5 Simple Ways to Simplify Your Life

Lisette Cifaldi, director of behavioral health at the Hilton Head Health, shares five helpful—and inspiring—tips to help you simplify your life in this special guest post below:

1. Tame the clutter monster: Keep your home environment clean and comfortable so that it remains your sanctuary. When purchasing something ask yourself, “Is this a want or a need?” Likewise, for every new thing that you bring into your house, an old thing must go.

2. Avoid saying yes on the spot: When asked to volunteer or give your time to something, create a stall tactic like, “Sounds good but I need to check a few things first. Can you call me in a week or so to follow up?”  That way you can determine if you have the energy to spare before committing your precious time while putting the onus on the person asking the favor to follow-up.

3. Create a work-life/home-life buffer: After getting home from a long day at work, take 30 minutes to decompress in a healthy way such as meditation, exercise, reading, or taking a walk. A short buffer between work and home allows you to be fully present with your loved ones in the evening, as well as provides renewed energy needed to tackle home-life tasks.

4. Allow people to help: Many of us have a difficult time asking for help or allowing people to help us. The truth is, when we allow people to help us we are giving them the gift of being of service. Being of service to others helps us to get out of the monkey-chatter in our brains, while connecting to our spirit. It also allows us the gift of connecting to others. It’s a win-win situation. Try it!

5. Gratitude, the reset button: When life gets overwhelming, and you find yourself ruminating on difficulties or hardships, start cultivating gratitude. Gratitude helps to recalibrate your emotions and negative thoughts by redirecting your energy on blessings. Doing so births only positive emotions…love, hope, and joy. Set your phone for a daily prompt to focus on things for which you are grateful. Write down three to five things each day that you are grateful for in a journal.