I’m generally a homebody but being forced to stay home during this pandemic has given me an impetus to simplify my life. With my gym closed (and the push-pull to get myself there), I start each day with a long walk, WITHOUT my phone. I use that time to just think, solve problems, and plan my day. It’s my form of meditation. I’ve found that by giving up some of my extraneous routines and focusing on a morning routine, my days are more leisurely. I hope to inspire all of you to simplify your life.
5 Ways to Simplify Your Life
1. Declutter that cosmetics drawer – I don’t know about you but I have dozens of sample-size bottles of cosmetics, shampoos, lotions and stuff I’m not even sure what it does. So one by one, I began using them up. And tossing some of the older ones – yes, cosmetics DO expire!
2. Amour mise en place – Cooking is a drag, right? Over the past few months, I’ve avoided the 30-minute meals, trying to kill time, opting for the 3-page recipes that allowed me to linger in the kitchen sipping a glass (or two) of wine while I chopped ingredients. And as a result, I rediscovered the joys of mise en place. This term is French for “everything in its place” and it’s the process of getting all of your ingredients prepped before you start cooking. Every ingredient, neatly chopped (uniformly, I might add), arranged symmetrically on my cutting board in the order it falls in my recipe.
3. Supplements – There was a time (remember that health coach I hired?) that I was taking about 20 supplements a day, from collagen powder to chlorophyll in my water to capsules that promised to speed my metabolism. Yet newer scientific studies show that supplements – except a few – don’t serve any real purpose and honestly, my body can’t tell the difference. If you’re really looking for a way to understand what nutrients your specific body needs, consider visiting a functional medicine doctor.
4. Au naturale – I’ve gone to the dark side (my hair, that is). Yep, I’ve given up those pesky monthly appointments for highlights as well as for my gel nails. I’m learning to love my darker hair (it’s in a ponytail most of the time anyway) and I’ve discovered a great gel top coat, CND Vinylux, I can use at home that keeps my polish on for a week!
5. Social media groupie no more – This was perhaps the most cathartic of all my simplification activities. Only social media addicts will understand but I belonged to about 25 social media groups, everything from writers groups to cannabis users (research for work, I promise) to pet rescue organizations. Honestly, these groups took up so much of my time and stressed me out. I tried to peruse them daily for FOMO (fear of missing out) and to get work leads (and lost dogs) but it was dragging me down – from a time and emotional standpoint. So I swiped right and discarded almost all of them except the ones that brought me real Marie Kondoesque joy.
I could go on and on so consider these the starting points if you want to simplify your life. Just think about the little things that clutter your mind and your space and begin ditching them, one by one.