Quick question—what makes you happy? Most answers to this question only lead to external factors such as having more money, buying bigger houses, or getting a promotion at work.
Though these are great examples of things to be happy for, these factors only provide temporary happiness. As time goes on, you will soon find out that the more you have, the more you will want to accumulate to fill that void of happiness with more stuff.
So what if there was a simpler way to simplify your life with less stuff and experience long term happiness? I know what you’re thinking—this is where I have to wait until New Year's Day to create a resolution that will help me re-evaluate past choices and help me improve upon past mistakes.
Fortunately for you, you do not have to wait that long to simplify your life and be happy. In fact, you can start right now with these eight simple steps:
Practice Gratitude
Happiness and gratitude go hand in hand. You do not have to have a lot of things to practice gratitude. Just be thankful for all that you have and all that you will receive in the future. There are many people out there who may have less than you, so it’s important to be grateful for the small and big things that you do have in your life.
Decluttering
When it comes to letting things go, decluttering can definitely help with that. In my closet, there are tons of clothes and shoes that I am learning to give away to clear up space in my life. Decluttering helps me to let go of my past and create room for better things in my future.
It also allows me to detach any emotions I carry with the items I have and makes the process of letting go much easier. This weekend, try decluttering items that no longer serve you in your personal life and work towards decluttering harder items too.
Buy Only What You Need
For years, and even till this day, I still struggle with buying only what I need. The one lesson that has helped me buy only items I need is bringing a small amount of cash with me to the store. Along with cash, I also carry a list of only the items I need so I can go in and out of the store with only those items.
Whenever I’m headed to one of my favorite stores, I like to time myself and make sure to get out of the store within that time frame. So, how about you? Have you tried any of these tactics while visiting a store to only get what you need?
Be Smart With Your Money
This step should be pretty straight-forward. Remind yourself that less is more when you are spending way too much. How can you use your money wisely and never sacrifice the quality or quantity of how much you have? Choose to purchase items with a purpose. If what you are purchasing is not serving you in the long run, it’s best to just leave it.
Make Self-Care A Priority
After everything we’ve been through in the past couple of years, there’s no better lesson than making self-care a priority! Be willing to take care of yourself at all costs. Whether that’s by taking a break from your busy life for a while, eating healthier, or escaping to the mountains to be with nature; your body is counting on you to take care of your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
Connect With Nature
Nature is also a great way to escape from the hustle and bustle of life and connect with your inner self as well as the world around you. Next time you surround yourself with nature, pay attention to the sounds you hear and listen to how peaceful and still everything is. Breathe in deeply and take in all of the beauty that surrounds you. Express your gratitude for the quiet and peacefulness you are able to experience.
Unplug From The Digital World
Along with connecting with nature, it’s also a great idea to disconnect from the digital world from time to time. Though having technology right at your fingertips is a great achievement, it can be damaging to who you are as a human being. As humans, it is in our nature to be social and build connections with other people in the world, not to be consumed by technology. So the next time you feel yourself consuming a lot of technology, take a mental detox from it all and your soul will thank you later for it.
Stay Away From Toxic People
The beautiful thing about living a simple life is being able to choose who and what you want to surround yourself with in life. The right people can make a world of a difference in your attitude, mood, and perspective on how you see things. So why not surround yourself with good people that are also good for your soul.
Along with decluttering items in your life, declutter people that are not good for you or your mental health. Separate yourself from those that make you feel anything less than what you are willing to put up with. It’s time to surround yourself with people that uplift you, encourage you, support you, and love you. Try it today!
Josie D
How do YOU live a simple and happy life?
Follow Josie on Instagram @sincerely_josied and @susquehannastyle, and hashtag #Susquehannastyle to let us know.
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