Simplify your everyday life – 7 less obvious ideas

 

“in my head, my plans are dynamite, flawless maps of certainty, when in reality I forget to put pants on”

Writing lists, being on time, meal prepping, we’ve heard it all before. If you’re a naturally disorganised person, like me, then writing a list goes no further than, well, just that; being written. 9 times out of 10 I leave said list at home with 136 shopping bags I have been meaning to ACTUALLY re-use and a large pile of other good intentions. By this point you can probably imagine my feelings on meal prepping and agendas. (Clears throat)

So for the frantically chaotic, scatty and inpatient these are my REALISTIC tips for simplifying a naturally ‘disordered’ life (from my experience)

UNDERCOMMIT

Now this isn’t as negative as it sounds. I like to say yes to everything because of the reasons listed above but also because I drink too much coffee which gives me a false sense of what I like to call ‘Unicornism’. I start my day with wings, a rainbow tail and a twisted pink horn ready to take on the world only to burnout by 4pm. In my head, my plans are dynamite, flawless maps of certainty, when in reality I forget to put pants on. So saying yes to every challenge, social gathering and networking opportunity in my coffee fuelled hours of enthusiasm has proven to be far from beneficial. In fact, continuously bailing, letting people down or turning up tiered (or worse, without pants!) has proven much less desirable than simply saying ‘no’.

Saying ‘No’ isn’t always to be weak or lazy but can actually be proactive, productive and self loving. You, your friends, colleagues and business will thank you for it

 

 

DONT DRINK TOO MUCH UNICORN JUICE

Please see above. You have been warned; Unicornism can lead to burnout. Coffee contains antioxidants and is great at promoting fat burning when drunk an hour before exercise but too much can lave you stressed, anxious, interrupt sleep and reduce productivity. Try to stick to one a day and no more than 2!

 

 

 GET UP AN HOUR EARLIER

Well this depends what time you already get up but if it’s not before 6am, try it! Whatever it is that you never seem to fit in, do it now. It sounds crazy but this little trick has made a HUGE difference to my stress levels and productivity. There is a real calmness to this quiet part of the day and I use it to complete just one thing. Whether it’s a workout, a blog post, an hour of emails I’ve been meaning to catch up on or even just an hour to relax and get myself mentally ready for a full on day ahead.

I find that If i can confidently achieve one task I feel productive, energised and enthused to achieve more.

If you can make it a habit I SWEAR you will feel more in control and life will become that bit simpler.

 

GET STRICT WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

This is going to take some SERIOUS self-discipline. I don’t need to ramble on about the negative impact of social media, not only to our mental health and self esteem but also also to our productivity, as we all know its an anxiety fuelling waste of time.

All though Instagram feeds and Facebook videos CAN be inspiring, too much BROWSING can have a very negative impact on creativity, self esteem and energy whilst increasing stress and self doubt. It creates that extra brain fog you could do without.

Plus if you can steer clear of all social media for the 2 hours before bed, your sleep will improve and that always makes for a simpler life!

 

 

DO LESS WITH MORE FOCUS

This one has taken some work for me due to my lifelong desires to be a dolphin training actress who ran my own coffee shop whilst saving the world. That’s not strictly true but you get my point. To one degree or another we’re all trying to be the career climbing, super hot, kale killer, head standing, kick ass mum (or thereabouts) and sometimes we don’t have the choice to do less.

It was when I was working a 9-5, working on two new ventures, doing a weekend market and training for the London Marathon that I decided to be a vegan to support my favourite charity World Wildlife Federation. It was also at that time, that I became very physically unwell, depressed and started having problems in my relationship. It didn’t feel fair that I was working so hard at everything yet everything was going wrong. It was the tough, kind words of a friend that made me realise I didn’t HAVE to do all of this and as I put a few things on the back burner, I felt the world slip off my shoulders as my health returned to normal.

Us women are pretty tough and can take on a multiple of roles with great success. But I now gain much more from the few things I put my full energy into. It’s more rewarding and enjoyable, not only for me but for those around me too.

 

 

INCREASE YOUR INTAKE OF OMEGA 3

This might sound a little random but hear me out. Omega 3 is so important for brain function, nervous system, sleep and balancing hormones. It promotes neurotransmitter balance and reception as well as relieving depression, hyperactivity and other mental health disorders.

I used to suffer with PMS, brain fog and mood swings but not since I made Omega 3 a priority in my diet. Improved sleep, balanced hormones and a healthy nervous system; what could make life much more manageable than that?

Food’s to incorporate:

• Oily fish
• flaxseed
• Walnuts
• Sunflower seeds

 

 

THE TRUTH HURTS

Honesty. This one can seem quite intimidating but the difference it can make to your life is profound. It is through some of the most painful conversations and toughest realisations that I have experienced the BIGGEST transformations in my life.

Through regular audit, any good organisation or business regularly analyses what is negative and positive in regards to the progression of the company. Yet, individuals go from day to day, year to year not even asking OURSELVES ‘does this still work for me?’ Even when we do, do we always answer honestly? Or do we lie in order to avoid the pain of change?

I continue to be surprised by people’s kindness, understanding and humility when I have been honest about difficult topics. If you feel a relationship is lacking, a friendship has changed or your job isn’t satisfying you any more then have the strength to be honest, firstly with yourself and secondly with anyone else concerned. Express it, own it and change it. It might seem far from simple but your authenticity will reward you with a much simpler, happier future in the long term