done.
This complicated way of life causes us to flit from one place to another, never really accomplishing anything and never getting things done. As a result, we get stressed, exhausted, and unhappy.
However, simplifying your life is an excellent alternative to this hectic lifestyle.
A simple life will undoubtedly benefit you more because it allows you to take a step back and relax. And appreciate things that are truly important. Things like family, relationships, self-development, kindness, and helping others.
Here are 10 habits for a simple life that you can develop and implement to get you started.
Healthy diet
Eating a healthy diet doesn’t have to be complicated. All you need to eat are those that have not been processed to look like something else.
Whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, grains, meat, fish, and poultry are your best bet for a healthy diet.
Simple meals with simple ingredients result in a more enjoyable eating experience. Plus you get more in return in terms of physical health.
Drink water
Our fluid intake doesn’t have to be laced with sugar and other additives. Water alone is sufficient. Aside from food and oxygen, water is one of the simplest requirements for our bodies to survive.
Drinking water is therefore one of the best habits you can develop to help you live simply.
Aside from that, water is extremely beneficial. It helps to maintain your normal body temperature and keeps you hydrated. Water also has the following advantages:
- Delivers oxygen and other nutrients to the body,
- Lubricates and cushions joints,
- Hydrates the skin,
- Helps to flush out body wastes,
- Helps maintain blood pressure,
- Prevents kidney damage, and
- Aids in weight loss.
Declutter
Take the time to declutter your home.
Remove items that haven’t been used in a long time. Items that are duplicates, clothes that no longer fit or are worn out. Expired food or medicine, various trinkets, and anything else that takes up space and extra energy to clean and maintain.
Either donate these items or throw them out.
Making decluttering a habit will greatly simplify your life. This is because you will no longer have to expend additional effort and time cleaning.
Maintaining a clean and tidy home will also become easier. It gives you more time to focus on yourself and your well-being.
Watch what enters your house
Aside from decluttering, it is also a good habit to keep an eye on the things or stuff that enter your home.
Decluttering is an ongoing process. But keeping a close eye on what goes in will also help you avoid reverting to a cluttered space.
Create a place for everything
Another good habit for living a simple life is to have a place for everything you own. This makes it easier for you to get an item you need and store it once you’re done with it.
“A place for everything and everything in its place,” my elementary school teacher told us many years ago.
This is a good mantra to remember and a great way to simplify life.
Pare down your to-do list
Most people are disappointed and frustrated by the number of items on their to-do list. The number of items left undone is more concerning than the number of items completed.
Seeing items that have not been crossed out, especially for a long time, makes one feel like a laggard and unproductive. Or, even worse, a failure.
However, it is not the to-do list or the things left undone that cause negative feelings. In fact, the sheer number of items on the list is causing anxiety.
So, if you want to live a simple life, you must reduce the number of things you need to do. Allow no more than three items on your list.
If at all possible, limit yourself to one item. Others refer to this as MIT or the Most Important Task. It is the one task that must be completed within the day that has the greatest impact on your personal or professional life.
You will be able to breathe more easily and be more present at the moment if you have fewer things to do. As a result, your day will be more focused, productive, and fulfilling.
Say no
One of the factors that contribute to the number of items on your to-do list is that you don’t say no.
When we see a new item, receive an invitation, or get requested for a favor, we are more likely to say yes. Even if it means going over budget. And not having time or energy to spare for an event or favor.
This inability to say no is causing us a lot of stress and negative feelings.
Thus, to have a simple life, it is important to cultivate the habit of saying no. Make it your default response. Return to them once you are certain that you can afford to say yes.
Don’t put things off
Putting off tasks, particularly cleaning and tidying up, will result in an unkempt, disorganized, and cluttered environment.
When this happens, you will not be able to enjoy your time at home with your loved ones. And will only add to the stress and anxiety.
So, if you want to live a simple life, another habit you should develop is not putting things off until later.
When you need to declutter, wash dishes, do laundry, check your email, or speak with someone, just do it. There’s no need to overthink it. Or, in your mind, go through the step-by-step process of what you need to do. Just go ahead and start.
Once completed, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have accomplished something worthwhile.
Be happy with what you have
Another reason we keep buying new toys, things, and stuff are that we refuse to be happy and content with what we already have.
We associate happiness with a new pair of sneakers, a new sweater, a new phone, or a new car. Or even the most recent and trendy vacation destination.
Unfortunately, the novelty of an item wears off. And along with it, our happiness. So we then seek the next shiny object to make us happy.
However, if we want to live a simple life, we must cultivate the habit of being content with what we already have. We should value them and be grateful to have them.
We need to understand that happiness is not dependent on material things, but rather on the relationships we cultivate. It’s in the simple activities that we enjoy. It’s our inner peace and compassion for others.
When you allow yourself happiness and contentment based on these simple pleasures, you will live a simpler and more meaningful life.
Let go
Another habit we need to develop for a simple life is the ability to let go.
Often, we tend to complicate our lives by hanging on. Dearly. To hurtful experiences, anger, and frustrations.
However, we need to realize that holding on to things will result in more wasted time and effort. More hurt feelings. Additional financial loss. Guilt and what have yous.
And so you need to let go of these negative feelings and emotions, as well as your need for control. These things only add to your burden and contribute to stress, poor mental health, and hopelessness.
You will undoubtedly live a better life once you have let go.
As the saying goes, you must empty your cup before you can receive something more positive.
Summary
Living a complicated life causes us to feel stressed, tired, frustrated, and unsatisfied. With all of these negative emotions, it is therefore promising to live a simple life.
A simple life is much less stressful, fulfilling, and meaningful. And, in order to make the transition to simple living, here are 10 habits you should develop.
- Healthy diet,
- Drink water,
- Declutter,
- Watch what enters your house,
- Create a place for everything,
- Pare down your to-do list,
- Say no,
- Don’t put things off,
- Be happy with what you have, and
- Let go.
Please share your thoughts or ideas about 10 Habits For A Simple Life in the comments below. And if you liked this article, you might be interested as well in these articles:
Why Good Habits Beat Motivation
How To Define Yourself By Your Habits
9 Simple Habits You Can Learn From Vampires
9 Effective Habits For A Happy Life
Building Good Habits For Your To Be
How To Break 9 Bad Habits That Keep You Down
7 Tips On How To Develop A Persistent Habit
5 Organizing Habits You Can Learn From Organized People
7 Good Habits To Develop (Inspired By Gardening)
Outside reference/s:
Fifteen benefits of drinking water
8 Key Lessons for Living a Simple Life