Every year I think I am going to slow down and simplify. I have even purchased Emily Ley’s book about simplifying my life. I did, in fact, read it – but I still feel like a chicken with my head cut off running around most days. As I got through the difficult years of rearing little children, I’ve come to realize, for me, there are a few ways to really slow down and simplify.
I know my slow down and simplify list may look different than someone else’s, but these are what have made my life less stressed and more enjoyable.
Slow Down and Simplify
- Turn Off The Notifications – For reals, turn them off. The other night I was out to dinner with a few friends. We were all having a wonderful time and then bam, I got a notification on my phone. I couldn’t help but read it. It was a message about work – something needed to be fixed. Now, this was on a Friday night – there was absolutely nothing I could do about this until Monday. However, the notification made my mind wander. And guess what? I couldn’t enjoy the rest of my evening because all I could think about was the thing I needed to do….on MONDAY! Turn off those notifications – I promise your life will be much simpler. And also – work can ALWAYS wait. Unless you are a surgeon please disregard this message!
- Substitute When Necessary – I used to pride myself in cooking everything “from scratch“. Do you make biscuits out of a can??? GASP, I would just NEVER! Yeah, I know, I was super annoying. Now, I realize – there are days, heck there are years when you just don’t have the time for anything requiring more than fifteen minutes of your time. If something calls for ginger, you better believe I am buying the squeezable ginger from Target. If I need ginger, I get the big jar of it from Costco. No more chopping onions, I can use dried onions. It may seem silly, but if using dried onions saves my sanity then I am all about it!
- Leave The Group – I know it isn’t always possible, but if you are able to leave unnecessary Facebook groups, do it! I recently moved and didn’t want to leave community Facebook groups because I was afraid I would miss out on what was happening within the community. But, after a while, I realized most of the groups were pretty negative and often made me feel upset. One day I simply left all of the groups that weren’t filling my soul. And you know what? I don’t miss them. Like, not at all! My world still went on even if my Facebook presence was less!
Slowing down and simplifying will look different for everyone. For me, it truly was finding a few things that were either bringing negative energy or making it more difficult for me to finish a task. Whatever it is for you, I hope you feel empowered to let it go!
