10 Ways to Create a Simpler Life and Increase Your Happiness

Oftentimes, people mistakenly think that if only their lives were fuller, they would be happier.  For instance, they believe that if they had a busy social life and a never-ending To Do List, their lives would have purpose.  And if they had more stuff, they would have tangible evidence that they are successful.  The problem is that an over-abundance of activities and stuff will not make you happier.  In fact, ironically, if you want to be happier, you need to create a simpler life.

Of course, that tidbit of wisdom flies in the face of society’s messages.  For example, the Kardashians are our most famous and successful family in the United States.  And what they sell is complication and excess.  They have an overabundance of everything from clothing to homes.  Their personal lives are fraught with problems.  And underlying all the stuff and mess, what they are trying to sell (believe it or not) is happiness.  Their underlying message is that you too could be happy if you lived their complicated, excessive lifestyle.

The funny thing is that we, as a society, buy that message.  So, we buy more stuff than we need so that we can feel wealthy.  We fill up our work and social calendars with activities, so that we can feel important and interesting.  And then we wonder why we aren’t happy…

We aren’t happy because stuff and busyness won’t make you happy.  In fact, they’ll do just the opposite.  They’ll make you miserable.  That is because the human brain doesn’t thrive in excess and chaos.  The human brain craves simplicity.  Our brains want walls with some white space and parts of each day that allow for quiet reading and reflection.

Below are 10 ways to create a simpler life so that you can be happier and feel more relaxed.  Follow these approaches and see your happiness increase!

Limit Your Use of the Television and Internet

The television and the Internet are time stealers.  Any time spent watching television or surfing the Internet is time wasted.  That is time that you could have spent doing activities that feed your soul, like doing something creative, reading a book or enjoying nature.

But the bigger problem is that the television and the Internet are replete with advertising.  And those advertisers aggressively try to get you to buy stuff that you don’t need.  And having stuff you don’t need is the opposite of simplicity.

I’ll admit that marketing is effective.  Watch enough television, and you’ll be desperate to have that luxury car or fancy outfit.  Spend enough time on HGTV, and you’ll be craving a new house.  It’s hard to watch the television or surf the Internet and not want to get more stuff.  That’s why it’s better just to turn it off and avoid the temptation!

So, limit your use of the television and the Internet.  Avoid the tactics used by marketers to get you to buy stuff that you just don’t need.  Choose to turn off your screens whenever possible, stop watching other people live their lives, and go out there live your own life instead! 

Live Under Your Means

It takes discipline, but the most important thing that you can do is to live under your means.  Most folks like to live at or beyond their means.  That is because they want to show the world how successful they are.  So, they buy expensive things, take extravagant trips and live in overpriced homes to prove to the world that they are financially successful.

But overspending complicates our lives.  It leaves us with bills we can’t pay in the event of a recession, a job loss or an unexpected expense.  And then we are scrambling trying to try to figure out how to get out from under debt.

It is far better to live under your means.  So, decorate your home simply.  Take trips that you can afford without breaking the bank.  And live in a house for which the rent or mortgage is low enough that you don’t have to worry if you have a 3- or 6-month gap in income. 

When we live under our means, we have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that we have a nest egg in case of any financial calamity.  And that kind of “financial simple living” feels good!

Declutter Your Home

We tend to accumulate more stuff than we need because it is comforting.  After all, if I have a lot of stuff, that must mean that I am rich and successful.  Right?  Yes.  And no. 

These days, you can buy a lot of stuff at a very low cost, since most items are made in third world countries where laborers aren’t paid very much.  So, having a lot of stuff, just means that you like to shop.  It doesn’t mean that you actually have lots of money.

The problem with having too much stuff is that clutter is hard on the brain.  Our brains crave simplicity and order.  We are best able to relax in rooms that are tidy and simply decorated. 

So, simplify your budget and stop wasting your money on excess stuff.  Instead, declutter your home and decorate it solely with things that you love or that are functionally necessary.  For example, the nicest home I have ever been in was owned by two writers.  Their home was simply and carefully decorated.  Every item had a story.  It wasn’t stuffed to the brim with impersonal items from Home Goods or Pottery Barn.  When you entered their home, you immediately felt comfortable.

So, consider decluttering your home.  Get rid of stuff that just fills up space but has no sentimental or functional value.  Your brain and pocketbook will thank you.

Learn to Say “No”

One of the best ways to simplify your life is to learn how to say “no.”  So often, we agree to do things in life out of obligation.  That is a recipe for a wasted life. 

Many years ago, I gave up doing anything out of obligation.  These days, I do exactly what I want to do, and nothing more.  So, I help people if I want to help them, and I only do activities that make me happy.

Over the years, what I’ve learned is that when you stop doing things out of obligation, people will kick up a fuss.  But that’s OK.  In fact, I’d argue that if everyone in the world is happy with you, then you are spending way too much time meeting the needs of others.  And your needs and interests are falling by the wayside. 

When you give up doing things out of obligation, that frees up a tremendous amount of your time.  You suddenly have the time to sit quietly and read a book.  Or perhaps go for a walk in nature.  You’ll have time to sit and listen to a beautiful piece of music.  In short, you will have time to do the activities that feed your soul, and that is the reward of living a simpler life.

Get Rid of Your Commute

I have spent much of my life commuting to a job.  Over the years, I’ve commuted to work by car, by train and even by boat.  And my conclusion from that experience is that commuting to an office is a massive waste of time. 

Unless you are in a business in which you actually serve the public directly (such as being a cashier, a food server, salesperson, etc.) there is no good reason to commute to an office to do your job.  And as most folks will attest, you are actually much more productive at home than at the office.

Simplifying your life by eliminating your commute is not easy.  However, it certainly is more doable since the pandemic.  In the past, most employers scoffed at the idea of their employees working from home.  In fact, I’d been working for 20 years before I was able to get a work-from-home position.  However, today, the ability to work from home is a perk that employers readily offer.

If you are in a field that simply requires you to be in the office, then you alternatively can simplify your life by living close to the office.  Rent or buy a home within walking distance of where you work, and see your quality of life increase!

So, simplify your life by getting rid of your commute.  With the time that you would have spent commuting, you can read, cook delicious meals, garden, spend time with friends and do an assortment of soul satisfying activities that you couldn’t have done before. 

Quit the Comparison Game

One reason why we buy more than we need and overload our schedules with activities is that we like to play the comparison game.  We compare ourselves to our friends, family members and colleagues.  And we want our homes to be bigger, we want to have more stuff, and we want our social lives to be more active than our peers.

The result is that we buy unnecessary stuff and overcomplicate our lives in an effort to outdo others.  That is no way to live. 

If you want to simplify your life, stop looking at what your neighbor is doing.  Instead, decide what will make you happy.  For example, don’t buy a big house, just to impress your family and friends, if what truly brings you pleasure is traveling.  Instead, choose to live in a nice, small house and use your extra money to take trips. 

Similarly, don’t buy expensive clothing just to impress your friends, if having a costly wardrobe doesn’t matter to you.  Spend that money on the things that give you pleasure. 

When we stop comparing ourselves to others, our lives become infinitely simpler.  We narrow down our belongings and activities to those things that we truly enjoy.  And in doing so, we automatically create a simpler, happier life!  

Spend More Time at Home

In our society, we consider it a status symbol to be out and about.  If someone asks us, “What did you do this weekend?” we’d like to say, “Well, I went biking/hiking/camping/partying, and it was great!”  We feel badly if we say, “Well, I stayed in and read a good book.” 

Our goal is for other people to think that we are popular and interesting.  And as a result, we exhaust ourselves by trying to be out of the house whenever possible.  The problem is that being outside the house all the time is draining.  Rather, we need to spend large portions of our free time at home relaxing and refreshing ourselves.

So, if you truly want a simpler, calmer life, make an effort to be at home.  Work to make your home a place that you truly enjoy.  Get rid of the clutter.  Turn off the television and stop the noise.  And make your house a peaceful place which you can truly enjoy.    

Eliminate People Who Consume Your Emotional Energy

This may sound unkind, but the best way to simplify your life is to stop dealing with the people who are a problem.  And we all know who those people are.  They are the folks who always have an issue.  They’re never happy.  And their complaints and requests are endless.

While there is nothing wrong with feeling sorry for people who are problematic, you need to keep those folks at a distance.  So, if you are married to someone who relentlessly saps your happiness and emotional energy, decrease your time with that person.  And if he or she refuses to change their ways, get divorced.  Similarly, if your parent, other family member or friend burdens you with their incessant problems, stop answering their phone calls or text messages.

Admittedly, all that sounds harsh.  But I guarantee you that as soon as you eliminate the people from your life who sap your emotional energy, you’ll feel like you can breathe again.  That is because difficult, depressed, problematic people suffocate everyone around them with their misery. 

Worse yet, those folks will complicate your life.  Your time will be consumed with their issues, and you’ll be left with no time for yourself.  And while it is good to be helpful, supportive and loving toward other people, you cannot solve other people’s problems.  Only they can solve their problems. 

So, simplify your life by keeping your distance from the folks who sap your emotional energy.  Instead, choose to be happy.  Then surround yourself with other reasonably happy people.  And keep the emotional energy vampires at bay!

Stop Trying to Multi-Task

We all multi-task on occasion.  We’ll have a conversation while driving.  Or we’ll be thinking about issues at work while cooking dinner.  And we misguidedly think that all this multi-tasking makes us uber productive!

Admittedly, multi-tasking allows us to get a lot done.  However, the problem with multi-tasking is that it doesn’t feel good.  Sure, you may get a rush out of conducting a business call while picking up your kids from school.  After all, you got two things done in half the time! 

But doing two things at once is exhausting.  Our brains simply don’t like multi-tasking.  Our brains like to do one thing at a time.  In fact, there happens to be a fancy, in vogue word for doing one thing at a time – mindfulness.  Mindfulness simply is about giving your full attention to what you are doing in this moment.  And multi-tasking is the opposite of mindfulness.

When we do one thing at a time, we simplify our lives.  We slow down and simply focus on what we are doing in the present moment.  Now you may argue, “Well, I won’t get everything done!”  Well, maybe doing everything isn’t really necessary.

I have found that the best way to simplify my life is to pare down what I do each day to what is important to me.  Now, sometimes it is important to me to help my husband or my daughter.  But at other times, what is important to me is to do those activities that make me happy and feed my soul. 

The key is to stop doing things out of obligation.  Once you stop doing things out of obligation, you will be amazed at how simple your life becomes.  And when you simplify your daily activities, you then can do each activity mindfully, with your full attention.  And that feels great!

Develop a Meditation or Prayer Practice

One of the most important ways that you can create a simpler life is to spend some time each day clearing your mind.  Life feels chaotic and complicated when we are overwhelmed by worry or stress.  When we meditate or pray, we clear our minds of all the “noise.” 

When we achieve a clear state of mind, suddenly we achieve clarity in all kinds of areas.  In my own life, through prayer and meditation, I’ve been able to figure out what type of life I truly want.  And what type of life I don’t want!  Simply by meditating and reflecting, I’ve learned that what I most enjoy is a quiet, peaceful life.  I don’t want drama or chaos.  And once I figured out what I really wanted from life, I was able to simplify my life so that I could create the life that I truly desire.

Meditation and prayer both help us eliminate the “noise.”  I consider the “noise” to be the demands of the world that get in the way of our living our best lives.  Once we get rid of the noise, we can drill down to what we really want out of life.  It is then that we can simplify our lives to create a life that truly fulfills us.

If you are seeking to create a simpler life, consider following the above approaches.  If you do, you’ll find your life will become simpler, and in turn, you’ll become much happier! (To read more about ways to start living simply, click here.) (If you would like to read about how to develop your focus and self-discipline, click here.)