Living a simple and happy life starts from being intentional about the little and big things around you.
If you always feel busy and rushing from one thing to another, this blog post reminds you to slow down and live a simpler life.
Living a simple life can be a refreshing and fulfilling alternative in a world that often values complexity and constant busyness.
Simplifying your life can lead to greater happiness, reduced stress, and a deeper appreciation for the present moment.
Here are practical steps to help you embrace simplicity and find true happiness in life.
How to Live a Simple Life and Be Happy
1. De-clutter Your Space
If you want to live a simple life and be happy you must let go of unnecessary stuff in your space.
De-cluttering your space gives you some sort of mental and physical freedom as having so much clutter in your home might eventually weigh you down.
When you’re in a space filled with things you don’t need, it steals your energy and time by making you busy, thereby causing you to focus on things that don’t really matter.
Get rid of the things that you don’t use or need as doing this will make you spend less time on managing stuff in your home.
When you declutter, you conserve your physical and mental energy and give yourself more space to breathe, think, and live a simple life.
Donate, recycle, or dispose of items you no longer need or use.
Being in a de-cluttered environment creates an organized and serene space that promotes calmness and focus.
2. De-Clutter Your Schedule And To Do List As Well
One of the barriers to living a simple life is having so many things to do on your “to-do list” yet doing none of it.
Clutter doesn’t only exist in your home it also exists in your schedule as well.
Create time to review your “to-do list” and schedule. On a scale of preference, prioritize the most important and timely items and attend to them as fast as you can.
If you don’t practice de-cluttering your schedule, you’ll always find yourself engaging in activities that take your time but add little or no value to your life.
Understand that there is time for everything, time to play, rest, and a time for social media. But if you don’t know why exactly to draw the line, you’ll find yourself constantly lagging behind.
Be intentional with your time, the way you spend it, and who you’re spending it who.
Seek for means and actions that you can engage in to eliminate your schedule and clear the clutter from your to-do list so that you can have more time for intentional and demanding issues.
3. Let Go Of Comparison
Comparison will do you no good if you’re seeking to live a simple life.
One of the easiest ways to quickly feel dissatisfied is to always see the light of other people’s life on social media and try to compare it with yours.
However, we must understand that doing this will only make you feel like your life isn’t good enough.
Rather than judging other people’s lives to decide what success and happiness should be, you should start by defining success on your own terms.
What does a successful life look like to you? What’s your definition of happiness?
Know this and set it as your standard instead of focusing on others’ standards.
Also, understand that we also see the edited and not the whole part of people’s lives so don’t compare yourself to them. Who knows, you may be better in your own way.
4. Reduce Digital Noise
One of the ways to overcome comparison is to reduce digital noise.
A lot of people have lost their joy and simplicity because of social media; you shouldn’t be that type of person. Learn to sometimes take a break.
Trust me, there is a whole lot of content and information flying around, and if you’re not intentional about sieving it before digesting it, you may find yourself constantly being weighed down.
Set boundaries on your screen time, especially on social media and entertainment apps.
Take regular breaks from digital devices to reconnect with the physical world and reduce information overload.
When you sometimes close the window of social media, it helps you practice living for yourself and your individual definition of success and progress, not that of others.
5. Embrace Minimalism
To live a simple life and be happy you should embrace minimalism, and by doing that, you’re taking control of your spending.
Having financial worries is one of the distractions and limitations of living a simple and less dramatic life.
Spending more than you can afford will only cause more stress and give you more reasons to de-clutter.
Have a scale of preference and spend only on the things that matter.
Doing this will give you more peace of mind and control over your finances.
Simplify your possessions and adopt a minimalist approach. Keep only what you need and what adds value to your life.
Invest in high-quality, durable items rather than accumulating numerous possessions.
6. Practice Mindfulness
Engage in mindfulness practices such as meditation, deep breathing, and mindful eating to stay present.
Learning how to stay present and live mindfully is a skill that everyone should have. It can help you live a simpler and happier life.
When your mind is always distracted and wandering over what has happened before or what is coming up next then it will be hard for you to focus on what you’re currently doing.
Mindfulness is an action that takes practice, commitment, and intentionality. Every time you practice the act of being mindful, your ability to be present gets stronger.
One way to practice mindfulness is through meditation or taking time to reflect on one’s actions.
Focus on enjoying the present moment rather than worrying about the past or future.
7. Cultivate The Habit Of Gratitude
What you focus on most of the time is what you’ll always notice.
This means that if you constantly focus on challenges and complaints then you might experience more of this.
However, when you begin to incorporate gratitude into your lifestyle by being grateful for the moment, you’ll begin to see that life has so many pleasant things to offer.
“When you focus on the good, the good gets better”
Look around you, you’ll see so many things to be grateful for and about but to achieve this, you’ll need to see what you want to be grateful for.
Ingratitude will limit you from living a simple life as you’ll always carry the blame, regret, past pain, and complaints all around, but with gratitude, you can turn the table.
Learn by finding delight and joy in the simple things around you.
Maintain a gratitude journal where you regularly write down things you are thankful for and shift your focus from what you lack to what you have by fostering a sense of contentment and happiness.
8. Nurture Positive Relationships
Focus on building and maintaining deep, meaningful relationships with family and friends.
Building positive relationships with people starts with making meaningful friendships and being intentional about the people you allow in your space.
Surround yourself with people of like mind and never cease to check if your values align with each other.
Organize or be a part of a fun date, dinner night, movie date, or any fun activity that makes you cheerful.
Additionally, spend quality time with loved ones, engaging in activities that strengthen your bond and bring joy.
9. Engage in Simple Pleasures
Another way to live a simple life and be happy is to find joy and pleasure in simple things.
It could be a skill you’re passionate about or an activity that you find joy in doing.
For me, it’s writing, walking, reading, and maybe taking walks alone. I don’t know what yours could be, but you can discover and make proper use of it.
Spend time in nature, enjoying simple activities like walking, hiking, or picnicking.
Pursue hobbies and activities that you love and that bring you a sense of fulfillment.
10. Practice Self-Care
Maintain a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise, balanced nutrition, and adequate sleep.
If you desire a simple life then you must be high on self-care.
In most cases, self-care is pruned out of self-love; this means that when you love yourself you’ll definitely take time out to practice self-care.
You’ll need to understand that no one may love you more than you love yourself so this should make you shower yourself with all the love and care that you can give to yourself.
Make time for a “ME” date, use the right skin care products, eat healthy, rest when you need to, and let the beautiful things in life come to you.
Prioritize mental well-being by practicing self-care activities such as reading, journaling, or taking relaxing baths.
Conclusion
To live a simple life and be happy, one must focus on what truly matters and let go of what doesn’t.
By engaging in all of these activities, you can create a life filled with happiness and contentment.
Start by taking small steps towards simplifying your life, and experience the profound impact it can have on your happiness and fulfillment.
Habits You Must Eliminate If You Want A Happy Life
