15 Aug Calm the chaos in your life. 7 tips to simplify
There are so many things that can bring us happiness.
And so many other things that can distract us from what’s important and eat away at our happiness and wellbeing.
One strategy for staying on the happiness track is…to keep everything simple. The minimalist approach to life suggests that happiness and “success” will come from doing less and/or from only doing that which really adds value to our lives.
Sound interesting? Read on for 7 Minimalist Morning Routines that will Calm the Chaos in your Life and Allow you to be Happy…
via Thrive Global by Michelle Lian
Mornings are the perfect time to head into life with a fresh start.
A new chance to change directions. A new opportunity to think differently than you did yesterday. It means more room to see life from a different (and more empowering) perspective. A fresh chapter for you to write about where you want to go, who you want to be and how you want to live. A new day to be healthier.
But even though I love the feeling of waking up to a new day, I’m not exactly the biggest fan of the A.M chaos that so many of us don’t have the luxury of avoiding. And as someone who’s more productive after the sun goes down, I tend to work way past midnight, which means that getting a full seven to eight hours of snooze time each night isn’t possible if I also want to get started not-so-bright and super early the next day.
So I’ve decided that I’m OK with not being an early morning person.
But…I still want to make my mornings work for, not against (read: frantic and frazzled) me, so I followed my intuition and simplified, simplified, simplified.
It was also was easier than I thought, thanks to the inspiration I got from the following morning routines that I’d discovered during my quest to start my day calm, focused and motivated.
1. De-clutter the night before.
Mornings have the potential to energise or drain you, says Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist and as such, deserve some time and attention so you head into your 24 hours on a stress- and anxiety-free foot.
His remedy for accomplishing this? De-cluttering your living space the night before. Worried about not having enough time to get your life in order every single night, let alone sleep? Take a deep breath and relax because Becker’s exercise should take no more than 10 minutes from start to finish, to do.
It simply involves ten, 60-second bouts of putting away or organising your: Shoes and coats, mail and newspapers, clothing, electronics, loose change and receipts, bathroom counters, kids’ homework, kitchen dishes, utensils and food, kids’ toys and paperwork.
Plus, says Becker: The more often you make this simple ritual a part of your evenings, the more efficient you’ll become at getting it done and the better your mornings will turn out.
2. Put yourself first.
Courtney Carver’s life changed when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2006.
But instead of letting her diagnosis control her life, the author of the blog Be More With Less used it as an opportunity to change how she lived.
One of the changes she made was to put herself first, starting with a morning routine that revolves around caring for her health and well-being: She’s up by 5:30A.M and spends the first part of her morning writing. Then, she goes inward by turning her attention to her body and mind with stretches, yoga or walking before wrapping up with a little more quiet time, breakfast and reading.
A big plus of finally giving herself permission to put herself first, says Carver, is that it has allowed her to better serve the people and projects she cares about the most.
If the thought of creating more space for you in the morning makes you feel overwhelmed, know this: Carver started out with just 15 minutes and was gradually able to expand it to what it is now by downsizing her life and quitting her job in 2011.
While you don’t have to quit your job to find your A.M. zen, you can carve out more time for yourself by reducing the clutter in your home, and simplifying your meals and wardrobe to start with…
…keep reading the full & original article HERE