Living the simple life, isn’t that what so many of us are striving for? Learning how to bring calm, peace, happiness and fulfillment to our lives on a daily basis.
If you are familiar with the running around, trying to constantly check things off your to-do list (which let’s be real, instead of getting shorter it often stays the same or just continues to grow!) and not feeling present in any one task then it’s time to stop.
It’s time to start doing some deep digging and honest self-talk. Here are the 5 steps I recommend for starting the journey to a more simple life:
- What is currently complicating your life?
What are you doing each and everyday that you don’t have time to sit down or enjoy the task at hand because you are running through the other things on your to do list figuring out when it’s all going to get done.
This is the time to be REALLY honest with yourself, get rid of the shoulds and should nots and just be honest.
Maybe you are simply trying to do too many things. Our house needs to be clean and perfectly decorated for the holidays, the kids need homemade cookies to take to their latest event, you need to put a healthy meal on the table and get your work out in for the day.
Maybe you don’t have a good support system Who are your people? We are often pushed to be ‘strong’, ‘independant’, ‘wonder women’ but realistically, none of us are those people. It’s ok (in fact it’s encouraged) that you ask for help, that you have those around you (family, friends, neighbours, etc) that you can call on not only in times of an emergency but when you just need to walk away from life for an hour and need someone to watch your kids. Who’s helping you?
- What are your priorities?
In life I think we have two sets of priorities – our survival priorities and our priorities that allow us to thrive.
Survival priorities are those that are literally essential for us to live – food on the table, regular water intake, fresh air. I like to add in clean clothes and house, heat and shelter.
Our personal priorities or those that allow us to thrive will be things that make you feel your best, that fill your cup. These include things like a regular bedtime routine to ensure you are well rested, nourishing food, time spent outdoors, silence, weekly bubble baths, monthly girls nights. For every person it will be different but knowing what yours are is important to keep you feeling your best and energized to thrive in life.
The rest of the things on your list…can likely go. This may make you VERY uncomfortable but be honest, cross some things off that list.
- Delegation and re-thinking the list.
What is left on your to-do list? Ask yourself:
- What can I allow someone else to do?
- How often does this actually need to be done?
- What other approaches could I take in accomplishing this task?
Being a nutritionist I often talk about simplifying food. Food in our bellies is super important for our survival however, how that food gets there can be flexible. Did you invest in a meal plan to keep you organized and on track? Maybe you have ordered your groceries to be delivered to the house or those done for you meal boxes. Maybe you do freezer meals with your girl friends every other month so your freezer is stocked or once a week your neighbour doubles her meal and brings you dinner and vice versa. Get creative and find a way that works for you!
4. Start saying no.
I’m sure you’ve heard this before but when was the last time you actually used it? Learning to put up boundaries, eliminating time sucks and being true to yourself and your needs (no matter what society dictates that you SHOULD be doing) is going to be a game changer.
- Self Care strategies
Learning that in order to be true to yourself you don’t necessarily need to be adding things into your life (ie yoga, meditation, spa days, etc) but maybe you need to start removing things. Stripping down the expectations of who you are supposed to be because of the titles that you hold (mom, wife, friend) and going deep into who you actually are without all of those things attached.
When we start to get to know ourselves better and fuel our bodies and minds your to-do list won’t be so intimidating and you will be able to get through it much easier when you are feeling good about yourself.
Ready to start creating more simplicity in your life? Contact me to learn more about my signature program, Say Goodbye To Your Stressful Life! We get started again in June.
Excellent article, Katie! Thanks 🙂