In the words of Confucius, a Chinese philosopher, “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”
Simple living is all about valuing things that make us happy instead of chasing status or societal expectations.
It’s a lifestyle that often includes cutting back and streamlining your possession and living a simpler and more intentional life. A life is driven by what’s most important to you; not by possessions or status.
Living a simple life comes with a lot of benefits which include less stress, lower blood pressure, better sleep, less chance of a heart attack or anxiety, improved work-life balance, and increased financial independence.
If we all decide to begin to live a simple life void of complications then the world will be a better place for us all and here is how.
1. Live within your means
If you’re truly intentional about living a simple life then you must learn to live within your means.
Resist the urge to spend what you don’t have on things you don’t need.
Consciously work to change the mindset that’s always telling you that your happiness lies in the next online shopping order.
Know that simple living isn’t about painful deprivation. It’s about freedom from an unsatisfying cycle of desire.
2. Stay off the social media space
The advent of social media has brought about great changes in our lives and our inability to use social media wisely has also brought about a lot of problems.
To live a simple life, you need to learn how to stay off the social media space as often as possible. Our inability to live a life independent of the social media space has made life more complicated for us.
I know this might not be easy at first but with time, you will be able to do so seamlessly.
3. Avoid comparison
Comparison is a killer of joy and one of the quickest ways to feel dissatisfied with your life is to compare your life to someone else’s.
Social media has made it easier to feel like your own life is not good enough, less than or lacking in some ways when you see posts of some individuals on the social media space.
While letting go of comparing yourself to others is definitely something that’s often easier said than done. With practice, the more you can learn to let go of comparison, the happier and more satisfied you can become with your own life.
4. Know what’s most important to you
One of the biggest keys to finding more happiness and living a simple life is knowing what matters most to you.
What are your values, goals and priorities? Which of your values, goals and priorities are most important to you right now, in this season of life?
Get really clear about what matters most to you.
The more clarity you have about what matters most to you, the more you’ll be able to build a life that keeps what matters most prioritized. And when you prioritize what matters most to you, it’s easier to live life in a simple and purposeful way.
5. Declutter your home
To live a simple life, you should declutter your home.
There are certain things you don’t need in that space that you need to let go of.
Create time to search around the home and you will find many things that are not needed or are no longer in use.
Find different ways to declutter your life and get rid of the things that are no longer necessary.
It is even possible to make some money selling these things that can be used to help in other areas of your life.
Keep your possessions organised and you’ll probably find things you didn’t even know you owned.
6. Practice gratitude
To live a simple and great life you need to learn and practice gratitude.
When you are grateful for what you already have, you’ll be less likely to obsess about whatever’s lacking in your life and more likely to enjoy life’s simple pleasures.
Shift your focus from your needs or lack to what you already have and watch your life get better.
In the words of Abraham Hicks, “When you focus on the good, the good gets better.”
If you focus on your challenges all the time, you’ll always notice more challenges and things to complain about; when you look for the good in your days, you’ll find yourself noticing more good to appreciate.
Life is not meant to be hard, don’t make life hard for yourself, choose to live a simple life.
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