Do you want to stress less and enjoy life more? It seems to be the question on everyone’s mind these days and while I won’t pretend that I have all the answers, these 13 simple living tips are a good place to start.
Don’t let this list overwhelm you; choose one thing to focus on and then decide on one small, actionable thing that you can do to get started. Take one step forward, and then another, and I promise that you’ll notice a difference before you know it.
13 Simple Living Tips
Simple living is all about removing the excess from your life in order to have more time, money and energy for the things that matter most.
It’s about seeking out and learning to enjoy the quiet moments—even when they’re short-lived—without feeling guilty or rushing off to the next thing on your to-do list.
It’s making peace with slow progress and making decisions that align with your core values and your life vision.
It’s personal and will always be imperfect, but it’s worth it.
Let’s get started.
1. DECLUTTER YOUR HOME
There are so many ways “less is more” can become a reality and in your home is definitely one of them! Less “stuff” means less to clean, to find a place for, to walk around and ultimately means more free time, more space, and more calm.
This is where I began my simple living journey (nearly a decade ago!) and at the time, I never could have imagined all the meaningful ways it would change my life. I now have more freedom, ease and joy in my life than I could have ever imagined.
If you want to take this powerful first step of decluttering your home, then I invite you to download a copy of Mindful Decluttering, my free step-by-step decluttering guide. I’ll teach you how to think differently about your stuff so you can finally learn to let go.
To get your copy simply subscribe below and you’ll also receive regular updates with personal stories, simple living tips, helpful resources and so much more!
2. DRESS WITH A SIMPLE WARDROBE
As a self-proclaimed former shopaholic, I’ll be the first to tell you that simplifying your wardrobe is far more liberating than any shopping ever has been. Having a complicated closet was costing me money, time (shopping and doing laundry), and my peace.
Perhaps you’ve found yourself in the cycle of emotional shopping at some point too. It turns out that wearing pieces from a simple wardrobe that I’ve intentionally accumulated is freeing. Whereas, buying things to make myself feel better brought a lot of extra stress.
If you want to simplify your wardrobe, there here are a few resources to help you get started:
- My Minimalist Wardrobe Tour – if you want to know what’s possible, have a look inside my minimalist wardrobe.
- A Simple Guide to a Simple Wardrobe – a step by step guide to simplifying your wardrobe
- 7 Questions to Declutter Your Closet
- 20 Minimalist Wardrobe Tips
- The One Day Closet Cleanse – a short course that will teach you how to declutter your closet and perhaps, more importantly, set you on a path of simple living
3. TRY SIMPLE EATING
I think the one place where a lot of people experience stress and chaos is in the kitchen. Meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking … it can all feel like a heavy burden.
If this is something you struggle with too, then one of my top simple living tips is to try simple eating. It’s a minimalist approach to food that has helped me drastically reduce the amount of time, money, and stress that usually comes with meals and grocery shopping.
4. SLOW DOWN TO DO SOMETHING YOU LOVE
When was the last time you slowed down long enough to do something that makes you happy? Perhaps it’s picking up a book, or spending an hour on a hobby, or even taking a walk down your favourite path.
It’s so simple yet often overlooked, isn’t it?
RELATED POST: 10 Ways to Slow Down a Busy Day
5. KNOW WHAT YOU VALUE
I’ve found that so many people rush through life doing all the things that society tells them to do … without stopping to ask themselves what they actually value.
Have you?
Do you know what truly matters to you in life? This is so important because when you know what you value and what you don’t, you can create a life that favours the most important things.
It allows you to simplify by saying “no” to the things that don’t hold much value with you so you can create more space for the things that do.
6. SIMPLIFY YOUR FINANCES WITH AUTO-PAYMENTS
Have you tried autopay for your bills yet? If you find that the answer is “no”, I challenge you to consider how many hours a month you spend paying bills, forgetting to pay bills, and stressing out about remembering to make payments on time.
These days, nearly all companies that require payments allow you to utilise an autopay option. It’s life-changing! Knowing that your bills are on autopay reduces the stress of forgetting and the time you spend on it each month.
If you haven’t set up autopay for your bills yet, then more sure to give this simple living tip a try!
7. CREATE A SIMPLE SCHEDULE
It seems as though our culture acknowledges “busy” as a badge of honour … but does anyone else find it unproductive and exhausting? I used to be busy from the moment I got up until I went to bed only to realise that I still felt frustrated that I “accomplished” nothing all day.
Give yourself permission to cut out the busy by using your list of values when building your schedule.
First and foremost, say “no” to the things you don’t value. I know it’s not easy but remember that we all have limits. If you don’t say no to things that aren’t true priorities, you’ll end up missing out on the things that are.
Next, for the things that do make the cut, simplify tasks by batching similar work, or by setting up your errands to be close together. This allows you to get a lot done at once or to easily flow from one thing to the next.
RELATED POST: 5 Simple Productivity Hacks That Will Change Your Life
8. BUILD ROUTINES OR HABITS AROUND THE STRESSFUL THINGS
There are some things in life that unpleasant as they are, can’t be avoided. Dishes, mopping the floor, grocery shopping—we all have our things we really dislike doing.
One way to find some simple living in these stressful or disliked things (whatever that may be for you) is to build routines and habits around them. Go-to systems that allow you to do the tasks without much thought or added stress. When you know exactly how you’re going to approach something, it often takes away some of the stress of doing it.
RELATED POST: How to Spend Less Time Cleaning: My Minimalist Cleaning Routines
9. PLAN YOUR DOWNTIME
We’ve all had moments when we’re super busy and forget to ever stop and take a breath. Then, when we finally get a little downtime, we have no idea how to spend it. I’ve found that the two things that help add some simplicity to my life are first, planning when to take downtime, and second, planning what to do during that time.
It adds a new level of intentionality and freedom to my life and it also saves you from sitting around trying to figure out what to do when you could be enjoying yourself doing something you love!
10. DECIDE WHAT SUCCESS IS TO YOU
I’ve found that comparison is a powerful influencer. We’re concerned we aren’t living our best lives when they don’t match everyone else’s highlight reels.
Defining success for yourself really adds to your ability to pursue simple living. You can use your values to help guide you here.
Perhaps success to you is simply spending quality time with your kids and eating well. If that’s true, keeping up with other people’s speed of life suddenly doesn’t matter anymore.
11. MOVE YOUR BODY OR TAKE A WALK
There’s something about taking a walk that helps clear your mind. Even if for just that moment, life feels a little simpler and beautiful.
If you ever find yourself in a place that desperately needs some simplicity, try taking a walk! It’s a simple but oh-so powerful tip that has made a huge difference in my life.
12. LIMIT YOUR MEDIA EXPOSURE
As a culture, we spend so many hours mindlessly scrolling and searching. For what? Are you searching for something specific or just filling time?
Take the simple living route and unplug for a bit each day! If you need help, here are some tips on how to consume social media mindfully.
13. ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
Finally, one of my top simple living tips is to ask the right questions.
Simple, right? But so powerful. Sometimes just asking questions with a little intentionality can really help us pause, connect, and then find our way forward.
When you’re in need of simplicity in your life, try asking yourself:
- How will this simplify my life?
- How will this complicate my life?
Or try one of these questions and see if you find any clarity.
Want More Simple Living Tips?
If you’re looking for more simple living tips, then be sure to check out these popular posts:
- 20 Ways I Simplified My Life
- 17 Heart-Centred Ways to Simplify Your Life
- 7 Ways to Kick-start Your Simple Living Journey
- The Often Overlooked Key to Simple Living
- 7 Simple Living Podcasts to Inspire You
What is your top simple living tip? Was it on this list? Or do you have your own tip to share? Let us know in the comments! X
