easier Archives – A Small Life

The new year is prime time start evaluating your life. Everyone is over-committed, stressed out and overwhelmed. During times like these I like to stop and think about ways I can make my life easier by downsizing my stuff. Because more stuff (mental and physical) means more stress. Let’s downsize our lives and upsize our happiness, mmmmk?!

Here’s my how-to:

Do an inventory
Keep a piece of paper in each room. For one week write down everything you use. At the end of the week, compare the list of stuff you used to the stuff that you didn’t use. Consider getting rid of the unused stuff. You probably don’t need it.
De-clutter
Once you do the inventory, it will be so much easier to de-clutter. Think of the object’s usefulness and it’s meaning. And not everything needs a meaning, folks. If you tend to hoard things, get an honest friend or family member to help you clean house!
Donate your stuff
Once you de-clutter, you need to get rid of all your unwanted stuff. Non-profit agencies, such as Goodwill, can benefit from your donation. You may even be able to write your donation off your taxes.
Sell your stuff
If the idea of profiting off your old stuff appeals to you, consider selling it. It will take more time than donating it, but it might be worth the time and effort. (See my post on how to sell at flea markets.)
Eat in
Not only will eating at home save you money, it can also provide relaxation. If cooking stresses you out, consider making simpler dishes. Dishes with less than 5 ingredients (that you can pronounce!) tend to be healthier and easier to create. I never make anything too complicated. Here’s some of my favorite recipes and food ideas.
Reconnect with nature
During a stressful day at work, I’ll take a walk on my lunch break. It clears my head and gives me that much needed break. On your nature walks, see what you can observe– plants, leaves, creatures! It’s so easy to forget the wonders of nature.
Turn off your phone
On those nature walks and in your life, we all need to turn off our phones once in a while. At first you might feel panicked. I sure did! (What if someone needs to reach me?!) Well, you know what? If they need to reach you, they’ll leave a voicemail. Plain and simple.
Stop checking your email so damn much
I took my work email off my phone because I recognized that it was stressing me the hell out. No one emails emergencies. Work can wait. Try checking your email at scheduled points during the day. It helps productivity and sanity.
Have technology-free weekends
I’m totally guilty of spending the entire weekend on the computer. This blog won’t write itself! But I also realize that I need to spend less time with the screen and more time with the people that matter. Won’t you try technology-free weekends with me?
Kiss your cable bill goodbye!
Cable is one of those bills that you don’t really need. Watching television is a time-suck. For those times that you need some movie escapism, see my article about free and legal ways to watch movies online!
Rely on the library for books and entertainment
The library is an often underused resource. People forget that libraries aren’t just for books! Libraries host programs, may collect DVDs and usually have free wi-fi! Need more ways the library can help you save money? Check it out! (Pun intended.)
Say no to unnecessary crazy
We’ve all got a little crazy in our lives. Don’t deny it. And much of our crazy is self-imposed. Learn to say no to things that aren’t important to you and get that unnecessary crazy out of your life!
Keep a journal
Writing things down, especially for me, is therapeutic. It lifts a weight off my shoulders to just write down everything I’m thinking and it helps me sort through choices or emotions. Try it next time you are feeling stressed out or you have to make a big decision.
Recognize the stresses in your life & if possible, eliminate them
Just merely recognizing the stresses in your life is a huge step in making your life easier. Once you recognize the stresses, you can combat them with relaxation techniques, or even better, you can try to eliminate the unnecessary stresses. Does your commute stress you out? Try to move closer to work. Does having a messy house stress you out? (It does me!) Set up a cleaning schedule.
Decide to be happy with what you have
Simply deciding to be happy can make you a happier person. You don’t have to have sunshine and rainbows all the time to just take a couple minutes each day to look around and name three things you are thankful for.
Rent or buy a smaller home
I’m a big proponent of living small. We do it everyday in our Airstream trailer. Living in a small space has actually made me much happier. We have less space to clean and we collect less junk!
Research minimalism and let it inspire you
I used to think more is more, but after reading about minimalist homes online and in books, I’ve become a convert. Minimalism doesn’t have to mean emptiness. I think of it more in terms of tidiness and cleanliness. People with minimalistic homes think about things before they bring them into their space. Their conscious of their choices and everything has a purpose. It’s totally inspiring.
Stop making giant, unobtainable to-do lists
(This list isn’t unobtainable because I know you can just do two or three of the items! You don’t have to do everything.) Major guilt here on this one. I always make these huge lists of to-dos that end up stressing me out and I never end up getting all the items on the list done. Instead of making these giant lists choose two or three things that absolutely need to get done that day and do those items.
Cut down on your sugar intake
Since my family has been having some health issues lately, I’ve been much more conscious of my diet. I already don’t eat gluten, but I know that I can always make my diet better, so I began to look at the amount of sugar I consumed. And I discovered that sugar is hidden in everything! In the past year I’ve slowly been weaning myself off sugar. It hasn’t been easy but it’s effected my mood greatly. Instead of feeling grouchy in the afternoon and after dinner when I needed my sugar fix, I’ve felt more energetic. And I’ve become very sensitive to sugar. Now foods with too much sugar taste bad to me. It’s nutty.
Steer clear of chemicals
Living with less and living a more natural life go hand in hand. I no longer have room for five different house cleaners, so I use my go-to cleaner, vinegar! And now I don’t have to worry about harmful chemicals in cleaners leaching out into my food.
Learn the difference between need and want
Learning the difference between need and want is so, so hard. I’m not going to deny it. I still struggle with it, but a few tactics have helped me. When I am about to buy something, I’ll take just a couple minutes to reflect on the item. I ask myself: Do I really need this? Am I going to feel guilty after purchasing this? Do I have room for this? Just doing that two minute reflection has helped me to learn the difference between wants and needs.
Remember that no one is perfect
We all slip up sometimes. We all fall of the savings bandwagon. And if you do, there are ways to get back on. Recognize that we all make mistakes. Blogs and websites are carefully curated and often they don’t show the humanity of the author’s life. We all have things we are dealing with, we all make mistakes, we all are imperfect. Remember that.
Learn to let go of negative feelings
Negative feelings clutter up our minds and often times, we buy things to make up for something. Maybe we’re trying to keep up with the Jones. Maybe we’re trying to just “fit in.” Don’t let those negative feelings wreak havoc on your wallet or your life. Learn to let go by meditating, journaling or taking those nature walks. Learn to let it go.
Buy products that can do double-duty
Always, always, always purchase products that can do double-duty. This is a space and money saver. Like I said before, vinegar can do quadruple duty. It’s a cleaner, de-greaser, you can wash your hair with it and you can use it in your barbecue!
Collect experiences, not things
And my favorite piece of advice is to collect experiences, not things. Things only give us temporary happiness. But when we think back to those happy experiences we had (like a dream vacation) we’ve got long-lasting happiness.