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Are you ready to live with less stress and less clutter in your life? Here are 10 ideas to simplify your life and bring more joy into each day.
Welcome back to The Burnout Doctor Podcast with Dr. Jessica Louie. Today, we are talking about 10 Ways to Simplify your Life. Thank you for sharing your action steps from our last episodes on time. Many of you are taking action by using our complimentary Burnout Starter Kit and Financial Freedom Kit – don’t forget to download yours today! We all write our own stories in our lives and homes. Let’s all bring joy into home and joy into work.
Simplify number one:
Decided what’s most important to me – relationships – God, self, husband, children, business. I use my Weekly Preview for your Ideal Lifestyle to check-in with yourself. Hint it’s part of the FREE podcast exclusive workbook. There are 10 domains and you write down your reflection and goals in each domain including health, mental/emotional health, family, friends, partner/love, work/mission, experiences, learning, spirit and finances.
You can set up your definition of each domain to begin. Then check in and see how you FEEL each week. Write down something you want to focus on in 2-3 domains each week – NOT more than 3 – that is overwhelming. An example is deciding to focus on your friendship this week – you need to return a message from a friend and schedule a coffee date with her this week – put it on your calendar and you’re set – then enjoy!
Simplify number two:
Learned how to say no. When we learn what is most important to us, it’s much easier to see what areas of our life we live in reaction mode – going along with other people’s schedules, requests and saying yes to everything – from meeting invites at work to birthday party invites for your children. If we do not set intention into our week – our schedules and calendars – someone ELSE will. Go back to Episode 122 on How to Say “NO” with Confidence
Simplify number three:
Turned off things that distract me from life – facebook, phone notifications – unplugged. I no have social media apps on my phone – only Instagram. The rest of social media can be viewed on a laptop. This was especially important to reduce mental clutter in my life
How can you do this too? First clarified purpose of device, email, apps
Clarify the purpose of your phone, simplify how and when you use it, and align it with your productivity, focus and goals
The purpose of my phone is:
When I pick up my phone, I want to feel…
You can learn more about this with Email inbox zero and simplifying Phone settings. Overall, for social media: if it is NOT absolutely necessary to have as a phone app – DON’T have it. That means only Instagram is on my phone – all other social media is accessed from my laptop – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest
Get help with decision fatigue with our Digital Decluttering Workshops.
Simplify number four:
I stopped shopping at the mall. Yep you heard that correctly. I coped with stress and burnout by shopping for clothing. One simple way to help reset that habit? Stop going to malls and physical stores. You can listen to episode 19 on how to stop using shopping to cope with burnout.
That means sitting down and asking yourself why you go in the first place?
It is a social event? A way to cope alone?
For me is was to cope alone and get this fast reward…once I knew WHY I was doing, I could simplify this part of my life and reset this habit. I stopped shopping for clothing
Simplify number five:
I established routines that became habits. Morning and evening routines where I intentionally decided I would bring joy into my life each morning and give gratitude each evening.
Listen to Episode 107 for Morning routines and Episode 137 on Evening routines
Simplify Number Six:
Spend time alone. As an introvert myself, I recharge by energy alone (versus extroverts recharge surrounded by people). Being an introvert or extrovert is not related to being out-going or not. It’s about how we recharge ourselves. Find out how you like to rejuvenate your own energy levels and apply that to you life today.
Simplify Number Seven:
Simplify and declutter. I recommend starting with your physical clutter using the KonMari Method. After you address what is closest to you, your home, you can apply the simplifying concepts to mental clutter, emotional clutter and spiritual clutter.
Invest in our Simplify Online Course or 1:1 coaching.
Simplify Number Eight:
Start walking. Getting out into nature is an excellent way to reset stress and burnout. Walking simplifies life by allowing time to reflect and clear our brain clutter.
Simplify Number Nine:
Allow yourself a “nothing” day once a week or once a month. This can be digital detox or digital unplug day as while. You can schedule in this “white space” day and allow
your day to take it where it’s meant to go.
Simplify Number Ten:
Change mindset around meal prepping. Changed to food prepping. Yes, food prepping. Simplifying this to simply combine vegetables and proteins for meals. After going to the grocery store, this means washing, cleaning and chopping up the vegetables right away, then placing into storage containers to use throughout the week as raw vegetables/fruit or cook on the stove or roast in the oven.
Get help with decision fatigue with our Digital Decluttering Workshops.
In my Joy at Work Course, you can get even more advice and action steps on how to make decisions with confidence and how to say no with confidence.
Make sure you’re following along on our YouTube channel (youtube.com/drjessicalouie) as well with new videos going live every Saturday!
Until next time, spark joy my friends!
Note, my views are my own and are not associated or representative of my employer(s).
This podcast is for educational purposes only and not medical advice.