Our lives are overflowing with all kinds of activities, and every day we become a little more exhausted. What can we do when we feel the need to simplify, to slow down? In fact, how do you simplify your life? Here are 7 things you can do right now.

1 – Sorting out your home

To simplify your life, it’s essential to start with your home.

After all, our home is where we live, our refuge. And it’s important to take special care of it, because our home has a very strong impact on us.

In fact, if everything is bright and clean, we feel lighter. On the other hand, if our home seems to be overflowing on all sides, it causes us a great deal of stress.

How do you sort out your home?

It’s not a question of throwing everything away and living in deprivation and guilt, but rather of making the decision to keep only what we really like, and to do so in a joyful and good-humored way.

Sorting out your home is a goal that can be achieved, not in a weekend, but rather over 15 days, or even a little longer.

You have to take the time. It’s not a punishment, but rather a gift to yourself.

Simplifying our lives is not about rejecting our current way of life with anger and guilt, it’s about embracing it as an opportunity, a chance to let go of what no longer suits us and move on to more of what we like.

In concrete terms, here are a few ideas for sorting out your home:

Sort by object category, not by room.
Start by sorting clothes, then utensils… The aim is to end with objects that have great sentimental value, because it’s harder to part with them.
Don’t keep them because they’re useful or “just in case”, but only because you love them.

2 – To simplify life: everything in its place

This expression has a strict ring to it, yet it’s one of the best tips for simplifying your life.

Imagine no longer having to search for things, grumbling and stamping your feet. Imagine the time you’d stop wasting?

So, here, it’s all about creativity, then discipline.

In fact, finding a place for each object means imagining the ideal place for it. Then, it’s about getting into the habit of putting it there every time!

Simplifying your life means no longer feeling the stress of chasing after things, no longer having that feeling of being lost with your own objects, but instead feeling serenity and the sense that everything is in its place.

Here are a few tips to keep everything in its place:

Store objects in shoeboxes. Dedicating an enclosed space to them prevents them from being scattered over a surface. Example: cutlery, socks, pens…
An object should be stored right next to where it’s used
When several people live in the same house, one person’s belongings are kept in a dedicated place.

3 – One thing at a time

Simplifying your life also means rethinking the way you do things.

We tend to complicate our lives, especially when we’re doing several things at once.

We mistakenly believe that this allows us to move faster. In reality, however, we’re not only going slower, but we’re also under a great deal of stress, not to mention the fact that we’re not doing things as well.

So it’s time to do one thing at a time.

It’s very simple, in fact, and there are no instructions to follow. We just do one thing at a time, that’s all.

Unfortunately, in practice, this is going to be complicated. Why is that? Because it affects our beliefs.

In fact, simplifying life means creating moments when we have nothing to do. And that’s hard to accept for those of us who live in this modern world where we always have to look busy.

Simplifying your life means no longer accepting society’s diktats! It means accepting to have nothing to do.

Let’s take the following example: we’ve decided to go shopping and we’re waiting at the checkout. Rather than jumping on our phones to update our social network notifications or send a quick e-mail to work, we just have to wait. One thing at a time!

The same goes for cooking. We cook, so we don’t order things off the internet while waiting for the water to heat up, or tidy up the living room. One thing at a time!

In other words, simplifying your life means giving yourself the right to do things more simply, to just breathe!

4 – Sort out your relationships to simplify your life

Simplifying your life also means simplifying your contact list.

Indeed, in this world in which we are invited to have more and more, we collect relationships.

And, in practical terms, this causes us a great deal of stress, because we keep far too many appointments, and this takes away from the time we need to recharge our batteries alone.

What’s more, it generates stress, because when we finally get some rest, we feel guilty thinking about all the people we could have gone to see, or all the new ones we’d have to meet to be the perfect friend!

So stop!

Simplifying life means only maintaining the relationships we really enjoy. In other words, we’re not here to be popular, to please or to seem nice. We’re here to feel real feelings, not pretend.

That’s why, just as I invited you to sort out your house by asking yourself this question: do I like it? Rather than asking yourself: is it useful? Do the same for your relationships.

5 – Sort out your activities

Just as we collect objects and relationships, we also collect activities. Indeed, we do certain things, not because we enjoy them, but because we feel obliged to do them.

Here again, it’s a question of sorting out what’s essential and what we really enjoy.

What’s more, we tend to collect activities because we’re afraid of getting bored. Emptiness is scary. So we need to feel busy.

Simplifying your life means rethinking your vision of boredom and occupation. In fact, it’s when you’re bored that you’ll have time to really listen to yourself: what do I really want to do with my time?

That’s why I invite you to stop bogging yourself down with activities you don’t really enjoy, to stop being afraid of boredom and instead see it as a friend who can guide you towards what really matters.

6 – Sort out your goals

We ask a lot of ourselves. Indeed, in our modern society, slowing down is frowned upon, because it implies that we lack ambition and aren’t living life to the full.

That’s why we set ourselves so many goals to achieve, in every area of our lives.

In fact, the modern world is clever in that it has invented an ideal dream life. A life in which we have a position of responsibility and a six-figure salary. A life in which we’re also married, parents of several children, with pets, living in a big house with a huge garden. Not to mention many deep and sincere friendships. Oh, and our perfect bodies and our many sports sessions…

Simplifying your life means no longer being trapped in that ideal dream life, and living your own life, your own way!

So I wholeheartedly invite you to sort out your life goals. Instead of asking yourself: what do I have to do, unconsciously, to achieve this ideal dream life? Ask yourself: what’s really important to me?

7 – Simplifying life means seeking joy

Simplifying your life means seeking joy, rather than performance, success or the approval of others.

In fact, it’s looking for what really makes us vibrate with happiness and joy!

You’ll be amazed at how little your joy and happiness need to flourish. In fact, they only need you and your availability.

Make yourself available!

Simplifying your life means giving yourself time to let joy shine through. It’s not about becoming more efficient and productive.

Remember, you’re not a DOING machine, you’re a human BEING. So simplify your life and give yourself time to simply BE.

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover Zen to Done approach: 5 steps to greater productivity
Discover How to nurture gratitude on a daily basis: My 7 best tips

I recommend this inspiring book:

The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential…in Business and in Life by Leo Babauta

In The Power of Less, Leo Babauta advocates finding contentment by simplifying and focusing on the essential aspects of life. The book provides practical strategies for decluttering personal and professional spheres, emphasizing the power of simplicity and minimalism. Its approach encourages us to be content with what we have by letting go of non-essential commitments and possessions, allowing us to flourish and appreciate the present moment more fully. The Power of Less is a guide for those who seek contentment through a deliberate, simplified approach to life.

I read a lot of books like this, personal development books, guides, instruction manuals and so on. I often feel like I have to stop and absorb what I’ve read, but the great thing about this book is that 99% of it is common sense, but reading it and having your mind on it at the time is often more than enough to stimulate you. A thoughtful and well-written book, if like me you gravitate towards these kinds of books, this one is better than most and worth your time and money.

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself