15 Leading Ways to Simplify Your Life

simplify life Oct 24, 2023
Simplify your life image of red coffee cup and napkin with the word

I don't know about you, but life can get CRAZY! How in the world do we simplify life and get it all done...and not look like a train wreck?? We don't want to just barely survive as we go from one day to the next. We want to thrive! Like you, I used to be so overwhelmed with everything I had to do, and my house was a wreck! Over the years, I've learned some tips and tricks to help keep things running at least semi-smoothly. Let me share fifteen ways to simplify your life.

Simplify Your Life Meaning

What does it mean to simplify your life? This will look a bit different for each person, but basically, you want to get rid of the things that cause both physical and emotional clutter in your life. You want to streamline your day in a way that makes sense and helps save time. You then have that extra time to spend on relationships and things that are important to you.

Simplify Your Life

We learn things in many ways. Sometimes we learn from fabulous parents or mentors, sometimes we read about something we're struggling with, and sometimes we just figure out things on our own. I think I have learned most of these as a mix of all of the above! These are great tips on how to simplify your home AND simplify your life. Check them out.

Have a daily routine

To have a daily routine, I’m not talking about a schedule. I’m talking about a basic flow to your day. What happens first? Then what? What are your basic meal times? Bedtime? Keeping these consistent will help your whole family know what's going on at any given time. However, there is still room for some flexibility. In general, having a daily routine is a great way to simplify your life.

 

Have an evening routine

This may sound like it falls into the previous point, but it's a bit different. Check the calendar every evening, and see what you have going on the next day so you can prep. Have your children, at least the younger ones, lay out their clothes for the next day. This reduces battles in the morning when you're trying to get going. If your children go to school, have lunches packed and backpacks ready. Have your kid's chore lists ready to go as well. This prep will make your morning run much more smoothly.

Prioritize your calendar

Do you feel like you're constantly moving from one event to another? Do you have time to just relax with your family? Life doesn't have to be crazy. You can simplify your life week by week. Take some time away by yourself to prioritize your schedule. What is important to you and your family? Also, take into account how many "extra" things you can handle before you start getting snippy with your family. If you notice you're getting angry easily, you may be doing too much. Maybe something is on your calendar but not on your priority list. You need to let it go. Prioritizing your calendar is a great way to live more simply.

Minimize

Minimize? Minimize what? I say everything! Minimize your clothes, toys, kitchen gadgets, tools, paper clutter, and décor. Work room by room, drawer by drawer, and declutter. You really don't NEED all that stuff. I promise. Granted, this is a process, but it's a worthwhile one. Stuff takes up more time than you realize. We will talk more about minimizing in future posts, but minimizing will definitely help you simplify your home.

 

Everything has a home

Do you have a home for everything? If everything has a home, it's much easier to just put it there to keep things looking tidy. Things don't get out of control if you always know where it goes and put it away. Also, teach your children where things go.

Have a laundry routine...and stick with it

Every family does laundry differently. Some do a load or so every day. Some do it once a week. Figure out what works best for you and stick with it. If you sort your laundry, a laundry sorter is a huge help. You can even color-code it to help the kids get things into the right basket. We do all our laundry once per week, and that's what works for us. The kids fold and put away their own laundry.

Have a weekly cleaning routine

Do you have a cleaning routine, or do you just let things go until you have the energy to tackle the job? I have learned that it helps so much to have an actual cleaning plan. Check out my Pinterest board for ideas. Your plan can go by room, or your plan may go by cleaning type (dust one day, do all floors the next day, etc). It doesn't really matter, but write it down. Oh, and stick to it as best as you can. Yes, if you have morning sickness, or the toddler is throwing up everywhere, it just might not happen. However, most of the time, do your best to make it happen.

Teach your children to help

Speaking of cleaning, as your children grow, it's amazing what they can help with! This is key to simplifying your life. You don't have to do it all yourself. Sometimes we don't think about what they can do, sometimes we don't like how they do it, and sometimes we think it's not worth getting them to do it...at least doing it right. However, teaching your children to do chores is definitely worth it.

Now that my kids are older, I rarely do dishes. They help with folding laundry, cleaning bathrooms and floors, dusting, and cleaning up the dining room. They need to learn life skills, and you have less work. It's a win-win!

Capsule Wardrobe

Have you heard of a capsule wardrobe? I've been using one for the past several years, and it's awesome! Basically each season you pick a few colors that coordinate, so you can mix and match outfits without having to put much thought or energy into it. It's also about keeping things that you love and are flattering on you vs keeping things that don't fit well or you don't really like. Learn all about building a capsule wardrobe, and know that you can also use one for your kids!

Menu planning

Do you typically freak out at five o'clock because you don't know what to make for dinner? You will save time and money by learning how to meal plan for your family. Take one day a week (or a month if you like to plan far in advance), and write down meals for each day. Add the needed ingredients to your grocery list. Now each day you will know what you're going to make AND know you have the ingredients for it. On a side note, it is helpful to have a couple of quick meal options available if your day doesn't go as planned...or you forget to start the crockpot!

Simplify meals

While we're on the topic of food, this is my next tip. Your meals don't have to take all day to make. You can have a simple and easy meal be enjoyable and nutritious. Definitely have some crockpot meals in your repertoire. Also, there are some quick, one-skillet meals that are fantastic as well. When things are really crazy, don't be afraid to try a meal delivery service such as Green Chef.

Grocery pickup or delivery

Depending on what's available where you live, grocery pickup or delivery are huge timesavers and will definitely simplify your life! Some stores even waive their fees for large orders. This has been a huge help to me. Give it a try if you haven't already.

Online shopping

Amazon Prime anyone?? I've been doing more and more online shopping over the years. This saves me time and sanity. It's so nice to not have to load everyone up, drive to said store, and then keep track of everyone while shopping for my items. I click through the options, pay, and then wait for it to show up on my porch. So. much. better!

Command Center

Have a place where everyone can see what's going on. I use a large whiteboard. You might use a calendar and a chore chart. The options are endless. The point is for your whole family to know what's going on and when, and what their responsibilities are. Again, Pinterest has great ideas!

Robotic helps

These are not necessary, but can definitely be helpful. If you have a Roomba, it cuts down on the time you spend cleaning floors. Dishwashers. Alexa. Organization apps. Every little bit helps.

Getting Started

I hope you found many of these ways to simplify your life helpful to you. As you get started, don't try to implement everything at once, but definitely pick out one or two to start this week.

How do you simplify your life? What are you going to start on first? Which one would you love to hear more about? I'd love for you to comment below.

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