We live in a complex and chaotic world where we constantly feel pulled in different directions. But what if living life with intention and purpose could be made easier? What if you could simplify your daily life and focus on finding peace of mind? That's what a simple life is all about. Finding ways to keep things simple physically and mentally can help open the way to more meaningful experiences. This blog post will explore creating a simpler lifestyle by focusing on what matters most to you.

What does a simple life mean?

When we talk about living a simple life, most people will probably think of living a life not full of wealth and material possessions or taking it easy with things. However, simple living really means living a life that is not complicated and gives you more peace of mind and room for happiness and fulfillment. One can still live a simple life even if they are wealthy and do various activities. What matters is that you can do everything that matters to you, and you don't complicate life by filling it with unnecessary things that don't have any value to you.

The modern world can make life look busy and complicated, and we might get so accustomed to it that our physical and mental health suffers due to all our busyness. The good news is that we can always change modern life and simplify it to enjoy life more. It can take time and gradual changes before we achieve the simpler life that we want, and it's all about making adjustments and figuring out what "simple" means to you. In general, several things can help simplify your life, and you can start doing them now if you want to live and change for the better.

1. Identify what matters to you

To truly live a simple life, one must first identify the things that matter most to you. Some of us may already know what they are since they can be the things we like doing for the longest time in our lives and always feel happy and fulfilled while doing them. For those of us who don't know yet what we value the most, we can take some time to search for what we want to pursue the most in our lives. Once we determine what they are, we can greatly reduce the things we must do in life because we only need to do those that truly matter to us.

2. Stop comparing yourself to others

Sometimes, we can't help but compare ourselves with others, and it's easier to see all the stuff that others have and do nowadays, thanks to social media and the Internet. Comparisons can be the root of envy, and when we start feeling it by looking at others too much, we may feel inadequate and have the urge to do the same things or buy what others possess. One may start spending more than they need, and one can complicate things by adding more into their life than necessary. If you want to start living simply, you can begin reducing the instances of comparing yourself to others and learn how to be grateful for what you have and only want what is necessary and what matters to you.

3. Don't keep up with the Joneses

You may have heard of the phrase "keeping up with the Joneses"; it means trying to keep up with what your friends, neighbors, and peers do and have. This mindset is related to comparing yourself with others, with the added aspect of competing and trying to be better than others. You get jealous of what others have and do, so you try to do the same as others, buying the same thing or better than them or doing the same activity. The fear of missing out plays a part here, and one may wish to stay relevant and have some form of connection by doing something similar to others. However, it's possible that even if you copy what others have and do, you may not feel happy or fulfilled because what somebody else does or buys may not necessarily be of value to you. You may only do these to belong with people who may not bother with you keeping up with them. As a result, you may fill your life with unnecessary stuff. To make life easier and simpler, it's better to figure out what you want and need for yourself, and you can also have more money this way.

4. Don't bother with things that only stress you and you hardly can't do anything about them

There are many things in life we can't control, and we can also get to know about many issues and situations that don't directly affect or matter to us, and yet, we still engage with such things. Reading the news and browsing your social media accounts can expose you to unfortunate events or negative things that can stress you. Sure, it doesn't hurt to at least pay some attention so as not to be seen as an insensitive individual, but if you think for too long about things that are issues in somebody else's life, and you can hardly do anything to influence or change, it's better just to be aware of such things initially and then move on. You can do only so much, especially with other people's drama and troubles. We all have something to take care of, and to have less stress in your life, try to take care of your problems before bothering about others unless you have extra time and energy to attend to them.

5. Stop pleasing others and live life according to how you want

Peer pressure is real; sometimes, we can't help but do things and live according to how others dictate it. For example, our parents may wish us to pursue a certain degree, or our friends and peers invite us to go along with their activities. Nothing is wrong with such things as long as you like what others want you to do. However, if you only force yourself to do certain things, you may want to reassess your life and start doing what matters to you. Change may not come easy, but it's better to pursue it rather than submit yourself to something you don't want and only feel regret and anger later. Life becomes simple because you don't have to feel conflicted with what you do based on your interests and beliefs.

6. Buy only what you want and need

Once you learn to stop comparing yourself with others and keep up with the Joneses, your wallet and saving account will start to thank you for that, and this is because you will begin to buy only what you need and want. If you haven't figured out yet what makes you happy and fulfilled and you still keep comparing yourself with others, chances are you may end up buying things left and right in hopes of finding the next thing that amuses you, only for you to discard them then move again to something new. When you start buying only the things that matter and need, you will have less stuff to worry about, and you may also begin to declutter things you don't need to give more breathing room in your house. Life can feel more peaceful with fewer things to have, and cleaning the house becomes easier too.

Simple living means filling your life with what you value.

Living a simple life doesn't necessarily mean depriving yourself of things. It entails that you fill your life only with activities and things you value, which can also include the people in your social circle. A complicated life comes from overloading our lives with too many activities and things that keep us busy, but not all put any value on our well-being. Try to spend time analyzing your life and check every single task that you do and everything that you have. If you want to practice simple living, try to weed out those that don't have anything to do with your beliefs, goals, and interests. You can have more space to enjoy what matters and achieve more peace of mind.