Imagine waking up every morning with only a few decisions to make for the day. You already know what you’ll eat, what you’ll wear, the minor tasks you need to complete, who you’ll love up on for the day, and the routines you’ll follow right before bed. Minimalists navigate through life with ease every single day of their lives. They’ve learned how to make life easier by liberating themselves from certain activities, things, and people that induce stress.
Practicing minimalism has allowed me to eliminate stress from various areas of my life. I have mastered the art of decluttering my home, my mental space, and my personal relationships.
People in our social circles and the material things that we own should all hold a sentimental value. There’s no point in holding on to things that are of no use to you.
A messy house with cluttered living spaces adds unnecessary mental stress that we don’t need. Having a litter of friends you can hang out with or invite over for dinner means nothing if they don’t support you when you’re in need.
Do yourself a favor and get rid of those material items that are collecting dust in your home.
Eliminate toxic people who only come around when you’re doing well and disappear when you fall.
What makes your life easier as a new minimalist?
Practicing minimalism is not a quick fix to resolve all your issues, but in time you’ll discover that it makes life easier when you say ‘yes’ to less. Therefore, I’m sharing nine ways you can make life easier as a new minimalist.
#1 Reduce stress
Fewer decisions lead to fewer mistakes and decrease mental stress.
Do you ever wonder why so many people look preoccupied? It’s because they overload their headspace with unnecessary stimuli; familial problems, indifferences with managers on the job, financial burdens, conflict with friends, and trying to do everything at once.
One of things I love about being a minimalist is setting strict boundaries.
My number one rule is to keep both my family and work life completely separate. After years of practicing this, I no longer talk about any disputes or frustrations I’ve experienced at work when I’m at home enjoying time with my family.
But, I also don’t allow my personal life to interfere with my performance at work.
This frees up mental space to focus on other things that are of much more importance to me, whether it’s fostering relationships with others, meeting a monthly fitness goal, or dedicating more time to creative projects.
I complete weekly brain dump activities to clear my head. Knowledge transfers free up mental space, too.
Writing in a journal can be a great outlet for any festering thoughts that may take an emotional toll on you.
Talking issues out with a therapist can help temporarily as well.
But why not make life easier by decluttering your mind daily? This allows you to only focus on things that matter most at one time.
#2 More meaningful relationships
Sometimes, life experiences can impede on developing meaningful relationships, especially with new people we meet along the way.
People should earn your trust and friendship.
A friend is someone you should be able to rely on.
Before making the time investment, get in the habit of asking yourself – is it worth it?
What do you hope to get out of making this connection?
Write out a list of fruitful relationships you would like to manifest in your life.
Are you looking for a romantic relationship or lifelong friend?
Are you hoping to expand your professional network or have a few acquaintances you can call on during the weekend who share the same interests as you?
Your relationships should be intentional, too. There’s no point in running yourself ragged for people who will never show up for you.
Having a small group of friends makes life easier because there are only a few relationships you have to invest time and energy in.
The connections are more authentic and you’re more apt to receive support when you need it.
#3 Boost productivity
Increase your productivity and make life easier by leveraging daily routines and creating to-do lists that leave room for you to breathe.
Our routines and tasks shouldn’t be things we feel chained to. We should keep them simple and fluid.
Successful people who lead healthy lifestyles have a habit of setting intentional goals and practicing daily routines.
Morning routines are most important because they help set your body, mind, and spirit for a productive day. A healthy morning routine includes consuming an energizing breakfast, exercising to reduce stress, writing out a list of tasks, meditation and showing gratitude.
Instead of rolling out of bed and taking whatever the day throws at you, make a habit of setting each day up for success.
Take control of your time and energy, set boundaries on who can gain access to you and when.
Listen to uplifting music or podcasts to improve your mood.
#4 Focus on self-care
Self-care looks different for everyone.
For some, it’s going to bed early to get an extra hour of rest, setting aside time to read on the commute home, turning off the phone, or meeting with a group of friends for brunch.
Designate a few hours out of each day to love up on yourself, focus on your personal goals, and take a break from the world if you need to.
When you know what genuinely brings you joy, it’s easy to reject things that no longer serve you.
Time is a terrible thing to waste, so spend it wisely.
It’s perfectly okay to be selfish with how you spend your precious time.
Stop people pleasing and practice putting yourself first for once.
Saying ‘no’ more often will make life easier for everyone around you.
There’s no beating around the bush when you’re honest and clear about what you want and the decisions that you make.
You’re also not easily persuaded to indulge in things that are unhealthy or don’t align with your personal goals.
#5 A state of contentment
Expressing gratitude is a significant part of minimalism. When we assess the things we are grateful for, we can recognize the many things we often take for granted.
Without a cluttered mind and living spaces to dwell in, we can determine which things, experiences, and people are invaluable to us.
As a new minimalist, you can make life easier by lightening the load when selecting friends, romantic partners; and essentially being grateful for the things and relationships you already have.
Do you have a job that pays you every week?
Do you have a place to lay your head at night?
Do you have transportation to get from one place to another?
Is your refrigerator stocked with food every day?
Things you may view as normal are luxuries to others. Showing appreciation for the smaller things you possess breeds contentment and humility.
#6 Achieve personal goals
Writing an exhaustive list of goals to accomplish at the top of each year doesn’t always yield the best results.
Minimalists are good at keeping their goals intentional and SMART. They’re specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely.
However, it’s better to focus on achieving one goal before moving on to something else, or reaching multiple goals at once.
Skill mastery is key to being successful.
Rather than pursuing easy opportunities, keep your standards and goals high.
Don’t distract yourself with shiny objects, create habits and develop new skills that are in alignment with the goals you would like to achieve.
Stay the course, goal friends!
#7 Save more money
It should be no surprise that learning to live with less will positively affect your savings account.
Practicing minimalism decreases the desire to take part in consumerism, which means less material things to spend your hard earned money on.
Now, this doesn’t mean you won’t be able to splurge on a luxurious trip or designer items from time to time. It just means that you know how to manage your money better.
Having some extra cash to play with at the end of each month is a major plus.
One of my go-to financial strategies is building up several bank accounts with specific funds for all your individual needs.
You can make life easier by having accounts for various expenses such as your home and automobile, education, family trips, student loans, emergencies, and stocks.
#8 Healthier living habits
Some people may question how minimalism can contribute to a healthier diet or better living habits?
Well, there’s such a thing as decluttering your refrigerator, getting rid of bad eating habits, and doing more mindful eating instead of eating to feel a sense of comfort or company when you’re alone.
It’s time to leave the emotional eating behind!
Minimalism assists with identifying and consuming food that will lead to a healthier lifestyle. Incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your daily meal plans and whole foods is imperative to eating ‘clean’.
What we put in our bodies matters.
As a new minimalist, meal prepping will make life easier because you won’t have to worry about what you’ll eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
By being more selective about what you consume, your body will experience a boost of energy and you’ll be able to shed those extra pounds in no time.
How do I make my family life easier?
Families are a blessing to have.
They are the support group you are born with and they are often with you for a lifetime.
Yes, relationships become strained and distance causes familial ties to loosen overtime, but learning to forgive and forget can make life easier for everyone involved.
We only have a short amount of time to spend with parents and siblings while they are here. Don’t waste valuable time dwelling on offenses from the past.
It’s important to cherish your childhood experiences and have more appreciation for the smaller moments you create in adulthood. Those are the memories you’ll have to reflect on, so create them as often as you can.
Sharing laughter, eating a home cooked meal, or setting aside time to hygge with a loved one for the holidays are all invaluable experiences you shouldn’t take for granted.
How can I make my home life easier?
Start with keeping a tidy home and clean living spaces.
You can think and breathe better without all that clutter surrounding you.
Create routines for yourself and your family. I can’t stress this more.
Picture yourself as the captain of the ship and everyone in your household plays a role in keeping the ship afloat.
Running a home can seem like a second job after work, but it doesn’t have to feel this way.
Assign responsibilities to keep the ship’s engine well oiled and running smoothly, whether it’s completing chores, paying bills, or meal prepping lunch and dinner for the day.
There’s no shame in making life easier for yourself.
Your home life should be easy to control. No one wants to return home to unorganized chaos with children and your spouse bouncing off the walls.
Consider putting up weekly charts for your family to reference to keep your household intact.
Place weekly menus on the refrigerator, so the kids aren’t constantly asking you what’s for dinner? Whose turn it is to pay bills should be discussed with your spouse months in advance.
Designate specific time frames for your family to watch their favorite Netflix shows, browse social media, or play video games.
Put a copy of their routines on a wall and in each of their rooms, so you can have a peace of mind and time to rest, too.
How can I make my life easier and more interesting?
Overthinking things and holding grudges never made life easier for anyone.
It takes less effort to put a smile on your face and forgive those who have wronged you.
Taking accountability for your own wrongdoings is important as well. Learn to be the bigger person, apologize and move on by following the five-by-five rule.
Don’t feel ashamed to ask for help when you need to. Stop focusing on things that won’t matter weeks or months from now, and zero in on what will.
And lastly, don’t be so hard on yourself when things don’t go your way. Giving yourself grace when you make a mistake or miss a deadline is perfectly okay.
Try taking the weekends off to do what you enjoy. Even if it means stepping outside of your comfort zone to trying something new.
Pick up a new hobby to meet new people, don’t shackle yourself to routines that will make your life feel mundane.
Switch it up a little and have some fun!
Why a simple life is better?
Living simply allows us to eliminate all the excess stress, toxic people, and drama we don’t need in our lives.
By living simply, we can hone our skills without comparing our talents to others, which enables us to meet more of our personal and professional goals.
Simple living gives us a sense of peace, more compassion for others, contentment for where we are in life, and gratitude for what we already have.
This inevitably slows us down and helps us experience more joy in life.
I teach entrepreneurs how to simplify their life and business with less + own their time and maximize productivity towards their personal and monetary goals.
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