This has been a topic on my mind for quite some time.
We live in a small space, 5 people, 1 dog, 2 bedrooms. We don’t make a lot of money, we own 1 car, and we don’t own big fancy toys. It sounds pretty simple to me. But, somehow I felt like my life was extremely un-simple. It felt chaotic, cluttered, unorganized, too busy, and messy. I felt like there were things we could eliminate.
As our family has grown over the past 10 years our living quarters have not. They have remained the same. More out of necessity than anything. But, over 10 years of marriage, plus 3 kids and 1 dog you tend to accumulate stuff.
I’ve realized that my stress and anxiety can be directly influenced by the state of our home, which I’m sure others can relate too. I realized if I am to be happy in our situation right now I need to get organized and simplify my life.
But what does it mean to live simply?
A few ideas come to my mind when I think of simple living. I think of a clean and un-cluttered environment. My mother was the perfect example of this. A place for everything and everything in it’s place. But, when you live in a small 2 bedroom basement apartment with 5 people and 1 dog you might not have a place for everything.
I also think of a calm peaceful state of mind where you aren’t rushed from one activity to the next. Does my life feel simple when I’m running kids from one activity to the next as soon as they get home from school and we barely have time to connect before it’s dinner, homework, piano practice, bath and bedtime?
Not quite.
Simple living is a physical state (our environment) as well as a mental state of mind.
How do we get there?
That’s a great question. I think there are many areas of our lives that we can simplify. Our schedules, our time, our cleaning routine, finances, the amount of stuff in our homes, the technology we use, activities, and so much more.
Simple living is a process and one that people undergo and spend years working on.
What can we do today to get one step closer to a simpler life?
Here is a practical tip to get you going:
Ask yourself…
1. Do I really need this?
2. What purpose does it serve?
It may seem…simple…but you can ask these 2 questions about anything. Are you questioning whether you should continue a certain activity ask these 2 questions. Are you trying to decide what possessions to keep or get rid of…ask these 2 questions. They work for any area of your life, the mental and the physical things.
I would love to hear about your hopes and dreams for building a more simple life. Is there are particular area you are working on simplifying right now? Let’s keep this conversation going in the comments below!
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Right now I’m evaluating how I spend my time and cutting back on some activities, trying to make room for the hobbies that I miss doing. Making simple dinner meals. Spending less time on the internet. Cutting back on book clubs and socials. Trying to be more efficient with house cleaning and such. Sometimes even though I may enjoy some activities, it’s good to cut back and take a break.
I totally agree, the amount of activities we get involved with can control our lives! It’s crazy how busy people are these days even with good activities. My kids are still young and I already feel like this!
I could not agree with you more. The less stuff we need, the less we have to work. My husband and I try to live below our means in hopes that we can retire early and enjoy the “front porch swing.”
Less really is more. More time, more freedom, more space, one of my favorite things to do is get rid of “stuff” it’s therapeutic!