15 Practical Ways To Simplify Life And Be Happy

Are you feeling trapped in a never-ending cycle of routine? Do you find yourself always doing what you have to do but never what you truly want to do? Maybe it’s time to simplify your life.

In today’s fast-paced and demanding world, we are constantly bombarded with tasks and obligations that can leave us feeling overwhelmed. But deep down, we all yearn for a simpler and more peaceful life.

We all want a life where we can prioritize the people and things we love. The good news is that simplifying your life can help you achieve just that.

What does it mean to simplify life?

Simplifying life is all about making things less complicated and discovering ways to make daily routines and tasks easier to handle. It involves letting go of things that don’t bring value to your life so you can be surrounded by what truly matters.

It’s about being able to give your time and energy to the things that are most important to you. Simplify life means getting rid of unnecessary clutter, both physical and mental, and concentrating on what truly brings joy and fulfillment.

It involves prioritizing and organizing commitments, possessions, and thoughts to create a more balanced and harmonious existence. Simplifying life is about embracing a minimalist mindset and consciously making choices that lead to a simpler and more meaningful way of living.

How do you simplify life?

Simplifying your life is a continuous journey, not a final destination. It involves making a conscious effort every day to prioritize the things, people, and activities that matter most to you.

While it may be challenging, it is possible to achieve a simpler life with the right mindset and discipline. Once you have embraced a simpler lifestyle, you can enjoy a lifetime of happiness.

To help you on your journey, I have put together some tips that have helped me simplify my own life.

1. Focus on yourself

We often find ourselves juggling family, work, social commitments, chores, and endless to-do lists. However, amidst all this, we tend to neglect ourselves.

As women, we tend to prioritize others over ourselves, thinking that focusing on our own needs is selfish. But constantly putting aside our own desires can leave us feeling unfulfilled and unhappy.

To simplify life, it’s important to start by taking care of ourselves.

Here are a few ways you can make yourself a priority:

• Make time for yourself every day, even if it’s just a few minutes.
• Ensure that you nourish your body with a well-balanced and nutritious diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Keep yourself hydrated by consuming a sufficient amount of water throughout the day.
• Make regular exercise a priority to keep your body in optimal condition.
• Be kind to yourself.
• Make it a priority to get enough sleep, as it plays a significant role in maintaining a balanced and satisfying life.
• Establish a self-care routine.
• Make sure to look after your mental well-being.
• Engage in hobbies or activities that bring you joy and happiness.

2. Set priorities right

To simplify your life, effective prioritization is key. Whether it’s your daily tasks or your goals, organizing everything is crucial.

Here are some suggestions on setting priorities right:

• To-do list – Instead of creating a long to-do list, I prefer to limit mine to three important tasks. These are the main things I aim to accomplish each day. Having a lengthy to-do list makes me feel stressed and overwhelmed since there are so many tasks to finish in just one day. Conversely, a short to-do list helps me stay on track and be more efficient. The purpose of a to-do list should always be to make the most of your time and increase productivity without unnecessary stress.
• Goals – It’s also crucial to carefully plan and prioritize your goals, whether they’re personal or professional. It’s really important for me to have a clear and realistic idea of what I want to accomplish. Well-defined, simple, and achievable goals serve as a guiding light in my life. They provide motivation and help me lead a successful life.

3. Set boundaries

For a long time, I suffered because I couldn’t bring myself to say no. Whether it was a project, an assignment, or an outing, I always ended up burdening myself because I didn’t want to upset anyone.

As a result, my life became absolutely miserable. Every task I reluctantly said yes to became a burden, filling me with resentment.

However, everything changed when I discovered the power of saying NO. By setting clear boundaries, I took a crucial step in simplifying my life.

Thanks to these boundaries, I was able to confidently turn down tasks or activities that didn’t make me feel comfortable or happy. With these boundaries in place, I could focus on the truly important aspects of my life.

Setting boundaries also reduced the stress of decision-making. Moreover, when I clearly defined my limits and preferences, I became better equipped to manage my time, finances, and relationships.

Personal boundaries play a significant role in practicing self-care and prioritizing my emotional and physical well-being.

4. Declutter

You can’t really simplify life without decluttering, you know?

Decluttering is all about getting rid of stuff that doesn’t bring any value to your life, and it’s like the essence of simplifying life.

Clutter just creates chaos, and chaos brings stress. It can even harm both your mental and physical health.

But when you declutter, you bring order and make things less complicated. You’re left with only the things that truly matter to you and that you genuinely want. 

Here are a few tips to help you declutter:

• Keep in mind that decluttering requires a ruthless approach. Even the tiniest bit of emotional attachment can stop you from getting rid of things.
• If you’re just starting out with decluttering, attempting to clean the entire house at once can feel like a daunting task. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and give up before you even begin. That’s why it’s best to start small and take it one step at a time. Begin by focusing on one specific area, like the closet or the kitchen cabinet.
• Create a checklist to organize your belongings. Divide your stuff into three categories: things you want to keep, things you want to get rid of, and things you want to donate.
• Remember to do it on a regular basis. You could designate a day each week to tackle decluttering tasks.

5. Organize

Organizing is a key part of the decluttering process. Once you’ve cleared out and gotten rid of all the unnecessary items, the next logical step is to organize everything.

Organizing not only streamlines your home and life, but it also simplifies things even further. When each item has its designated spot, finding and putting things away becomes a breeze.

An organized space exudes a sense of tidiness, order, and visual appeal. Your home becomes more functional, requiring less effort to maintain.

By organizing, you’ll save precious time, energy, and effort while also reducing stress levels.

6. Get rid of negativity

Negative thoughts, self-talk, or toxic people can all have a detrimental impact on your overall well-being. They can be overwhelming, draining, and lead to increased stress levels.

Negative self-talk can hinder your ability to reach your full potential, affecting your confidence and productivity. To combat negativity, I utilize various strategies based on how I’m feeling in the moment.

I find solace in meditating, taking a walk, reading something uplifting, listening to positive podcasts or music, practicing gratitude, or immersing myself in nature.

Surrounding yourself with negative people can also have negative consequences. They can bring you down, discourage you, and even contribute to feelings of anxiety and depression.

It’s important to remember that you can also be influenced by their negativity. Don’t forget, you become like the company you keep.

Therefore, it’s crucial to distance yourself from negative influences and instead focus on spending time with positive people.

Cultivating a positive mindset can help simplify life and lead to a more fulfilling existence.

7. Routines

Establishing a set routine can really simplify life. It takes away the burden of making constant decisions, which ultimately leads to a more stress-free existence.

Routines bring a sense of order and calm to your day. By sticking to a routine, you become more focused, efficient, and in control.

Since incorporating a morning routine, my mornings have become more relaxed and peaceful. It has truly set a positive tone for the rest of my day.

After seeing the benefits of my morning routine, I’m now motivated to introduce more routines into my life.

Having a structured daily or weekly schedule allows you to have a clear idea of the tasks you need to accomplish. This not only helps you effectively manage your time but also enables you to be more productive and minimize stress.

8. Money

Money plays a significant role in simplifying life.

Wondering why? Well, when you find yourself drowning in debt or struggling to meet your daily expenses, it’s natural to feel unhappy, stressed, and devoid of peace.

Therefore, it is important to handle your money wisely in order to fully enjoy life.

Here are some tips to help you better manage your money:

• Avoid getting into debt, but if you’re already dealing with a loan, focus on paying it off as soon as you can.
• Get into the habit of making a budget and saving money.
• Always keep track of all your income and expenses.
• Create an emergency fund.
• Learn to live within your means.

Finance isn’t everyone’s strong suit, and I must admit that balance sheets don’t exactly excite me. However, it’s still important for us to learn how to take care of our money in order to live a happier life.

9. Mindset

Your mindset plays a crucial role in shaping your perception of the world and yourself. It encompasses your thoughts, beliefs, and values, ultimately influencing the quality of your life.

Having a narrow, constricted, or pessimistic mindset can limit your potential and hinder your happiness. In fact, it becomes a barrier that prevents you from accomplishing your goals and leading a fulfilling life.

Conversely, embracing an abundance mindset focused on growth and positivity allows you to see endless possibilities and increases your chances of success and happiness.

Cultivating the right mindset also increases your resilience, enabling you to face challenges with strength and determination.

The great news is that you have the power to change your mindset by actively learning, adapting, and consciously choosing personal growth.

10. Meal plan

Having a demanding job, taking care of your family, and managing daily chores can make cooking every day feel like a daunting task. Eating out every day isn’t a healthy or affordable option, unfortunately.

This is where meal planning simplifies things. Deciding what to cook takes up a lot of time when you have to cook daily (it’s a daily struggle for me!).

Plus, the preparation, like chopping and peeling, can be quite time-consuming. However, with meal planning, everything becomes much easier.

I personally create a weekly meal plan every Sunday, outlining what I’m going to cook each day of the week. Then, I go grocery shopping for the necessary ingredients, prep everything, and refrigerate it.

This saves so much time that would otherwise be wasted on figuring out what to cook and the preparation process.

11. Monotasking

We often believe that multitasking allows us to accomplish more things. However, this is not actually the case.

Multitasking can be stressful, distracting, and counterproductive. It can negatively impact our lives.

To simplify things and be more efficient, it’s better to focus on one task at a time. By concentrating on a single task, we become more productive and effective. This is because all our energy and effort are directed towards completing that specific task.

When we focus on one thing, we are fully present in the moment, which positively affects our concentration, performance, and even our relationships.

So, instead of multitasking, remember that monotasking increases our chances of success.

12. Goals

Many of us are filled with countless dreams and aspirations, leading us to set numerous goals in life. And often, we find ourselves in a rush to achieve them all.

However, trying to pursue all our goals simultaneously can be overwhelming. Personally, I wanted to start a fitness routine, write more consistently, learn a new language, and travel extensively. On top of that, I also had my daily household and mommy duties to fulfill.

However, it didn’t take long for me to realize that I had taken on more than I could handle. That’s when I understood that the key to accomplishing my goals was to work on them one at a time.

Simplifying your life starts with simplifying your goals. By concentrating on one goal at a time, you gain clarity, purpose, and motivation.

Therefore, prioritize your goals based on their importance, and then tackle the most important one first. Dedicate yourself fully to achieving it before moving on to the next goal, and watch yourself succeed.

13. Limit screen-time

We live in a digital world where we always feel the need to stay connected. Whether it’s your phone, tablet, laptop, or TV, screens are always vying for your attention.

To simplify your life, it’s crucial to take control of the time you spend in front of these screens.

Here are a few tips to assist you in minimizing your screen time:

• Social media, in particular, can be a major time drain, leading you down a rabbit hole of endless scrolling. Be mindful of how much time you dedicate to it and the content you consume. 
• Try not to start your day by checking emails. Save this task for your least productive time, like the afternoon.
• To avoid constant distractions, make sure to turn off notifications on your phone. 
• Apps that track phone usage can also be helpful in managing screen time. 
• Set tech-free hours daily, like during meals and before bed.
• Try having a digital detox day once a week.
• Avoid binge-watching TV late at night. 

Excessive screen time can harm mental and physical health, so establish boundaries and use devices in a way that benefits you.

So, unplug, spend time outdoors, connect with loved ones, or engage in your favorite hobbies. You’ll be amazed at how much joy it can bring.

14. Wants

Our wants seem to have no end, don’t they? There’s always a beautiful dress catching our eye. Our home never feels big enough.

No matter how much we acquire, the craving for more never ceases. Satisfaction eludes us, as one wish is fulfilled only to be replaced by another.

It’s a never-ending cycle that leaves us feeling miserable and unhappy. To lead a fulfilling and uncomplicated life, it’s essential to rein in our desires.

Here are some handy suggestions to help you in managing your desires effectively:

• Practicing mindfulness while buying things can greatly help in curbing our wants. If you tend to make impulse buys, consider carrying a shopping list (I always do). This simple step can prevent unnecessary spending. 
• If you find yourself constantly buying new clothes, perhaps experimenting with a capsule wardrobe could be beneficial.
• The next time you feel the urge to splurge, take a moment to pause and reflect. Ask yourself if you truly need the item or if it’s just a passing fancy. 
• Deleting shopping apps from your phone can also reduce the temptation to shop unnecessarily. 
• And always remember to appreciate what you already have and be thankful for your blessings.

15. Enjoy simple pleasures

In order to simplify our lives, it is essential that we simplify our idea of happiness.

Often, we mistakenly believe that our happiness is dependent on acquiring material possessions like a new car, a promotion, or a vacation. We tend to wait for these significant milestones to bring us joy.

However, the truth is that they occur very rarely. What we fail to recognize is that true happiness lies in the simple pleasures of life.

So, what exactly are these simple pleasures? They are the everyday moments and sensations that bring a smile to our faces, warm our hearts, rejuvenate us, and refresh our spirits.

These are the little things that we often take for granted, such as waking up after a restful night’s sleep, relishing our favorite meal, sharing a good laugh, or immersing ourselves in a captivating book.

Numerous such moments occur in our lives each day, often without us realizing their true value. Unfortunately, our focus tends to be on the things we lack and the challenges we face on a daily basis.

However, if we pause to embrace and savor these moments, they have the power to bring us unimaginable amounts of happiness.

Embracing these simple pleasures is the easiest way to simplify our lives and find joy in each and every day.

Final thoughts

Life can be quite simple, but we often complicate it with our thoughts, emotions, and desires.

And, simplifying life isn’t a magical solution to all your problems, but it does allow you to live a more balanced and fulfilling life.

When you simplify your life, you can free up time, energy, and space to enjoy the things that bring you happiness. It helps you be more present and appreciate the little things that you might otherwise overlook.

Moreover, simplifying life allows you to slow down, eliminate distractions, and savor the wonderful experiences that awaits you. It gives you the chance to live a life filled with contentment and happiness.

What does simplifying life mean to you? I would love to hear your thoughts, so please leave a comment below!