How To Simplify Your Life (And Feel Less Busy All The Time)

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Many people know how to feel less busy and simplify their lives in the modern world. Trying to do too much is actually a major source of dissatisfaction. You may feel rushed off your feet and unable to really concentrate on the things that really matter to you.

Fortunately, simplifying your life doesn't mean that you have to become an extreme minimalist. All it means is that you're finding high-leverage activities to reclaim your time and reduce your mental load. It's more about creating space to do what really matters for you instead of just trying to get everything done every day.

What are some practical and proven ways you can use to simplify your life and really achieve the type of intentional living that you want? 

Figure out your priorities

The first step is to figure out your priorities. You need to know what you actually want to do with your time before you begin managing it. Most people want more rest, family time, hobbies, and nature in their life; however, your priorities might be different. For example, if you're starting up a business, your priority might be to focus on entrepreneurial activities at least in the short term.

You should also think about what you want less of. For many people, the arts are scrolling on social media platforms, social obligations, and clutter in their homes; however, you might also want less of other things if they have overtaken your life in a way that isn't healthy, such as caregiving for family members or time spent cooking.

Once you have a list of things you want more of and things you want less of, it becomes easier and clearer to see how you should be spending your time.

 

Simplify your schedule

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The next step is to simplify your schedule. If you are the sort of person who is rushing all over the place all the time, then it can feel impossible to ever really make time for the things that you actually want to do.

One of the best ways to manage your time better is to audit your calendar. You want to run through what you did over the last month and then highlight everything that was non-essential and that drained you. For example, if you are hosting meetings that didn't really make a difference to your productivity or output, then you might want to highlight them so that you don't get involved with them in the future.

Another strategy is to protect your free time during the week. You want several blocks where you have nothing scheduled so you can focus on winding down or the hobbies and activities that you want to enjoy.

Batching your time is also a good idea. The most productive people do focus on one task and then focus on another sequentially. For example, they might start the day with emails and then move on to admin, followed by errands and then the gym. They don't try to do all of these things all at once, which risks splitting their attention and reducing how much they can get done overall.

Finally, simplifying a schedule requires creating simple routines. If you can systematize bits and pieces of your day, then it reduces cognitive load and frees you up for the more challenging things that you need to do.

Get rid of clutter in your physical space

Another way to simplify your life is to get rid of clutter in your physical space. This reduces the cognitive overhead that you experience, making every day feel a bit lighter and less busy.

You don't have to clean up your entire home or office in one go. Instead, you can pick a single shelf or table to clear every day and work through it over several days or weeks. Many of the most productive people adopt a one in two out policy. This means that for every item they add to their workspace or home, they remove two others. This policy ensures that you eliminate the risk of clutter completely and only bring with you the objects that you actually need.

Outsource your chores

Another piece of pro advice is to outsource your chores. This makes you feel less busy all the time while allowing you to focus on high-leverage activities. For example, you might want to hire a laundry service to do the washing for you. This could save you two or three hours every week. You might also want to get somebody to do meal prep for you or to come over and clean your home. Again, the savings can be high.

Think about how much your time is worth before investing in these services. For example, if you earn $100 an hour, it makes sense to claim back your time by paying somebody else $30 an hour to do chores for you. You can then use that additional time to earn even more money and focus more on your financial goals.

Reduce digital clutter

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Digital clutter can also be a source of business in your life and make everything feel more complicated than it needs to be. If you're constantly getting notifications on your phone telling you about the latest deals from random brands that you haven't used for years, then it's clearly a waste of your time.

You can start auditing this by unsubscribing from emails, newsletters, and apps that add noise to your life but don't provide you with any value. You can also turn off notifications on your phone or use apps that allow you to adopt a minimalist approach to smartphone usage.

Embrace tiny habits

Finally, you'll want to embrace tiny habits. For example, one of the things you might want to do is to put things away immediately instead of leaving them out. You stay on top of clutter all day, every day, so it never builds up. This is the same principle that applies to cleaning the kitchen counter top right after use or making your bed when you get up in the morning. It's these little actions that prevent the prospect of maintaining a clean environment from feeling overwhelming.