There’s something about living a simpler lifestyle that makes one’s heart sigh.  It’s like having a soft (but supportive) pillow.  It’s…comfortable.

Some people think simplicity is living off the grid, like in Alaska, and raising and hunting their own food.  (I think this is a lot of work myself, but some people bask in this lifestyle!)  Others think simplicity is having a dog or a cat, a comfortable chair and lots of books to read on a rainy afternoon.  

Simplicity means different things to different people.  Living simply can mean being satisfied with what we already have, and not what we want.  It can mean wanting a better balance between work and home, and changing lifestyle habits.  I guess it’s a lot of things.

But how do we start living a simpler life?

By changing two things, we can start decluttering our minds and in return, we’ll have a simpler life.

1. Limiting communication is one way to declutter our life.  If we limit our communication with text messages, e-mail, Facebook, Instagram and even phone calls to certain times in the day, we will actually make room for other things in our life.  We now can carve out blocks of time for doing other things that matter to us, whether it’s gardening, going for a walk, or reading a book.

2. Turn off the television.  Binge-watching is addictive!  Not everyone will agree with this, but by turning off the TV an hour earlier in the evening, for example, you’ll reap health benefits.  Studies show that watching a favorite TV show feels good and causes our brains to release dopamine, a “pleasure” chemical.  That’s fine, but when we want to watch more and more and more…it makes it harder to stop.  Less TV often means a better night’s sleep, and a more peaceful evening.  And going on a news diet a few times a week can’t hurt, right?

Habits are hard to break, but by starting small we can find our way into creating a simpler lifestyle.

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”  

(Robert Brault)