Sometimes it can feel like life is so busy and it’s hard to find your feet. I’m thinking about how I can slow down my life a bit and take more in of the wonders around me. This is my plan for a more simplified life.
- Declutter
- Automate your morning and evening routine
- Unsubscribe from emails/newsletters/memberships
- Meal plan
- Prep lunch the night before
- Time block for essential things only
- Walk daily – get outside in nature
- Introduce pillars of rest
- Have more guilt free ‘duvet days’
- Always carry a water bottle
Declutter
The less you have the easier it is to manage your things. It will take less time to tidy things away and less time to keep you home clean. Having a capsule wardrobe will make it easier to choose outfits in the morning. You will notice that you use the things you have more often.
Automate your morning and evening routine
Create healthy daily habits. Doing things in the same order will make them easier to do – and be less likely to forget things. Have an evening routine of tidying away and clearing surfaces – this will mean that each day starts fresh and tidy. It helps to keep on top of things.
Unsubscribe from emails/newsletters/memberships
Every time you see a new email or open a new message its additional thoughts and actions and reactions that are being processed in your mind. Reducing what’s coming into your view will reduce cognitive load. Unsubscribe from marketing and emails that you don’t want to receive. Block junk email and have them sent to the junk folder automatically so you don’t have to process them every time they land in your inbox. Stop receiving paper newsletters and brochures from companies by unsubscribing too. Do you have any unnecessary memberships to clubs and services that you no longer require. Save some money and reduce down.
Meal plan
My favourite topic! I talk about this a lot, but it really does make a difference to your food bill and food waste by planning meals based on what you have already and only buying ingredients for the meals you have planned. When I meal plan every week, I know which meals we will have but I am flexible with the order in which we have them. I make sure there are easy meals and favourite meals too. This is a key component to a simplified life.
Prep lunch the night before
This is my favourite thing to do on a Sunday night. I prep my lunch for the first three days (as it’s salad and doesn’t keep longer than that) and then meal prep again mid-week for the rest of the week’s lunches. This is great for my son’s packed lunches too. It saves any morning rushing around so I have more time to wake up gently and at my own pace.
Time block for essential things only
Time blocking seems to be my go to at the minute. It is essentially me saying that I need to block out time otherwise I won’t get motivated to do it. This is great if you are creating new routines. I tend to only time block for new habits that I am creating as a motivator. Plan it the night before. I don’t time block for the normal things – just the new things I am adding in to my daily routine – i.e. such as daily decluttering time or tidying up time. When the habit is embedded I no longer feel the need to time block.
Walk daily
I’ve always known that walking is good for my soul. But after watching a recent documentary about the blue zones and longevity, I have seen the power of daily low level exercise. Walking for up to an hour a day is good for your body and keeps you moving for longer into old age. It gets you outside breathing new air, appreciating the beautiful world we live in and creating moments of gratitude.
Introduce pillars of rest
This has been something I have used for the last year due to balancing chronic fatigue and work. Did you know that having proper time for rest spread throughout the day can really make a difference to your well-being, as well as productivity? Schedule in 30 minutes every few hours to just sit and breathe.
Have more guilt free ‘duvet days’
Do you love a duvet day? I do! Often I would get so worn out that I would be forced to do this at least once a month. I know have guilt free duvet days whenever I feel like it. Sometimes it’s once a week, sometimes a whole weekend, but it is important to listen to our bodies and know when it’s time to switch off and rest.
Always carry a water bottle
If I ever leave home without one, I always regret it. It is a must for me as it can really impact on my energy levels if I don’t drink enough water in the day. I carry a bottle everywhere so that I can always sip away and keep hydrated. Have a good sturdy bottle that will last the test of time in your bag.
Rachel, Declutter Your Life x
The full video can be found on my youtube page https://www.youtube.com/c/RachelNoakes
For more information about decluttering check out this page: https://declutteryourlife.co.uk/decluttering/september-little-acts-of-decluttering/
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