Set an alarm, get enough sleep, organize your activities, (try to) eat healthy food, don’t overthink things, have patience, and fix that wall shelf you’ve been postponing for weeks now.
Sound familiar?
If we were born with instructions on how to simplify things, we certainly wouldn’t spend half of our lives looking for ways to make our daily life easier.
Some of us go so far as to think that it’s possible to reach life’s perfection at one point (only to end up disappointed), which leads us to the following hypothesis: It’s easier to make life easier than to reach perfection.
But wait, does an easier life mean a better life?
It sure does. With the accumulation of adult responsibilities, seeking simplicity seems like the natural and right thing to do.
Whether you’re a full-time parent, running a business, or studying, facing challenges is an inevitable part of daily life.
Despite that, by changing your habits and implementing an intentional living strategy, you can make the best of your day-to-day life!
How To Make Life Easier In 20 Simple Steps
Yup, you don’t just wake up one day and figure out that you’ve started to live an easier life (unless you’re a magician).
Making life easier is about improving your routine, getting rid of unnecessary things (and people), and similar.
Basically, it’s about changing or improving your current lifestyle. Yes, you can make your life easier, and here’s how you’ll do it!
1. Create personal boundaries and rules
Creating boundaries and rules is definitely one of the things that make life easier. Remember that even simple decisions like learning to say no can be life-changing decisions.
You can make personal rules to avoid procrastination (or to accept it in certain circumstances). Think about your current time management, finances, and your energy invested in different activities.
Is there some space for setting boundaries? If yes, then you know what you ought to do. Once you set them, make sure to live by them.
2. Simplify your mealtimes
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but meal planning and meal prepping have become really popular lately. I’m one of those people who practice meal planning, which saves a lot of my time and energy.
When I have more time, I also do meal prepping for an entire week. So, what you need to do is find a system that works best for you. Meal delivery services are also a great alternative if you’re on a tight schedule.
3. Press the pause button from time to time
We often forget that life is a marathon, not a sprint… We forget the importance of pressing the pause button between our daily tasks. If you want an easier life, that’s exactly what you need to do.
For example, you can press the pause button after you’ve done washing dishes or after making a purchase. These little pauses will regulate your levels of stress and help you slow down a busy day.
They will also help you unlock your full potential because you’ll find some time to live in the moment and focus on just being. Needless to mention that you shouldn’t neglect your leisure life when you solely focus on enjoyment.
4. Get enough sleep
If you want to make life easier, then get enough sleep. Easier said than done, right? I totally feel you. Getting enough sleep will prevent mental health issues such as depression and improve your daily performance.
So, here are a few things that can help you improve your sleep:
- Don’t scroll through social media feeds at least 1 hour before going to bed.
- Get an old-school alarm clock.
- Turn off all phone notifications.
Why?
Because infinitely scrolling feeds on social media are addictive.
Getting an old-school alarm clock means reducing radiation from your cell phone to a minimum. If you really need to set an alarm on your cell phone, don’t put it next to your head because it might interfere with your sleep.
I think there’s no need to explain the third one because we all know that notifications are the biggest “sleep killers.”
Pro tip: If you’re a tidsoptimist (someone who is habitually late because they think they have more time than they do), then an alarm won’t help you.
5. Organize all your items
Where are the scissors? Where is my favorite T-shirt? Who took the remote?
Have these and similar questions become an everyday concern in your home? Then it’s high time you organize all your items. In other words: you need to find a home for everything.
Put all those little thingamajigs in one drawer, sort your T-shirts according to their color or other criteria. Find a place for your gym stuff, organize your kitchen, and so on.
So, when you find yourself looking for that one specific thing, you’ll know where it is within seconds. If you don’t know, then you need to re-organize things until everything has its own place.
6. Do a “pain point audit”
Everyone has their own pain points. If you’re not familiar with the concept, it basically resembles things that cause you mental or physical pain on a daily basis.
These are usually small things like constantly not being able to find your phone. It can also be a big thing, like struggling with your daily commute.
One of my pain points was slicing up fruits and veggies, especially watermelon. So, I brainstormed how I can fix this issue. Well, one of my friends helped me with that by introducing me to one of those gadgets that make life easier: a watermelon slicer.
I didn’t even know that such a thing existed in the first place, and now that I do, I’m so grateful for it. Once you remove your pain points, you’ll have less stress in your life, which will make your life easier.
7. Make your life easier by decluttering
It took me a while to come up with this “magical formula”:
Less stuff in your home = less for you to clean = easier life.
Be honest with yourself. How many items do you have in your house you no longer use? This can be anything from your clothes to kitchen gadgets.
I used to be one of those people who accumulated things for no apparent reason. I knew that I’d never wear or use them, but I still had a hard time getting rid of them? Why? I don’t know, but it’s probably connected with our mental state.
Now, I’m a huge fan of minimalism, and I’ve never been happier. I no longer accumulate things because I think rationally.
Decluttering your home and living a minimalist lifestyle is the best thing that can happen to you because it will save you lots of time and mental energy.
8. Balance your schedule
After you’ve decluttered your home, it’s time to balance your schedule so that you’re more flexible. So, here’s one of the most important lessons you’ll ever learn: Never take life for granted and use time wisely.
We all know that using time in a thoughtful manner is challenging, but it’s not impossible.
So, if your gym is next to a grocery store, then this is a perfect opportunity to save time by killing two birds with one stone. In other words, you can shop after hitting the gym.
You can start the day with tasks that require high energy and end it with those that require minimal energy. Always schedule things and make to-do lists.
Lucky you because today, there are plenty of apps that allow you to make virtual to-do lists. That’s another great way to save more time.
9. Get rid of everything that doesn’t add value to your life
Letting go of everything equals living an easier life. I’m not referring specifically to items in your house or people but everything in your life.
So, let’s start with the following:
- Make things easier by getting rid of useless items and toxic people.
- Get rid of gaslighting in a relationship and shallow people.
- Get rid of gossiping and taking people for granted.
- Get rid of the grass is greener syndrome.
Trust me – your well-being will be grateful to you for that.
10. Turn your daily tasks into fun activities
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been good at finding joy in little things, and I find this to be my biggest life accomplishment.
Yes, we all know that our daily tasks can be frustrating at times (or all the time), but you can’t just stop doing them.
So, the best you can do to make your life easier is to turn them into fun activities. Be creative while washing dishes (wash them to the rhythm of your fav music), or listen to podcasts while vacuuming.
There are so many other ways to make your chores and other activities more enjoyable than they usually are. Just be creative.
11. Establish morning and evening routines
I’m aware that routines can be boring because you basically repeat things day after day, but they make our life easier. For starters, you can establish morning and evening routines.
For example, you can start your morning with self-love affirmations and then proceed with your other usual tasks. Your evening routine can be reading books, meditating, cooking dinner, and other things that you usually do.
12. Set daily goals
Remember that you’re in charge of your own life, and you should never underestimate the importance of discipline. To make the best of your day, it’s important that you set some daily goals.
This can be finishing reading your book, focusing on your hobby, cooking something specific, etc. Daily goals will give you a sense of accomplishment, and after some time, they will turn into big goals.
13. Simplify your finances
Simplifying your finances includes the following:
- Review your expenses and create a saving plan.
- Automate (use online banking because this will save you lots of time).
- Pay bills as soon as you get them.
- Spend your money wisely.
Use your money to make your life easier. This could be investing in a therapist, getting a massage, hiring a cleaner, or similar. Basically, use your money on things that improve your physical and mental health.
14. Establish self-care routines
Drink plenty of water, walk for at least 30 minutes a day, hang out with your friends and family, detox from technology, exercise, spoil yourself with bubble baths, and the list goes on and on.
Don’t get me wrong, self-care routines don’t only include long bubble baths and drinking water. Learning to love yourself is also a self-care routine that requires more effort.
If you’re feeling lost and you don’t know what to do with your life, learn to accept yourself for who you are and work on improving things that sabotage your further development.
15. Don’t hesitate to seek help when needed
Simplifying your life also includes asking for help when needed. If you need help with some tasks at work, ask your colleagues to assist you.
If you’re dealing with depressive thoughts, don’t shy away from talking about it with your friends, family, or a therapist.
If you’re having trouble getting over heartbreak, talk to someone you trust or seek help from a relationship counselor or other certified therapists.
Whatever it is that bothers you at the moment, don’t hesitate to seek help when needed. Next time, you’ll be the one to help others.
16. Do the things you’ve been postponing
Okay, all of you who have been postponing doing things, raise your hand! I know that all of you raised your hands (including myself), which is totally understandable.
But things can and have to change from now on. It’s time to take responsibility for your actions and do the things you’ve been scheduling and postponing for weeks.
It’s time to update your to-do list with all those things that you’re going to have to get done sooner or later. So, what’s it gonna be?
Just imagine that feeling of ultimate freedom once you do the task you’ve been postponing for a long time. Let that feeling sink in and motivate you to become an active participant in your own life.
17. Don’t sweat the small stuff
Here’s one of the 7 rules of life: You’re the only one in charge of your happiness. Allowing small stuff to upset you is not recommended in the long run. Why?
Because it will negatively affect your mental and physical health. Accept that some things simply aren’t worth your time and energy.
So, find the courage to accept the things you cannot change. Instead, focus on improving things that you can.
Be a modern-day hippie. Don’t worry about what others think of you (or about matching colors) or about those who decided to cut you off from their life.
Bad things will happen, but it’s up to you how you’re going to deal with it.
18. Don’t suppress your feelings (especially negative ones)
Suppressing your feelings is never a good idea. Instead, you should get rid of it by talking to someone about it or keeping a journal.
I strongly suggest journals because they can help you with an evaluation of your progress (especially if you’re the victim of love bombing or narcissist lies). Also, it will help you come to a better understanding of your situation.
When I broke up with my ex, writing down my feelings has helped me a lot with my internal struggles.
I moved on in a record time because I hadn’t suppressed my emotions. I also cried when I felt like it. All these things helped me move on faster than before.
19. Narrow your options when making decisions
I’ve never been a fan of making decisions because I always feared that I’d make the wrong one. If you feel the same way, narrowing your options when making decisions is the best bet.
If you need to choose between five restaurants, check their reviews on Google, or ask for the opinions of other people who went there. Narrow your options to two or three restaurants, and this will make things less stressful.
You can apply the same method to anything else. This includes choosing between a few T-shirts, restaurant menus, and other things that have more options to choose from. Narrow those options to two or three things, and you’ll be good.
20. Find the silver lining in everything
Everyone can be pessimistic all the time, but it takes courage to live a life filled with optimism. When something bad happens (and you know it will), don’t immediately start blaming others for it or the universe.
Instead, find the silver lining. Find something that will give you hope and change your perspective regarding the whole situation.
Also, be thankful for both small and big things because that’s the secret to attracting more positivity into your daily life. Remember that you become what you think about. Feed your mind with positive things, and in return, you’ll receive more of them.
Don’t Pray For An Easier Life, But Make Life Easier
We all want to live an easier life, but not every single one of us is ready to make it easier. Well, don’t be one of those people. Instead, wake up, look around you, evaluate your lifestyle, and make some changes!
Be determined to improve the things you can and accept the things you can’t change. Redirecting your energy into doing the right things is the best way to make your life easier.
Get rid of things you no longer use and people that drain you. Set daily goals, get enough sleep, and simplify your mealtime. Don’t pray for an easier life, but be the one who’ll make it easier. Why?
Because you owe it to yourself and those who love you.