10 simple ways to make life easier every day.

DOES HAVING MORE MONEY MAKE LIFE EASIER?

One study revealed that having more money generally makes life easier and increases levels of happiness. Feeling happier makes life feel easier. However, it’s not the only indicator of well-being. In another study, researchers found that valuing time over money correlated with greater well-being.

This tells us that our perception of ease is relative. For example, someone who lives in a rural part of a developed country likely has an easier life than someone who lives in a rural part of a developing country.

Also, how you make life easier for yourself is multifactorial and is going to depend on things like what your intrinsic values are and where you are at in life.

LIVING LIFE WITH MORE EASE.

As a mom who works from home with 3 young children, I’m always looking for a way to live my life with greater ease. In fact, I’ve always been this way. It doesn’t mean that I’m purposely being lazy. It means that I’m finding ways to work smarter so I can maximize my time & energy.

Here are the reasons why I strive to make life easier each day:

It saves time and energy.

I can focus on the things that are important to me.

Having more time means I’m supporting my well-being.

My relationship with others is better.

I feel more gratitude and positivity.

I’m able to have more compassion for myself and others.

10 SIMPLE WAYS TO MAKE LIFE EASIER.

Although your life is different from mine, I share these tips because they’re practical, you don’t have to spend a dime, and anyone can start at least one of these tips no matter where they are in life. Here are 10 simple ways to make your life easier.

1. DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP.

I put this one first because I think it’s something that a lot of people have a hard time with, myself included.

My pride and ego used to get in the way of asking others for help because I didn’t want to feel like a burden or feel guilty for asking someone else for their time. Secretly though, I didn’t want to expose my vulnerability.

I thought only strong people pulled themselves up by the bootstraps, so that was how I always wanted to be perceived.

Asking for help meant that I wasn’t strong enough to do it myself and I didn’t want to risk being judged by others.

Over time, I had to get over the limiting beliefs I held about asking others for help. I learned that life could feel much easier if I just asked.

I also learned that most people are glad to help you out because humans are hardwired to help each other. The next time you feel hesitant to ask for help, go within and ponder the reason why you’re stopping yourself.

Remember to reach out if you need help or get in touch with a licensed professional, especially if you’re having a crisis.

2. GET RID OF UNNECESSARY THINGS.

Most of us have things that we don’t really need, even those who live a simple or minimalist life.

We hang on to unnecessary things because they hold sentimental value or there’s an emotional attachment behind it.

When I say unnecessary, I don’t mean just physical possessions. I mean anything that doesn’t add value to your life, like certain habits, limiting beliefs, and toxic relationships.

I know that may sound harsh, especially when it comes to relationships. But if you did a quick assessment of your life right now, would any of this be true?

If this resonates with you at all, then you can read more in detail about how to simplify your life.

A good place to start is your closet. Chances are, you’ve got some clothes that don’t fit or haven’t worn in a while. They will most likely be the easiest to get rid of.

It will take some effort and time to get rid of all the things you don’t need anymore, so give yourself some grace because it’s a big step towards making life easier for yourself.

3. PRACTICE GRATITUDE.

Gratitude is a wonderful practice because it creates a feeling of abundance without adding anything extra to your life. It is simple, free, and doesn’t really take up much time.

Gratitude is linked with greater social, physical, and psychological health. People who practice gratitude exercise more, have higher levels of positive emotions, and feel less lonely & isolated.

Journaling is one way you can start a gratitude practice by writing down just one thing you’re grateful for and making a note of how it makes you feel. Another way is to say to yourself what it is you are grateful for.

This doesn’t mean that gratitude will magically erase all the problems in your life, but it’s a gateway to living a life with more happiness and ease.

4. FOCUS ON THE THINGS YOU VALUE.

If I didn’t define what it was that I valued in my life, I’d feel lost. I liken it to being dropped off in an unfamiliar place without GPS, a map, or a compass.

Also, I would probably be spending way too much time on less important things like social media, online shopping, or watching Netflix.

Defining what your core values are will help make your life easier by prioritizing the most important things first.

You only have 24 hours in a single day and you want to spend them in a way that is balanced, nurturing, and meaningful.

Here are some categories to think about to help you create a list of things that you value:

Social

Physical

Financial

Personal

Spiritual

Vocational

Mental

5. MAKE REALISTIC GOALS.

If you’re one of those people who hates making goals (like I used to), I highly recommend giving it a chance.

I think the most frustrating part of making goals is not achieving them and feeling like a failure. This is especially true for large goals.

In his book, Atomic Habits, James Clear stated that if you improve even by 1%, it adds up over time and you’ll create meaningful and lasting change in your life.

You can apply this idea to your goals. Making realistic goals will give you a greater sense of ease and accomplishment. Set realistic goals by making them small enough to feel like you’re actually moving forward and winning.

6. CREATE A SIMPLE ROUTINE.

Routines give you structure so you can get certain things done every day, like making dinner, maintaining good hygiene, or meditating.

A routine can be one habit, or a bunch of different habits strung together, that you do consistently each day. It can take some effort and experimentation, especially in the beginning.

Once you have a solid routine down, you’ll make life easier for yourself by freeing up some mental space so you don’t have to spend too much time thinking about what needs to be done.

Having a simple routine will make you feel productive without feeling overwhelmed. It can also give you more time to do what you love.

7. AUTOMATE AS MANY THINGS AS YOU CAN.

Automating is not the same as living on autopilot. Autopilot is going through the motions of life while feeling dissatisfied. Automation is making anything that requires effort less demanding.

One example is setting up a monthly payment system that will pay for your bills without extra mental or physical effort on your part.

Think about all the little things you do each day that take up your time. You can probably come up with things that you’d rather be spending your time on that are more important.

8. BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF.

Have you ever compared yourself to others, put yourself down if you made a mistake, or even criticized yourself? I know I have.

This behavior is not something you’re born with. At some point in your life, someone hurt you in some way and you learned certain behaviors to help you adapt, even if they weren’t good for you.

Being more gentle with yourself will help you flow with life easier. You’re giving yourself permission to be your true self and accept yourself for who you are. This is simple in theory but harder in practice.

One simple way to be more gentle with yourself is to stop criticizing yourself. This will take some time and practice but when you’re less critical of yourself, you have more compassion toward yourself and others.

9. GET ADEQUATE REST.

Make sure you get enough enough rest each day. Getting adequate rest will give you the energy you need to get through your day with relative ease. The last thing you want is to feel like the day is dragging on.

Take frequent breaks throughout the day as needed to refresh your mind and body. Lunch breaks, coffee breaks, or any type of break, will give you time to refresh yourself mentally and physically.

Get the recommended amount of 7-9 hours of sleep every night so you can recharge and wake up feeling rejuvenated.

Lastly, if you can, take a vacation for at least a week. It doesn’t have to be anywhere expensive, as long as you can unplug and unwind. Sometimes you need to get away to give your mind, body, and spirit some much needed rest and relaxation.

10. DO AN INFORMATION DETOX.

I am one of those people who likes to stay informed because of FOMO, or the fear of missing out.

I know that FOMO can be detrimental to my health, which is why I do an information detox once a week (although I could do more).

An antidote to FOMO is JOMO, or the joy of missing out. JOMO makes your life easier by allowing yourself to embrace where you are in life with joy and give yourself permission to maintain healthy boundaries.

So even if you have just a day or a few hours, stay away from information that is not urgent. Sometimes you have to disconnect yourself from information so you can reconnect to yourself.

This might mean avoiding the neighborhood gossip, social media, email, the news, or anything that might overwhelm you with information.

Striving to live a life with more ease is not laziness. It’s finding ways to work smarter so you don’t have to work as hard. It helps you maximize your time and energy so you can spend it doing things that are meaningful to you and with the people you love.

I hope you found these tips to make life easier helpful. If you’ve got some tips to share please let me know down in the comments below.