When chaos and disorder threaten to take over, implement a few of these ideas and enjoy simpler days in the midst of our fast-paced culture.
My life has always felt noticeably better when I make an effort to simplify my schedule and my surroundings — allowing more time and energy for the things, people, and activities that are most important to me.
Ironically, living a slower and simpler lifestyle in today’s fast-paced culture requires a fair amount of effort and intentionality!
It’s always a work in progress — a continual balancing act where true equilibrium is rarely achieved for more than a moment or two.
Thankfully, I’m not one to back down from a challenge or give up when the going gets tough.
Of course, there’s no quick fix or magic formula to create a “simpler life” — it’s one of those things that just requires time and effort until you find your groove and what works best for YOU.
That said, when I look back over my own journey towards a simpler home and life, I can pinpoint a handful of specific things that have made a big difference for me and my family.
I know MY list won’t apply to every family or situation… nevertheless, I hope some of the ideas are helpful for you!
1. I Avoid Overstimulating Situations:
Over the past several years, I’ve realized that I am easily overstimulated by loud, messy, chaotic, and cluttered spaces and people.
Think of it like a young child being carted back and forth to multiple Christmas parties throughout a long weekend in December — weird foods, strange people, so much extra noise, unfamiliar surroundings, lack of routine, loud music, noisy rooms, no time for naps, etc. At some point, the child simply has a meltdown and/or massive temper tantrum because they are overstimulated and just can’t take it anymore.
That’s sort of how I feel too…
As a result, I’m simply more conscious of my surroundings and make a solid effort to avoid spending long periods of time in overstimulating environments whenever possible. And yes, this does apply to my own immediate family too (they tend to be very loud and messy at times). It’s one reason I love those early morning hours of peace and quiet.
This is also why Dave and I don’t do much traveling and why we enjoy entertaining so regularly — we’d rather have people at our house than go somewhere else!
Related Reading: Practical reasons to know and understand your personality type.
2. I Keep My Environment Clutter-Free:
I’m not a minimalist… but I feel much calmer when my surrounding spaces are visibly free from most clutter. And since my surrounding spaces are usually my home, I put forth a decent amount of effort to keep my home neat, organized, and clutter-free (most of the time).
Obviously, my kids play and make messes… I cook and make messes… we entertain and make messes… but the messes get cleaned up before we make new messes!
It’s amazing how much more relaxed and productive I feel (both at the same time) when my spaces have a sense of order to them.
Related Reading: 3 Daily routines to keep your home clutter-free
3. I Try to Get Enough Sleep
I’ve always been the type of person who prioritizes my sleep — even as a child. I hated sleepovers, I didn’t have a curfew in high school because my parents knew I wouldn’t stay out late, and I never even came close to pulling an all-nighter in college.
Of course, there have been years of my life when my own sleep needs were put on the back burner because of sleepless children, and even though those years are in the past, I still don’t always get 8 hours of sleep every night. But I do pay attention to how rested (or tired) I feel throughout the day, and I go to bed as early as I can based on how tired I feel.
I don’t think early mornings and early evenings are the best choices for every personality or family structure, but I do think it’s important to be aware of how much sleep you need because we’re always more irritable and less productive when we’re tired (two things that don’t mesh well with simple living).
Related Reading: The Effects of Sleep on EVERYTHING!
4. I Eat Simple Foods At Home
Dave and I have never been fans of going out to eat — in fact, we enjoy it less and less as we add more children to our family!
That said, our kids get pretty excited about “going out to eat” (even if it’s just Culvers or pizza) so we force ourselves to do it every now and then… but we would both rather stay home.
At home we drink tons of water, we eat lots of simple meals that include fresh fruits, fresh veggies, meat, and homemade bread, I choose foods that can be prepared ahead of time so there’s not a last-minute rush to get dinner on the table, and I serve the food already on plates so the table isn’t cluttered up with pots and pans while we eat.
I should mention that I don’t necessarily think eating “simple foods” equates to eating “homemade” or “from scratch”. Even if your schedule is quite full or you just don’t enjoy cooking, you can still simplify the foods you eat (frozen or pre-packaged foods from the grocery store) and choose to eat at home more often.
Related Reading: How I Meal Plan
5. I Say “No” Regularly
Over the course of my adult life, I’ve gotten better at confidently saying “no” when a decision doesn’t align with my current season of life.
To be clear, I also say “yes” A LOT! I won’t bore you with the laundry list of volunteer positions Dave and I hold within our church, school, and community — but the list is long and we make a point to use our gifts.
However, saying “no” is a vitally important skill to develop… unless you prefer living in chaos.
In my opinion, the ability to say “no” shows a high level of self-respect and self-control. For example, you might say no to a vacation that isn’t in your budget — alleviating stressful debt in your life. You might say no to hitting the snooze button one more time and thus, starting your day on a more positive note. You might say no to a toxic relationship that always depletes you and drags you down. You might say no to a trashy book or movie that could cause you to feel discontent with your own life.
Saying no is so much more than turning down volunteer requests or shrugging off responsibilities. It’s truly a skill we MUST learn if we want any hope of living more simply and intentionally.
The fact is, we are ALWAYS saying no to something… don’t let it be your family or yourself!
Related Reading: 99 Effective ways to say “no”.
6. I Monitor My Media
I don’t read the paper, we don’t have cable, I don’t subscribe to any magazines, I don’t have any “NEWS” or “Info” apps on my phone, and I don’t follow anything on social media anymore.
I don’t know the latest movies, the up-and-coming music artists, the newest fashion trends, or the popular toys. I also don’t know many current events or world news — and I’m OK with that.
I have one Christian news source that keeps me in the loop on the basics, but other than that, I focus my mental energy on what’s going on in my home, in our church, in our school, and in our local community.
I’m not saying this is the best or right approach to media, but my brain truly can’t deal with all the problems of the world (or even all the problems of my Facebook friends), and considering I’m a stay-at-home-mom, I don’t think I should be forced to deal with the problems of the world!
At this point in my life, monitoring my media helps me stay sane and makes me a better mother, wife, and friend (to the people I actually see in real life).
I feel so passionate about this that we actually rearranged our home back in March of 2020, to make our TV less visible and less intrusive in our home. It worked wonderfully!
Related Reading: 5 tips to touch your smartphone less
7. I Plan Ahead
Yup, you knew this one would make the list eventually! In fact, in many ways, the concept of planning ahead infiltrates every point on the list above.
Without planning ahead, I wouldn’t have the time or energy to keep my home neat and orderly.
Without planning ahead, I wouldn’t be able to go to bed at a reasonable hour because I’d be playing catch-up all day… which means I wouldn’t be able to wake up as early either.
Without planning ahead, I wouldn’t have time to cook and bake, to grow my own veggies, to entertain, or to bring meals to others.
Without planning ahead, I wouldn’t be able to do nearly as much for our church, our schools, our community, our family, or even for myself. I would end up overcommitted, stressed out, and very unhappy.
I think you get the idea…
Related Reading: Prevent Burnout by Focusing on Planning and Progress
Simple living is work… but simple living is worth it.
If you feel the desire to simplify your life, there’s no better time to start than RIGHT NOW!
It doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. You don’t need to do everything (or even anything) on MY list. Just pick one small part of your own life, consider how you might simplify it, and then do something TODAY to work towards that goal!
You won’t regret it.
Cheryl says
Thank you
Fran says
You are 1 very wise woman….I truly enjoy all your posts ❤️
Andrea says
Thanks so much, Fran!
Penny Doolin says
I love reading your emails, but maybe I should stop because sometimes it makes me feel discontent with my life.
Elizabeth says
I was very encouraged by your list! I strive to have a clutter-free home, as everyone seems calmer without the chaos. We guard our family time and are sticklers about bedtime. I whole heartedly agree with you about eating in being tastier and less stressful than restaurants! Thanks for sharing everything. 🙂
Andrea says
you’re welcome Elizabeth!
we’re hoping to keep an early bedtime for our kids as long as possible! Nora already had one night a week where she is out later for an activity at our church, and I’ll be honest, that whole day evening feels more rushed and “stressful” just because of ONE activity for ONE of our kids. It’s crazy (but she loves it and it’s free!)
Roxie says
You are wise beyond your years. I can tell you one thing I’ve learned – the more money you have, the more you want and the more you spend!
Andrea says
yup, exactly!
sort of like “the more space you have, the more things you feel you need to fill the space!”
Lynn S. says
I like the idea of no media on your phone but how do you get alerted for upcoming bad weather?
Andrea says
well, to be honest, the thought of being alerted for bad weather has never once occurred to me as information I need to know! I do not have any alerts on my phone, except for phone calls and text messages
I do have a basic weather app that I often glance at it in the early evening so I can tell the kids what type of clothing they should pick out for the next day… but that’s it. If it rains, we go inside. If it’s sunny we go outside. We do not have to worry about hurricanes or extreme weather where we live, so the weather has never been anything I’ve been too concerned about.
Kim says
Your #5 and #6 have been huge for me!!! I recently joined a precept ladies bible study (a 3 week study of Ruth). I loved the study and being with other women of like mind. However, the drive was 45 minutes from my home, the study was 2 1/2 hours and I had to devote about 7 hours a week to studying. I had to say “No” to the next session, it’s too much for me. I’m no longer on any social media site. I felt like there were better uses of my time. Thanks for the post!
Andrea says
oh wow — that’s a lot of time for one Bible study. Glad you were able to say no without feeling guilty.
On a side note, I’m starting a women’s Bible study on Ruth THIS WEEK! It’s VERY ‘low key’ and a small time commitment though (and right at our own church).
Sarah C says
I’m actually on a mission to do just this–simplify my life even more. The one I’m specifically working on is sleeping more. I’ve gotten into some bad habits of staying up late. It’s too easy for an extra 1.5 hrs to slip by and it really wasn’t spent productively. By 10pm the only thing my brain is really capable of is spinning stressful situations.
Andrea says
happy simplifying! it’s a great goal to have!
Rebecca M Tabb says
I love this mindset. We are so inundated with stories of those who accomplish great feats and those of us with Type A personalities sometimes feel like we aren’t succeeding if we’re not overachieving. That quote really speaks to me and my mindset of being great where you are but not so driven that we leave what really matters behind.
Andrea says
yes, the stories of great accomplishments are fun — but they are the minority. Stories of normal people doing everyday things are not nearly as exciting! 🙂
Dawn says
This post resonates with me as it does for many of your readers! I don’t want to wait until I’m older and all the kids are out of the house to be self-aware of how I function best. If I understand myself, I can do what is best for me AND my family, now and later on. I am sure I have said it before, but I really appreciate your posts!
Andrea says
Thanks Dawn 🙂
I agree 100%. Don’t wait until later when you have more time… do it now and enjoy years and years of simple living!
Alicia says
Ahhh this is a breath of fresh air to read. I have also taken the route of no media – news, social, TV, etc – for ALL the reasons you listed! Also the older I get, the more I’m coming to understand that I don’t need to do something “big” or have a “big” purpose. For too many years I felt like I had to “do something”. But Raising my 5 boys is a noble and challenging job and I feel blessed to do it! I don’t need “more” and it’s okay that I feel content with that. Thank you for this reminder !
Andrea says
um… yes! I’d say being a mother to 5 boys is enough of an accomplishment for anyone!
Lisa says
I completely relate to every single word of this article!! TRUTH!
Annette Silveira says
Man, #7 speaks to my soul! I think the desire to “be more than I am” is at the root of so much stress and strife in so many lives. I know it’s something I need to take a hard look at when I’m feeling pulled in too many directions.
Andrea says
Yeah, that’s a biggie for me too! I have to constantly remind myself of it too — it’s so easy to get sucked into bigger, better, more, etc.
Casey says
One of my favorite post of yours to date!
The one I am struggling with currently is definitely media. I’m becoming increasingly aware that it’s a major contributing factor in my daily anxiety. Not just obvious negative news, etc, but the Instagram/Facebook/Youtube. It’s a huge time suck and comparison game. I am much more content and have way more time on my hands when I choose to let those things go.
I also realized after reading this that we feel a tremendous amount of pressure from immediate family to “do all the things.” This past weekend was booked with several events we just should have said no too. Do they ever lay on the guilt when you say no? Both sets of our parents tend to really make us feel bad if we decline invitations….
Anonymous says
We only have a limited number of “yeses”.
When we say No to an invitation, it helps us keep the YES items!
If you listen to Jon Acuff (How to say No) that may be a motivation to you. It was for me!
Andrea says
exactly!
Casey says
I’ve never thought of it that way…thanks for the recommendation, I’ll have to check it out!
Andrea says
Thanks Casey!
I would have to say that our families do not make us feel bad about choosing to say no. Sometimes they joke with us and say things like “but you never do ________” but we personally don’t feel like this is pressuring us to do something we don’t want to do.
Honestly, I often find that whenever I feel guilty about something, it’s often because I LET myself feel guilty. I LET the other person get to me, I LET the pressure break me, etc. etc.
This is not to say I’m a horrible person for feeling guilty, but rather, I have control over when and why I feel guilty.
Just something to think about — maybe it will help you the next time you get pressure or push-back from your family members. 🙂
Casey says
Thanks for your reply! And you’re right….my husband repeatedly tells me “No one can MAKE you feel guilty!”
Kim says
This article is exactly why I keep coming back to your blog! You articulate so many things I never knew how to put into words……especially #1.
Also, I thought I was the only teenage girl on the planet who preferred a good night of sleep more than a slumber party.
You are wise beyond your years! I look forward to reading your blog for years to come!
Andrea says
thank you so much!
I hate sleepovers — thankfully, they don’t seem to be as popular these days with all the creepy pedophile stories out there. Most parents I know are NOT fans of sleepovers, especially not for younger children!
Linda says
I feel the exact same way about sleepovers. I maybe went to ONE as a youngster, and,I hate to say it, faked sick so I could go home to my own bed and sleep schedule!!!
Andrea says
haha — I think there are lots of people who strongly dislike sleepovers! I’ll probably end up with the title of “mean mom” for not giving into many sleepover requests!
Leanne says
This verse popped into my head when I read this today:
2 Thessalonians: 4:11-12
and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
* This is why I have continued to read your blog for so long… it reminds me I do not have to overcomplicate my life! Right now we are in a season of evaluating social media/media/technology with all these up and coming teenagers…and we see how COMPLICATED it can make life…and how we are erring on the side of simple… and it may not be very popular!
Thank you for the daily encouragement!!!
Leanne
Andrea says
Thanks Leanne — I’m sort of dreading that time of kids wanting to try social media (and it will be here before we know it!)
Good luck as you make wise decisions for your family!