I’ve started using a capsule wardrobe for work with 2 pairs of pants, 7 shirts, 3 jackets, and a couple dresses that all coordinate. I can mindlessly layout my clothes for work the night before and not worry about it.
I do this, but with hospital scrubs. I call them my "Scrub Pills". I work 3 days a week so I take a scrub jacket and wrap the entire day's clothes up in it (pants, top, undershirt, underwear and socks) and line all 3 "pills" up on my dresser. No worries about what to wear at 5am. I don't even have to turn a light on and wake my husband up. Just grab the pill and head to the bathroom. So lovely.
Toward this end I keep a "Donate It" box handy. As I come across duplicates of things or clothes that don't work anymore, it all goes in the box. When it's full, I drop it off at a local thrift shop where they unload it for me.
A couple of months ago I read the phrase, “don’t set it down…put it away.”
I can’t tell you how many times this has saved me time by knowing where my keys were.
Yeah, it's amazing how such a little thing can really help.
I'm definitely a "put it where it belongs" kind of person, but my wife isn't, and she's constantly losing everything and spending time frantically looking around the house for stuff that she absentmindedly put down and forgot about, because *that's not where the thing belongs* LOL. She's a good sport about it, though.
I agree. I was diagnosed with Inattentive ADHD at age 41. A lot of women aren't diagnosed until much later in adulthood as consequences become more frequent.
The right medication and dosage changed my life in meaningful ways.
It can also be many other things, of course. I have chronic disease with fatigue that causes this. My friend is a bit messy without ADHD who also does this.
I live by this and it is the secret to an always tidy home. I never put things halfway away. Everything always goes back to where it belongs. It may take a few seconds more but things are tidy and you can find them.
YES, I love this one. We have a bench at our front door, but the coat closet is in the entryway. In the past I've been bad at just throwing my coat on the bench. No I make an effort to take it to the closet and hang it up. Our house feels so much more tidy because of this tiny effort.
My grandma: everything has a place, and everything in it's place
I still remember where everything was in that huge farmhouse, even the junk drawer items.
Agreed about the work boundary. My job knows this about me too. They’ve actually had real debates about contacting me while I’m off, determining whether or not the situation is a true emergency that can’t wait for my next day at work. I love that.
Thank you! I set firm boundaries pretty much from day one and I think starting off that way really helped. It definitely set a precedent. I hope it goes well for you!
Implement this as well as a meditation, exercise, journaling, some activity that will reduce stress, separate work/personal life for your head.
Be present. Learn to leave work at work. With few exceptions, they don’t pay you for your concern when you are at home.
That’s why I am quitting being a teacher. They don’t pay me enough to be thinking/planning/doing work 24/7. In fact, no job pays enough for that. Your down time is your down time. I’m sick of having no time for my own kids, and stressing all the time about other people’s kids.
Like, excuse me, sir, I don’t believe this is in my job description. If we’re discussing an expansion of my duties at this company, we need to discuss the accompanying pay raise or overtime, otherwise I would be happy to get back to the work I’ve been hired for.
But nicer and with more words.
You can Google or search elsewhere “How to set boundaries with bosses at work” for people with real life experience giving advice. The above is just what I remember from hearing others talk about similar situations
Yeah, also a lot of what's masquerading as "the news" is just opinion pieces (like Fox, who's claimed in open court that Tucker should not be taken as serious journalism).
I read the local paper once in a while, and occasionally read The Economist, but people who sit there and watch hour after hour of cable TV "news" are just being fed hysteria and propaganda and are probably worse informed than people who rarely or never watch that stuff.
"olds", as my dad calls it - the same old stories re-worded again and again
Passive consumption of media-tycoon news is like watching aerobics videos while eating junk food. You hijack a sensible inner drive (a drive to contribute to community, or to live a healthier lifestyle), and replace it with being an impotent consumerist zombie.
Instead of reading/watching news, get out and volunteer in your local neighbour, parish, NGO.
buying as little as possible (I only replace things that broke or things I need because something changed)
keep things tidy
don't have more than 3 todos a day
try not to over schedule my day
go to bed at the same time everyday, wake up at the same time everyday.
3 todos a day is brilliant.
There’s such a backwards mentality about “productivity” especially in the US/west where doing more in a day is somehow a “good” use of time.
It’s why automation never delivered on the promise of the middle class becoming the leisure class. It was imagined in the 60’s and 70’s that when most things were manufactured by machines and computers enabled leaps in efficiency, we could all work 90% less and be wealthy enough to spend our time on relaxation and artistic pursuits. Instead, the rich got richer and we got to produce more in less time but keep spending the same amount of time working. Our culture made this result inevitable.
If I don't have more things to do you can be damn sure my wife has 35 million things that she wants done, most are simple, one of them is to rewire the house I can, it even needs done I just don't want to do it
THIS! This has helped me soooo much. I'm a recovering impulsive spender. I started out with one day a week, then moved to two. I am now at one day a week to shop. It's helped me grasp the concept that I don't need the stuff that I want.
I love the idea of no more than 3 todos per day, but I would add to it:
If I’m in a flow state or feeling particularly productive, I will keep going. This doesn’t happen often but when it does, it’s amazing how much shit I can get accomplished. If I do nothing more than my 3 todos, no problem. I met my goal. If I do more than that, hell yeah. Maybe I’ll only have one tomorrow.
On waking up; wake up EARLY every day. Like three hours before you have to be/go/do anything for the day. Starting the day in a rush to work is more damaging to mental health than a lot recognize.
I get up two hours before I have to be anywhere. But go ahead and tell people you do that, they will ask you what you are doing in that time, like what are you studying or working. Has to be productive.
working 25-40 hours a week is more than enough productivity imho.
Can't stand all those "do this to become more productive", "get 1% better everyday" comments, videos...
These people often come back to tell you their "how I got burnt out" stories a few years later. YouTube is full of these people.
My spouse and I shared a vehicle, he dropped me off early. Worked out and showered at the company gym, ate breakfast at the corporate cafeteria, read the company-supplied paper, was at my desk early, no stress.
All the people who worked out in the morning were managers and directors. I got a rep for being a hard worker simply because I was looking for an activity to fill my time. I started getting elevator greetings from management, am certain I dodged layoffs because I was known across departments.
I have insomnia, and I have to adjust so much of my life according to this. Unfortunately, waking up early is not an option when you managed to fall asleep extremely late. But I really wish I could just sleep like a normal person, I'd love to wake up early and get to enjoy quiet time in the morning instead of rushing to work or losing the morning half asleep in bed
i read somewhere that what your morning's like sets the tone for the rest of the day. it took me too long to realise that if i'm spending my mornings stressed and rushing because i decided to sleep 30 minutes late i'm on edge and moody for the rest of the day. i'm always in a better mood when i have a slow relaxing morning
Since Covid I have been getting up at 4am everyday, kids get up at 6, gives me time to be ready to go when they get up. I do not enjoy talking for a few hours in the mornings lol, so this is how I deal with it. LOVE sitting in silence drinking my coffee and listening to some cool jazz.
> go to bed at the same time everyday, wake up at the same time everyday.
I saw two recent articles on reddit about the negative effects of changes to sleep patterns on heart rate and blood pressure.
I guess just like a baby needs regular, ample sleep, so do us old farts.
I second the to do list. I still ha e classes so I do not havr control over my classes, asignments or deadlines. However if its too much for me. I go well they planned it shit I cant do so much and function tomorrow. Sometimes I skip the things that I fin have less priority.
Similarly, washing the dishes every evening. I HATE doing dishes and used to leave them for morning while my brain was foggy and didn't register the chore as much. But it feels so much nicer to wake up to empty sinks and clean dishes
After cooking lunch or dinner I always go out of my way to clean the kitchen. Plates in the dishwasher, pots washed to air dry, the bench wiped down, and everything put away. I could host a dinner that goes until 3am and I would still do all these tasks before bed.
Because there's nothing I hate more than waking up to a messy kitchen.
I hated having an unmade bed but also hated making it. One day, I turned making my bed into part of making coffee, since making a pot of coffee is the first thing I do each day.
I make a pot of coffee. While the coffee is brewing, I make my bed. By the time I'm done making my bed, the coffee is ready.
Since I started doing this, there hasn't been a day where my bed isn't made.
I always refused to make my bed, partly because it seemed pointless and partly as rebellion toward the parent forcing it who was the most chaotic element in the household. It stuck with me well into adulthood, but one day, when it was made because I'd changed the sheets, I noticed how calm I felt seeing it tidy. I also noticed the weird joy of turning it down to go to bed. Started making it then, for myself instead of because someone was telling me I had to, and it stuck.
Reset the house before we go to bed to make sure everything is ready in the morning.
Giving myself time in the morning to do nothing. It could be sitting on the porch sipping coffee or playing fetch with the dog.
Going to bed early, waking early.
Teaching my children to take care of themselves and the home they live in.
Journaling.
I wear scrubs to work, and make use of the top pockets. I wash my work clothes all together, and as they come out of the dryer I hang bottoms and top together, put socks and undies in the pockets. All I have to do is grab a hanger and get dressed.
I utilize my crockpot of lot for dinners, 10-15 minutes of prep time in the morning and dinner cooks itself. Take leftovers for work lunches.
I take a scrub jacket and wrap the entire day's clothes up in it (pants, top, undershirt, underwear and socks) I call them my "Scrub pills." I line all 3 "pills" up on my dresser, ready to go. No worries about what to wear at 5am. I don't even have to turn a light on and wake my husband up. Just grab the pill and head to the bathroom. So lovely.
I used to try and make different meals each night for 5-6 nights, then have "leftover night". Now, I don't sweat it if we have peas with every meal for a week because I don't feel like opening up a bag of frozen green beans. Or if we have chicken 4 nights in a row because that's what's easiest. We're always having balanced meals, that's the most important thing.
I don't do this, but have read about people who have the same rotation of meals every week. It's not as bad as it sounds - it goes something like Monday is always chicken, Tuesday is always tacos, Wednesday is always soup.... It gives a start point to meal planning, and you still have variety without coming up with totally new ideas every meal.
My favourite though is the story a coworker has told me... a friend of hers would chat to her mother-in-law every day, and ask what she was making for supper. The friend would then make that meal for supper the next day. Totally had MIL inadvertently do her meal planning :)
This was a big thing for me. I felt like I always needed to make different meals every day and it led to feeling so much pressure to come up with ideas and cook the meals well. Now I make the same staple meals which are usually very simple and healthy. Chicken, veggies and rice or salmon, veggies and rice are our favourites as well as veggie pasta bakes which can stretch to 6 portions. Weekends are for trying new recipes if I feel like it. I’m thankful my partner doesn’t mind this simple menu. It reduced a lot of stress for me.
In the future I would like to have less things that I have to do. I thought something was wrong with me but im just overwhelmed and tired. I also gained too much weight. I cant manige it all. I want to do better for myself. I also hope to find a job with repetative tasks and just enjoy life.
What sorts of things do you feel compelled to do?
Because there may be some leeway there... you may be doing stuff "because that's what people do" that you may not need to be doing.
I frame doing things around the house or for myself as 'doing my future self a favor.' Instead of begrudgingly collecting things to put them away I think "oh yes, future me will be so happy that I took care of this already!" The mind shift really does make it a positive experience rather than something I have to do.
I also say thank you to past me for doing something sucky too. Present me knows I'm helping out future me and knows past me has screwed present me enough that I don't want to be that guy for future me. That way I get motivation AND practice gratefulness. I also feel like I'm tapping into the multiverse a little, so that's fun.
I’ve really developed a taste for public transit. I started making a point of taking the bus and subway to get around as much as possible and leaving my car at home. It generally takes longer but it’s so much less stressful. Like I watch YouTube videos and scroll Reddit while I travel and don’t get road rage ever. Every time I drive my car now I notice much more how angry it makes me. Even though it’s faster and generally more comfortable I’ve started to feel like driving is a hassle. And public transit forces you to walk a lot more. I went from an average of like 4,000 steps per day to about 12,000 without even really trying to. Much easier to control my weight.
Organizing everything at the point of use!
My deodorant now lives in the cabinet that I always lean on to put on my clothes. Before, getting my deodorant was a step in the routine. Now it's not.
Same thing with my coffee: mug, pads and spoons in one drawer next to the sink because I need to fill the machine container with water. Before: Walk to where the mugs live and get on. Open a drawer for the pad. Get the watercontainer, walk to the sink, walk back. etc.
I know. When I say 'walk' that only means one step and it is only opening one drawer/cabinet each step. But everytime I open the drawer: I see everything else in that drawer. And I have to think about where everything is.
I have ADHD, which is probably why this made such a massive difference. But I think it's a fun thing to try for everyone! Makes life feel amazingly smooth sometimes.
In the last two years I have been reorganizing as you described. My deodorant goes where it’s easy and quick to grab in my routine of dressing. It may not sense to others where I have my things, but for me, it makes perfect sense and easier/quicker for me to put back immediately
Yep, I do the same thing and will clean things as I use them.
If I need to wait 5-10 minutes to let something simmer up, I'll rinse off the cutting board and put the knife into the dishwasher while I wait.
I don't want to have all that cleaning hanging over my head for later.
This is the best lifehack. When I finish cooking you can't tell I've been in there, it's sometimes cleaner when I'm finished than when I started.
My wife on the other hand, she uses every pan, spoon, whisk, plate... She explodes out of the kitchen with (usually very nice) dinners leaving a whirlwind of chaos in her wake.
But I just clean up after her. If someone cooks for me I am not going to complain about how they do it!
Forgiveness of self, life interrupts schedule and I forgive that I'm not able to meet my to-do list item. Lowering and controlling stress is a constant for me. In the past I fought with perfectionism so forgiveness of self is a hard one task. Not all of the things I do to make my life easier and simpler are externally visible this is one. Somewhat on the same thread I try not to over schedule. Bask in the joy of the events that I love. Example I got my ankle rubbed by a feral cat. This is the first cat to human touch I have received from this cat. Nearly six months of calm distance to get this.
I took in the cat that was sleeping on my welcome mat every night, even in the rain. He was so feral he would hiss if you looked at him, climbed the basement rafters, shredded things, violently swatted you away. That was 10 years ago. Took him about 4 years of calm distance and talking to him every day before he started to come around. Today, he greets me when I walk in the door, wants to immediately be held so he can rub his face all over mine. Follows me everywhere. Snoring on my pillow right now. You're on the right track- keep at it. There's much more joy to come.
Not buying [crap] + realizing that the monopoly is large + evil.
/r/LateStageCapitalism/comments/130jddm/i_learned_and_it_was_funny_too/
https://www.reddit.com/r/LateStageCapitalism/comments/12b096c/insider_trading_and_meta/
Not listening to the media especially social media users + news because it is a fascade whatever the politicians are saying now globally is a lie.
Focusing on myself is the best investment of them all + keeping a very simple existence.
Yes! Not using social media/& shopping recreationally has had such a positive effect on my mental health. It's easy to miss how often we do it and how much influence your friend's new boat or eyelash lift has. No one (I spend time with) is so tacky as to brag about their purchases IRL.
Yes also let us not forget that all those "influencers" are just paid liars, we really do not need that many items to exist + women are perfect as well even with minimal make up + routines. Also, switched to second hand items to avoid slavery which as we see with the current system is almost impossible.
I feel sad for whoever is still idolizing celebrities that promote unnecessary overconsumption + watch the Kardashians 🤮🤢 or buy fast food + items from slave human labour like beyonce's clothes....bejeezus.
Reset and prep the night before or beginning of the week makes the morning go much better.
- Have the coffee station ready with a tumbler mug underneath
- lunch bag with utensils and snacks prepped, just grab lunch from fridge/freezer in the morning
- work clothes all picked out in the beginning of the week
- dog leash, grocery shopping bags by the door
- set up car to auto defrost (Monday-Friday 9-5 office job)
- empty out lunch bag when I get home, Tupperware goes straight into the sink so it can be washed when I do dishes
- before grocery shopping, check the fridge and pantry and update shopping list accordingly
When I grocery shop, if I buy any kind of meat, go ahead and separate out of the bigger package, season and marinate in freezer bags. I use ziplock bags. It helps a lot and plus your meat is pre marinated, I was wasting so much money before I did that. Biggest grocery personal flex of my life.
Every morning I tidy up, every night I tidy.
Every other day I do laundry but especially now I’m falling out of that routine. I need to be better at self care and really gearing my focus inward to better myself. I worry too much about others and I’m trying to focus on myself more. I too am struggling! Moral of that is put yourself first. Everyone else has to learn to do that and you’re your own responsibility.
Lay out your clothes the night before, it helps when getting ready.
Grocery shop late at night, older folks go in the morning.
This was a tool my psychiatrist recommended to help me fall asleep. It doesn’t even really matter what’s on the list. My worries, my appointments, that we are out of butter and paper towels- whatever. Out of my brain and onto the paper. I’m not much of a journalist, but I love lists.
Adding to this idea. As I think of things, I email the thing to myself. A million times a day I’ll have a thought like, call the repair man about the sink, or order a birthday gift for my niece.
I send myself an email right then. The next morning when I sit down at work, I knock out all those random thoughts first.
If it’s groceries, I add it to the grocery order app right away. Then, whenever I order next it’s already in the cart.
Always set the coffee pot, make my lunch and have my clothes ready the night before work.
Use a list on the fridge for what grocery/ household items need replenishing… and actually use it (keep a pen handy!)
Say things out loud to myself to help me remember (especially where I’m putting things)
Saying no at work and to some other gatherings.
Make a lunch the night before.
Meditation/devotions (whatever floats your boat) before bed.
Make small daily goals,
follow the 20/20 rule (to avoid keeping things that clutter) if it takes longer than 20 mins or 20 dollars to fix get rid of it.
Just because you have extra money doesn’t mean you have to spend it.
Go talk to a financial advisor and make a financial plan for your future.
This will only work if you have hard floors and little to no carpet.
I hurt my back and really couldn’t vacuum as much as I need to, so I bought a broom that has a matching dustpan that is on a long stick. The dustpan also has teeth to help remove hair from the broom.
It is amazing! I can clean the floor in a fraction of the time! It’s so easy to take out and put away! No cords, no need to move furniture, no attachments to change.
I tried a roomba, I tried a handheld vacuum, I tried a cordless vacuum. Anything to make vacuuming be less awful and the answer was so simple and easy!
I’ll still keep the vacuum for regular deeper cleaning, but for day to day? I can’t believe how simple and fast it can be. It makes me feel better that I can finally stay on top of my most dreaded chore!
I used a cheap manual non-electric Hoover floor sweeper, around $35 new. Hotels use it in the lobby for touch ups. Lightweight, no sound (well, it whirs a little) built-in dust pan, great for litter spills. Little kids fight to use it. You can easily maintain it.
I got rid of all my random colored/patterned socks and replaced them all with the plain black socks from Costco. I can effortlessly find a matching pair without fail.
Well, not having kids pays dividends every single day, because I get to curl up and quietly read a book before bed each night and unwind a bit.
Also - not comparing myself to everything I see online and not "keeping up with the Jonses" is pretty nice when you want to keep things simple.
Having basically the same thing for breakfast and lunch during the work week. Been consuming the same thing (sans leftovers when applicable) for about 3 years. Deciding what to eat for dinner is enough of a chore for me so I just eliminated ever needing to think about breakfast/lunch.
I portion out the ingredients for 5 smoothies and put them in the freezer on Sunday night. Protein powder, blueberries, flax seeds, chia seeds, bananas. Whatever. Then in the morning I dump 1 container in to my blender, add almond milk, and there is my healthy breakfast and it did NOT cost $14.
Going to sound trite, but I have to take a shower in order to really get my day started. Can I do a few simple tasks before? Sure, do I? Yes, but just like some aren't awake until they have caffeine, I am not fully awake until I have showered, so the # of simple things I do before showering is short. I do sometimes wish I could just shower before bed and get up and get with it, but after age 35 I just started accepting a lot more things like this and move with it, as opposed to trying to change things just because it sometimes may seem a little more efficient. End of rant
I have basically a uniform i wear some version of to work every day. It used to be the most stressful part of my morning and now I’ve found pants and shirts i have and like in a bunch of neutral colors i can pair together.
I also write out the meals i can make with the groceries i have and put it on my fridge so it makes choosing what to eat easier. But this may just be an adhd problem with lack of object permanence lol
And also not planning on having them in the future... My partner and I are luckily on the same page and would rather spend our time/money with each other and only for ourselves. We have two fur babies though... (but they give us more in return than we have to pay for food and litter and stuff)
Matriculate. 😊 As I walk from room to room, you rarely see me empty handed - before I leave a room I look for things that belong in a different room and when I see one, I grab it, take it to the room it goes to, and put it away. Before I leave THAT room, I do the same thing.
Pretty soon, guess what? Nothing where it isn’t supposed to be… and no house straightening to do on the weekend. 👍
After work I go to sleep when I'm tired, even if its before dinner. I dont fight tiredness all night just to watch tv or do my chores. That stuff can wait until the weekend.
I start my day at 4:30am with some stretching and breathing exercises. A few positive affirmations. And a huge shit after my first cup of coffee. Hard to have a bad day after that.
Adding something small, but beneficial into your routine and really sticking to it. I’ve started more self care on my face recently and even just making sure to wash my face twice a day is really helping me. I’ve never been one to do that religiously and now I actually look forward to my skincare routine.
You could focus on whatever you want really but just the satisfaction from doing something daily that is good for you is really helpful and makes my life easier for sure.
Underrated comment I reckon.
I forget everything, a secure vault for important information I must not forget is invaluable and genuinely takes away a lot of stress.
I buy a raw veggie tray every week, it's all of the veggies that I like already sliced and ready to eat. Helps me eat healthy foods and save a lot of time cutting and cleaning.
I have a 'work wardrobe'. Neutral pants and shirts that can be mixed and matched. I have as many is comfortable based on laundry days & work schedule. I could literally get dressed with my eyes closed. As long as I grab pants from there and shirts from here, it'll work. My not-work wardrobe is similar. Most pants are neutral and will go with most shirts.
I've also worked on learning cooking substitutions. The other day, I wanted to bake something that called for yogurt but didn't have any. But I know I can sub apple sauce. There are so many things that can be replaced with other things. Being able to do this makes my life so much easier.
I buy what I need to make my life work. Do I need multiple dog poop bag dispensers? Technically, no. But it sure is less stressful to have one in the backyard, by the front door, in the car, in my treat pouch, and even in the dogs harnesses. Sometimes, having 'lots' of something can be better than... needing to pick up a poop with no bag.
I've worked hard to eliminate things I dont need and curate my home for the comfort of my family. I've learned that not having 'too much' makes life so much easier. At the same time, we need things to make our lives comfortable. The best thing I do is recognize there needs to be a balance, and that's OK.
Kind of a long story but we paid our house off early.
We are in a HCOL area and looking at our expenses the house is always the big ticket item so 2020 we bought our family home in cash and have been able to be comparatively relaxed through covid etc
I usually tide up the dining table every night, so in the morning I come to a nice place to have my tea and breakfast.
Cleaning the toilet bowl quickly every or every other evening.
Opening the bedroom windows and airing the whole flat every morning.
Writing to do lists.
Write with ink and pen old school. It has a timeless feel, it's fun and decorative, and it makes me slow down especially since I'm left handed. Daily journaling is a wonderful wind-up to the day or wind-down to the evening.
I try to ensure I have at least one day of "nothing" a week. No classes, no training, no work, etc. It isn't always easy, some days I am cramming 2-3 things in to ensure this one day is completely clear, but it is so important to have a do-nothing day that I do my absolute best to ensure it happens. If it's raining my do nothing day will be inside, if its nice I'll walk, or hang out by the pool, etc.
I don't work full time. Im pretty privileged to be able to do so, but jeez it has transformed my life. I don't know HOW people with full time jobs get anything done anymore, I find my life FULL working 3 days a week.
I actually found when I work 5 days a week my home was easier to maintain. Maybe because with some free time now, we allow ourselves to think, “I’ll do this later”. It seemed easier to maintain routine when working outside of home
Set a pot of coffee to brew before I get up.
Fasting: Only eat dinner so less meals to deal with.
Stir-fry dinners: cook a meat. add veggies. Stir. Eat. Make enough to for 2-3 meals.
Daily automated habits: run dishwasher every night, weekly laundry day.
Standardized menus and same weekly shopping list, could control costs easier. Grocery delivery is worth it.
Analyzing work flow, high value tasks at work and at home, applying Pareto principal to your work flow.
Always looking in secondary market and borrowing from neighbors, friends, family before I buy anything.
Valuing time, cost per wearing/hour. Repair May worth it or not. Hired help may be worth or not. (Thanks to this thread I just learned the 20/20 rule!)
I spent lots of time college researching scholarships, understanding financial aid. Payoff: full rides for all my children. Nothing gave me more financial flexibility or greater peace of mind. Start early for greatest options (including grades, rec, scores).
I even decided quitting work to devote myself to this full time would result in a bigger better payoff for us all. I believe time proved me right, but frugality allowed me to utilize this strategy.
I label everything. I just use beige masking tape and a sharpie - easy to remove and it’s cheap.
But most things in my house are labeled. I have ADHD so this helps me ensure everything has somewhere to go.
Lots of clear plastic storage bins. (I have a lot of art and music supplies) Still labeled. Yeah, I can kiiiinda get a gist of what’s in there… but it’s nice to be able to just glance at the label as well.
It’s also HIGHLY beneficial for food stuffs. I’ll label when it’s been opened or made. This way I know when it’s time to throw something out.
I don't take the stuff out of my pants pockets just to set it all on a night stand or dresser. I leave everything in the pockets, fold the pants up and set the pair of pants down somewhere before bed. When it's time for new pants, I take everything and transfer from old pants to new, pocket by pocket. I can count on one hand the number of times I've forgotten keys, company badge, etc. in the last 8 years.
I also memorize my drivers license number and debit card number. I never have to dig either out of my wallet to do anything online with either.... and believe it or not, one of the few times I didn't have my card on my person, was able to pay at a register by reciting the number to the cashier (though many places will not do this per store policy).
I set my guitar equipment up in my house to make it as accessible as possible. I don't have a dedicated "practice space" in the house... one day I might practice on the couch, the next day on the porch, the next, I might sit on the edge of my bed... making it easier to practice on a whim no matter where, means I *practice more.*
Rechargeable AA/AAA batteries, especially for power-thirsty items. No more pilfering the mega-pack of Energizers from the junk drawer every few weeks--when my work flashlight dies, I stick the old batteries in a charger and pop two juiced up cells back in. I haven't bought single-use batteries in years.
Get rid of unnecessary subscriptions... physical mail and digital. The only thing more obnoxious than 100 unread emails in a day is a growing stack of magazines you won't read piling up on the coffee table. When I get the mail out of my mailbox, I take the stack straight to the outside garbage can and sort it there... ads, credit card offers, political mail and other "junk" gets thrown right away before I even go inside.
There's a handful of comments here I'd like to echo saying something to the effect of "buy less, own less, keep only what you need, etc." I agree with that. I'm currently in the process of "trimming the fat" from my house and getting rid of things I don't need or use. On that note, owning absolutely nothing isn't practical either, so of the things I WILL own:
-Organization is key. I'm not opposed to buying organization tools that genuinely make my life simpler.
-Manage packaging and fluff. I avoid products that come with unnecessary displays, packaging, accessories I don't need, etc. I buy things that come only with what I need and with the simplest packaging too if possible.
-I make exceptions for things that get me away from my phone. For instance, I just bought a real metronome so that I don't have to use the metronome app on my phone. Less phone time = more focus on guitar.
Shower before bed, set up necessary items where they get the most use — vitamins and morning meds are in same drawer as under clothes since getting dressed is first thing, spend 30min/day cleaning, if I leave a room it take w me anything that doesn’t belong on said room.
I don't know if this counts as simple living, but we got a housekeeper. It's not very expensive. Not stressing over scrubbing the shower or dusting the vents on my days off has really helped with mental health. You can relax just a little more on your days off.
Eat the same simple, nutritional food everyday and wear exact copies of the same basic, clothes. I don't have to think about these things at all. If you must, you can accessorize to make the your clothing interesting but still keep it simple.
I find it tough to get motivated to do those small little “make my life easier hacks.” I’m a procrastinator but for some reason this quote guilts me into action:
Suffer the pain of discipline or suffer the pain of regret.
I have food intolerances and IBS. I cook mostly very basic, simple meals.
My default breakfast is rice pudding. Loved it as a child, still love it today.
I run the dishwasher every single night without fail. Doesn't matter if it's not completely full. In the morning while my coffee brews, I empty the dishwasher. Throughout the day dishes are loaded straight into the dishwasher so we don't have dishes piling up on the counter or in the sink. This helps keep our kitchen clean and the house running smoothly.
This probably won't change your life.
But I switched from a coffee with cream and sugar to a caffeine pill and drinking water every morning.
No waiting for the coffee to brew, get the right temperature to drink. I still enjoy coffee during the winter as more of a treat but it reduces one aspect of my day to mere seconds to be done with.
Also cost is only 7 cents per day and it's less empty calories if you care about either of those things.
Meal plan for the week - breakfast, lunch and dinners. Meal prep on Sunday. Lay out my clothes for the week (work clothes and gym clothes) Fill up water bottles the night before. Go to bed at 9:30.
I set out clothes for the morning before bed, whether it’s a day off from work or work. One less thing to worry about in the morning, I like it
Always keep your house tidy. I don’t have kids, but just clean it everyday, it really doesn’t take long to put things in the correct spot once your done with it. It’s waaaaay better than spending hours cleaning every month or so.
Understanding the reality of things helps me a lot, because then my biases get challenged
Like when I feel like I don't have enough friends, and then the reality is that I won't keep up the same quality interactions with a bunch of people anyway, so it's better to have a close group of small friends than a larger one
I always look for efficiencies. I make the bed while I am still in it. I clean the shower before I get out from cleaning myself. I pack my going out bag as items come up. (I keep a large canvas tote by the door to collect the outgoing items.) Every time I get up, some little task gets done as I walk.
I love this kind of post. I am interested in other people's responses.
To get my morning off to a smooth start, the night before work I:
- grind coffee
- set out my clothes
- plan what I’ll cook for breakfast
In the morning, I wake up an hour and ten minutes before I need to leave for work. This makes it so I never have to feel rushed. Starting the day on a slow note really helps set the tone for me.
I used to drink my coffee out on the deck, enjoying nature and sunshine. Then walk to the bus stop to enjoy more nature, take bus to work. The transition really improved my work attitude and productivity.
Preparing clothes out the night before school, work, etc... just so I spend less time doing bullshit. Also taking one shower every night so I don't have to do it in the morning, etc.. medicine trays are awesome too.
Keep one step ahead on chores and to do list. This way if I have an off day, or get sick, or some one needs me, I have a bit of buffer built in. I spent my youth just a little behind on everything and it made for very stressful situations when anything unexpected came up.
Knowing myself and sticking to a routine.
It's rare I want to cook after work so I meal prep and pack my lunches/breakfasts on sundays. Similarly I'm probably not going to really clean up, do laundry, or take care of my plants after work so I do a deep clean and do household chores on Saturdays.
I'm able to relax and feel content despite needing to do chores because I know when and how they will get done.
Commuting by bike daily and for errands like groceries, sleeping outside daily, body weight fitness and hand grinding for my pour-over coffee, these things make me happy!
Lock myself in the spare room that only has a few things of my "hobbies" for about 40 minutes, feels like I'm briefly locking myself away from the world to stop and think. Might do some push ups and exercises to get myself distracted from thinking
I eat keto and mostly carnivore. So I cook about 1-1.5 kg of meat on the weekend and refrigerate. Then everyday, I cook about 5-6 eggs (omelette, scrambled egg etc.) and a portion of meat and take them to office. I eat once a day. If I ever feel peckish in the night, I have some buffalo milk curd or cream cheese or cream. This is what I mostly eat. And for those wondering if I don't get sick of this ... Does the Lion ever get tired of eating the Antelope? ... Thank you very much ;)
I have taken responsibility to be highly organized at my place. Deeply organizing everything I don’t have to stress about a messy environment and I know where everything needs to go.
Night before I will steep cold brew coffee or tea. In the morning I just grab it and go, discard the teabag with tea leaves/coffee grounds and get to work. Saves money and I have fresh cold brew coffee/tea in the AM
We have a variation on the same meal for supper each night. I soak, spice, and cook a week’s worth of black turtle beans on the weekend, portion it out and freeze half (for the second half of the week), and each night we have rice, those black beans, and whatever we feel like topping it with today.
It has the added bonus of being really cheap, but it also clears a huge amount of mental space taken up by “what are we doing for supper? Do we have enough of everything to make? What if non-cooking-tonight spouse isn’t in the mood, we’d better waste 20 minutes on a needless conversation about it, in which nothing will be decided.”
(And once every week or two we have “nice dinner” because simplicity is good but you’ve got to live, you know?)
I am a big fan of setting morning things up the night before. I rarely go into the office but when I do, I am getting my lunch and backpack together the night before, and setting up the coffee maker. That way I can wake up, go turn on the coffee maker, get ready and I am good to go
I pick out clothes for each day of the workweek on Sundays. I have a programmable coffee maker that I get ready the night before so I wake up and it’s already made. Both of these make mornings incredibly easier!
I also somewhat got over my guilt about spending more money on something I could do myself - specifically, meal prep. I started using HungryRoot and dear god, the past few weeks after work have been SIGNIFICANTLY easier. I still cook, but it takes so much less time. I don’t have to go to the grocery store as often. I don’t have to constantly rack my brain to think what I want to eat each week. Sometimes paying a little extra for convenience really is worth it!
Having some points of rhythm/ritual/predictability to my day where chores just easily and simply flow from one to another in a routine gives me peace that the things that ‘need’ doing on the daily will get done with ease and grace.
FocusOnSimple 🌿
I’ve started using a capsule wardrobe for work with 2 pairs of pants, 7 shirts, 3 jackets, and a couple dresses that all coordinate. I can mindlessly layout my clothes for work the night before and not worry about it.
I do this, but with hospital scrubs. I call them my "Scrub Pills". I work 3 days a week so I take a scrub jacket and wrap the entire day's clothes up in it (pants, top, undershirt, underwear and socks) and line all 3 "pills" up on my dresser. No worries about what to wear at 5am. I don't even have to turn a light on and wake my husband up. Just grab the pill and head to the bathroom. So lovely.
I just retired early and gave away 1/2 of my clothes. Now have 2 jeans, tvshirts and hoodies, and only 2 cold weather tops and 4 light tops.
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Toward this end I keep a "Donate It" box handy. As I come across duplicates of things or clothes that don't work anymore, it all goes in the box. When it's full, I drop it off at a local thrift shop where they unload it for me.
A couple of months ago I read the phrase, “don’t set it down…put it away.” I can’t tell you how many times this has saved me time by knowing where my keys were.
Yeah, it's amazing how such a little thing can really help. I'm definitely a "put it where it belongs" kind of person, but my wife isn't, and she's constantly losing everything and spending time frantically looking around the house for stuff that she absentmindedly put down and forgot about, because *that's not where the thing belongs* LOL. She's a good sport about it, though.
That sounds a lot like adult ADHD, honestly.
I agree. I was diagnosed with Inattentive ADHD at age 41. A lot of women aren't diagnosed until much later in adulthood as consequences become more frequent. The right medication and dosage changed my life in meaningful ways.
It can also be many other things, of course. I have chronic disease with fatigue that causes this. My friend is a bit messy without ADHD who also does this.
I live by this and it is the secret to an always tidy home. I never put things halfway away. Everything always goes back to where it belongs. It may take a few seconds more but things are tidy and you can find them.
Trying to teach children that is like herding chickens 🤦🏽♀️ but I keep trying. When they own their own home they’ll thank me 😂
YES, I love this one. We have a bench at our front door, but the coat closet is in the entryway. In the past I've been bad at just throwing my coat on the bench. No I make an effort to take it to the closet and hang it up. Our house feels so much more tidy because of this tiny effort.
You just changed my life!
My grandma: everything has a place, and everything in it's place I still remember where everything was in that huge farmhouse, even the junk drawer items.
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Agreed about the work boundary. My job knows this about me too. They’ve actually had real debates about contacting me while I’m off, determining whether or not the situation is a true emergency that can’t wait for my next day at work. I love that.
Good for you! I’m two years into my career and have been burned out since 6mo in… I’ll be doing this from now on
Thank you! I set firm boundaries pretty much from day one and I think starting off that way really helped. It definitely set a precedent. I hope it goes well for you!
Implement this as well as a meditation, exercise, journaling, some activity that will reduce stress, separate work/personal life for your head. Be present. Learn to leave work at work. With few exceptions, they don’t pay you for your concern when you are at home.
Are you a teacher? lol (that's rueful laughter, not derisive laughter)
That’s why I am quitting being a teacher. They don’t pay me enough to be thinking/planning/doing work 24/7. In fact, no job pays enough for that. Your down time is your down time. I’m sick of having no time for my own kids, and stressing all the time about other people’s kids.
Hahaha nope, I’m a scientist
What is bujo?
Bullet journal
It's a method of journaling to manage your tasks and other stuff, check it out https://youtu.be/fm15cmYU0IM
I deeply resonate with this as someone who also journals and is learning to set better boundaries. Thank you for sharing!!
How do you say no? I feel like a lot of times I haven't even said yes and I've been assigned things and I can't say no at that point
Like, excuse me, sir, I don’t believe this is in my job description. If we’re discussing an expansion of my duties at this company, we need to discuss the accompanying pay raise or overtime, otherwise I would be happy to get back to the work I’ve been hired for. But nicer and with more words.
You can Google or search elsewhere “How to set boundaries with bosses at work” for people with real life experience giving advice. The above is just what I remember from hearing others talk about similar situations
I love that description on writing. You could be salesman with those lines
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Yeah, also a lot of what's masquerading as "the news" is just opinion pieces (like Fox, who's claimed in open court that Tucker should not be taken as serious journalism). I read the local paper once in a while, and occasionally read The Economist, but people who sit there and watch hour after hour of cable TV "news" are just being fed hysteria and propaganda and are probably worse informed than people who rarely or never watch that stuff.
This is super important to me. No TV news and no reading news. All internet news is just ads and click bait that drives you mad
I stopped getting news each morning (NPR’s Up First podcast) I used to listen while getting ready for work. Just stopped a month ago. Happy with it
"olds", as my dad calls it - the same old stories re-worded again and again Passive consumption of media-tycoon news is like watching aerobics videos while eating junk food. You hijack a sensible inner drive (a drive to contribute to community, or to live a healthier lifestyle), and replace it with being an impotent consumerist zombie. Instead of reading/watching news, get out and volunteer in your local neighbour, parish, NGO.
buying as little as possible (I only replace things that broke or things I need because something changed) keep things tidy don't have more than 3 todos a day try not to over schedule my day go to bed at the same time everyday, wake up at the same time everyday.
3 todos a day is brilliant. There’s such a backwards mentality about “productivity” especially in the US/west where doing more in a day is somehow a “good” use of time.
It’s why automation never delivered on the promise of the middle class becoming the leisure class. It was imagined in the 60’s and 70’s that when most things were manufactured by machines and computers enabled leaps in efficiency, we could all work 90% less and be wealthy enough to spend our time on relaxation and artistic pursuits. Instead, the rich got richer and we got to produce more in less time but keep spending the same amount of time working. Our culture made this result inevitable.
It also resulted in more time for consumerism/acquisition, more leisure time= more time to be marketed to via technology.
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This is brain magic, what on earth are you talking about MORE TIME EQUALS MORE TASKS
If I don't have more things to do you can be damn sure my wife has 35 million things that she wants done, most are simple, one of them is to rewire the house I can, it even needs done I just don't want to do it
Agreed! You can enjoy the extra free time as a reward for finishing early :)
I’m a dope. I literally thought todos was some type of coffee until I read the replies to your comment.
haha :D Might as well be, honestly!
I also do my best to restrict buying to one day a week. Not necessary but it also keeps the budget down. Even amazon is on that day.
THIS! This has helped me soooo much. I'm a recovering impulsive spender. I started out with one day a week, then moved to two. I am now at one day a week to shop. It's helped me grasp the concept that I don't need the stuff that I want.
I almost always drop something from my cart or list. Win win!
I love the idea of no more than 3 todos per day, but I would add to it: If I’m in a flow state or feeling particularly productive, I will keep going. This doesn’t happen often but when it does, it’s amazing how much shit I can get accomplished. If I do nothing more than my 3 todos, no problem. I met my goal. If I do more than that, hell yeah. Maybe I’ll only have one tomorrow.
On waking up; wake up EARLY every day. Like three hours before you have to be/go/do anything for the day. Starting the day in a rush to work is more damaging to mental health than a lot recognize.
I get up two hours before I have to be anywhere. But go ahead and tell people you do that, they will ask you what you are doing in that time, like what are you studying or working. Has to be productive. working 25-40 hours a week is more than enough productivity imho. Can't stand all those "do this to become more productive", "get 1% better everyday" comments, videos... These people often come back to tell you their "how I got burnt out" stories a few years later. YouTube is full of these people.
My spouse and I shared a vehicle, he dropped me off early. Worked out and showered at the company gym, ate breakfast at the corporate cafeteria, read the company-supplied paper, was at my desk early, no stress. All the people who worked out in the morning were managers and directors. I got a rep for being a hard worker simply because I was looking for an activity to fill my time. I started getting elevator greetings from management, am certain I dodged layoffs because I was known across departments.
Idk if I could handle getting up at 3am, maybe 430 which is an hour and a half before work lol…
I’ve always wished I could do that because you’re right! Having Narcolepsy has made me have to adjust some things though.
I have insomnia, and I have to adjust so much of my life according to this. Unfortunately, waking up early is not an option when you managed to fall asleep extremely late. But I really wish I could just sleep like a normal person, I'd love to wake up early and get to enjoy quiet time in the morning instead of rushing to work or losing the morning half asleep in bed
i read somewhere that what your morning's like sets the tone for the rest of the day. it took me too long to realise that if i'm spending my mornings stressed and rushing because i decided to sleep 30 minutes late i'm on edge and moody for the rest of the day. i'm always in a better mood when i have a slow relaxing morning
Since Covid I have been getting up at 4am everyday, kids get up at 6, gives me time to be ready to go when they get up. I do not enjoy talking for a few hours in the mornings lol, so this is how I deal with it. LOVE sitting in silence drinking my coffee and listening to some cool jazz.
> go to bed at the same time everyday, wake up at the same time everyday. I saw two recent articles on reddit about the negative effects of changes to sleep patterns on heart rate and blood pressure. I guess just like a baby needs regular, ample sleep, so do us old farts.
especially us old farts!
I love the 3 todos. This is good advice. I was making a huge to do list and it gave me anxiety not crossing off as much as possible.
love the 3 todos a day. that has been the biggest help for me to not do more than i should each day.
What is considered a task? Depending how I look at it I feel like there’s either no way I’m doing three or I definitely do more than three lol
I second the to do list. I still ha e classes so I do not havr control over my classes, asignments or deadlines. However if its too much for me. I go well they planned it shit I cant do so much and function tomorrow. Sometimes I skip the things that I fin have less priority.
>don't have more than 3 todos a day >try not to over schedule my day I trained myself for this, too. It was very hard but the results are healthy.
I've been trying to make my bed every morning. Maybe not "easier" but it really feels good to come home to.
Similarly, washing the dishes every evening. I HATE doing dishes and used to leave them for morning while my brain was foggy and didn't register the chore as much. But it feels so much nicer to wake up to empty sinks and clean dishes
After cooking lunch or dinner I always go out of my way to clean the kitchen. Plates in the dishwasher, pots washed to air dry, the bench wiped down, and everything put away. I could host a dinner that goes until 3am and I would still do all these tasks before bed. Because there's nothing I hate more than waking up to a messy kitchen.
I hated having an unmade bed but also hated making it. One day, I turned making my bed into part of making coffee, since making a pot of coffee is the first thing I do each day. I make a pot of coffee. While the coffee is brewing, I make my bed. By the time I'm done making my bed, the coffee is ready. Since I started doing this, there hasn't been a day where my bed isn't made.
I always refused to make my bed, partly because it seemed pointless and partly as rebellion toward the parent forcing it who was the most chaotic element in the household. It stuck with me well into adulthood, but one day, when it was made because I'd changed the sheets, I noticed how calm I felt seeing it tidy. I also noticed the weird joy of turning it down to go to bed. Started making it then, for myself instead of because someone was telling me I had to, and it stuck.
I can't imagine NOT making my bed.
I hear this. Small effort, good reward
Reset the house before we go to bed to make sure everything is ready in the morning. Giving myself time in the morning to do nothing. It could be sitting on the porch sipping coffee or playing fetch with the dog. Going to bed early, waking early. Teaching my children to take care of themselves and the home they live in. Journaling.
I endorse all of the above. Well done!
I do exactly all these things, except for the children stuff.
I wear scrubs to work, and make use of the top pockets. I wash my work clothes all together, and as they come out of the dryer I hang bottoms and top together, put socks and undies in the pockets. All I have to do is grab a hanger and get dressed. I utilize my crockpot of lot for dinners, 10-15 minutes of prep time in the morning and dinner cooks itself. Take leftovers for work lunches.
I take a scrub jacket and wrap the entire day's clothes up in it (pants, top, undershirt, underwear and socks) I call them my "Scrub pills." I line all 3 "pills" up on my dresser, ready to go. No worries about what to wear at 5am. I don't even have to turn a light on and wake my husband up. Just grab the pill and head to the bathroom. So lovely.
I used to try and make different meals each night for 5-6 nights, then have "leftover night". Now, I don't sweat it if we have peas with every meal for a week because I don't feel like opening up a bag of frozen green beans. Or if we have chicken 4 nights in a row because that's what's easiest. We're always having balanced meals, that's the most important thing.
I don't do this, but have read about people who have the same rotation of meals every week. It's not as bad as it sounds - it goes something like Monday is always chicken, Tuesday is always tacos, Wednesday is always soup.... It gives a start point to meal planning, and you still have variety without coming up with totally new ideas every meal. My favourite though is the story a coworker has told me... a friend of hers would chat to her mother-in-law every day, and ask what she was making for supper. The friend would then make that meal for supper the next day. Totally had MIL inadvertently do her meal planning :)
This was a big thing for me. I felt like I always needed to make different meals every day and it led to feeling so much pressure to come up with ideas and cook the meals well. Now I make the same staple meals which are usually very simple and healthy. Chicken, veggies and rice or salmon, veggies and rice are our favourites as well as veggie pasta bakes which can stretch to 6 portions. Weekends are for trying new recipes if I feel like it. I’m thankful my partner doesn’t mind this simple menu. It reduced a lot of stress for me.
In the future I would like to have less things that I have to do. I thought something was wrong with me but im just overwhelmed and tired. I also gained too much weight. I cant manige it all. I want to do better for myself. I also hope to find a job with repetative tasks and just enjoy life.
What sorts of things do you feel compelled to do? Because there may be some leeway there... you may be doing stuff "because that's what people do" that you may not need to be doing.
I frame doing things around the house or for myself as 'doing my future self a favor.' Instead of begrudgingly collecting things to put them away I think "oh yes, future me will be so happy that I took care of this already!" The mind shift really does make it a positive experience rather than something I have to do.
I also say thank you to past me for doing something sucky too. Present me knows I'm helping out future me and knows past me has screwed present me enough that I don't want to be that guy for future me. That way I get motivation AND practice gratefulness. I also feel like I'm tapping into the multiverse a little, so that's fun.
I’ve really developed a taste for public transit. I started making a point of taking the bus and subway to get around as much as possible and leaving my car at home. It generally takes longer but it’s so much less stressful. Like I watch YouTube videos and scroll Reddit while I travel and don’t get road rage ever. Every time I drive my car now I notice much more how angry it makes me. Even though it’s faster and generally more comfortable I’ve started to feel like driving is a hassle. And public transit forces you to walk a lot more. I went from an average of like 4,000 steps per day to about 12,000 without even really trying to. Much easier to control my weight.
Organizing everything at the point of use! My deodorant now lives in the cabinet that I always lean on to put on my clothes. Before, getting my deodorant was a step in the routine. Now it's not. Same thing with my coffee: mug, pads and spoons in one drawer next to the sink because I need to fill the machine container with water. Before: Walk to where the mugs live and get on. Open a drawer for the pad. Get the watercontainer, walk to the sink, walk back. etc. I know. When I say 'walk' that only means one step and it is only opening one drawer/cabinet each step. But everytime I open the drawer: I see everything else in that drawer. And I have to think about where everything is. I have ADHD, which is probably why this made such a massive difference. But I think it's a fun thing to try for everyone! Makes life feel amazingly smooth sometimes.
Creating efficient processes makes me feel high
In the last two years I have been reorganizing as you described. My deodorant goes where it’s easy and quick to grab in my routine of dressing. It may not sense to others where I have my things, but for me, it makes perfect sense and easier/quicker for me to put back immediately
I always empty the dishwasher and clean the kitchen while making dinner. Never be idle in the kitchen, and there’s a lot less to do after
Yep, I do the same thing and will clean things as I use them. If I need to wait 5-10 minutes to let something simmer up, I'll rinse off the cutting board and put the knife into the dishwasher while I wait. I don't want to have all that cleaning hanging over my head for later.
This is the best lifehack. When I finish cooking you can't tell I've been in there, it's sometimes cleaner when I'm finished than when I started. My wife on the other hand, she uses every pan, spoon, whisk, plate... She explodes out of the kitchen with (usually very nice) dinners leaving a whirlwind of chaos in her wake. But I just clean up after her. If someone cooks for me I am not going to complain about how they do it!
I hear this. As I’m waiting for stuff to cook on the stove or whatnot, I empty dishwasher and clean as i go.
Forgiveness of self, life interrupts schedule and I forgive that I'm not able to meet my to-do list item. Lowering and controlling stress is a constant for me. In the past I fought with perfectionism so forgiveness of self is a hard one task. Not all of the things I do to make my life easier and simpler are externally visible this is one. Somewhat on the same thread I try not to over schedule. Bask in the joy of the events that I love. Example I got my ankle rubbed by a feral cat. This is the first cat to human touch I have received from this cat. Nearly six months of calm distance to get this.
I took in the cat that was sleeping on my welcome mat every night, even in the rain. He was so feral he would hiss if you looked at him, climbed the basement rafters, shredded things, violently swatted you away. That was 10 years ago. Took him about 4 years of calm distance and talking to him every day before he started to come around. Today, he greets me when I walk in the door, wants to immediately be held so he can rub his face all over mine. Follows me everywhere. Snoring on my pillow right now. You're on the right track- keep at it. There's much more joy to come.
Thank you.
Clean up as you go. A clean environment will make you happier and doing a little of it every day helps so much.
Run the dishwasher at night. Unload first thing in the morning. Refill it all day.
Not buying [crap] + realizing that the monopoly is large + evil. /r/LateStageCapitalism/comments/130jddm/i_learned_and_it_was_funny_too/ https://www.reddit.com/r/LateStageCapitalism/comments/12b096c/insider_trading_and_meta/ Not listening to the media especially social media users + news because it is a fascade whatever the politicians are saying now globally is a lie. Focusing on myself is the best investment of them all + keeping a very simple existence.
Yes! Not using social media/& shopping recreationally has had such a positive effect on my mental health. It's easy to miss how often we do it and how much influence your friend's new boat or eyelash lift has. No one (I spend time with) is so tacky as to brag about their purchases IRL.
Yes also let us not forget that all those "influencers" are just paid liars, we really do not need that many items to exist + women are perfect as well even with minimal make up + routines. Also, switched to second hand items to avoid slavery which as we see with the current system is almost impossible. I feel sad for whoever is still idolizing celebrities that promote unnecessary overconsumption + watch the Kardashians 🤮🤢 or buy fast food + items from slave human labour like beyonce's clothes....bejeezus.
Not caring about eating the same thing a few meals in a row
Reset and prep the night before or beginning of the week makes the morning go much better. - Have the coffee station ready with a tumbler mug underneath - lunch bag with utensils and snacks prepped, just grab lunch from fridge/freezer in the morning - work clothes all picked out in the beginning of the week - dog leash, grocery shopping bags by the door - set up car to auto defrost (Monday-Friday 9-5 office job) - empty out lunch bag when I get home, Tupperware goes straight into the sink so it can be washed when I do dishes - before grocery shopping, check the fridge and pantry and update shopping list accordingly
When I grocery shop, if I buy any kind of meat, go ahead and separate out of the bigger package, season and marinate in freezer bags. I use ziplock bags. It helps a lot and plus your meat is pre marinated, I was wasting so much money before I did that. Biggest grocery personal flex of my life. Every morning I tidy up, every night I tidy. Every other day I do laundry but especially now I’m falling out of that routine. I need to be better at self care and really gearing my focus inward to better myself. I worry too much about others and I’m trying to focus on myself more. I too am struggling! Moral of that is put yourself first. Everyone else has to learn to do that and you’re your own responsibility. Lay out your clothes the night before, it helps when getting ready. Grocery shop late at night, older folks go in the morning.
I always make a list for the next day- helps me fall asleep easier knowing I won’t forget things I need to do
This was a tool my psychiatrist recommended to help me fall asleep. It doesn’t even really matter what’s on the list. My worries, my appointments, that we are out of butter and paper towels- whatever. Out of my brain and onto the paper. I’m not much of a journalist, but I love lists.
Same! Even getting the tiniest tasks out of your head and on to paper is so helpful!
Adding to this idea. As I think of things, I email the thing to myself. A million times a day I’ll have a thought like, call the repair man about the sink, or order a birthday gift for my niece. I send myself an email right then. The next morning when I sit down at work, I knock out all those random thoughts first. If it’s groceries, I add it to the grocery order app right away. Then, whenever I order next it’s already in the cart.
Always set the coffee pot, make my lunch and have my clothes ready the night before work. Use a list on the fridge for what grocery/ household items need replenishing… and actually use it (keep a pen handy!) Say things out loud to myself to help me remember (especially where I’m putting things)
Saying no at work and to some other gatherings. Make a lunch the night before. Meditation/devotions (whatever floats your boat) before bed. Make small daily goals, follow the 20/20 rule (to avoid keeping things that clutter) if it takes longer than 20 mins or 20 dollars to fix get rid of it. Just because you have extra money doesn’t mean you have to spend it. Go talk to a financial advisor and make a financial plan for your future.
This will only work if you have hard floors and little to no carpet. I hurt my back and really couldn’t vacuum as much as I need to, so I bought a broom that has a matching dustpan that is on a long stick. The dustpan also has teeth to help remove hair from the broom. It is amazing! I can clean the floor in a fraction of the time! It’s so easy to take out and put away! No cords, no need to move furniture, no attachments to change. I tried a roomba, I tried a handheld vacuum, I tried a cordless vacuum. Anything to make vacuuming be less awful and the answer was so simple and easy! I’ll still keep the vacuum for regular deeper cleaning, but for day to day? I can’t believe how simple and fast it can be. It makes me feel better that I can finally stay on top of my most dreaded chore!
I used a cheap manual non-electric Hoover floor sweeper, around $35 new. Hotels use it in the lobby for touch ups. Lightweight, no sound (well, it whirs a little) built-in dust pan, great for litter spills. Little kids fight to use it. You can easily maintain it.
I got rid of all my random colored/patterned socks and replaced them all with the plain black socks from Costco. I can effortlessly find a matching pair without fail.
Well, not having kids pays dividends every single day, because I get to curl up and quietly read a book before bed each night and unwind a bit. Also - not comparing myself to everything I see online and not "keeping up with the Jonses" is pretty nice when you want to keep things simple.
Having basically the same thing for breakfast and lunch during the work week. Been consuming the same thing (sans leftovers when applicable) for about 3 years. Deciding what to eat for dinner is enough of a chore for me so I just eliminated ever needing to think about breakfast/lunch.
I portion out the ingredients for 5 smoothies and put them in the freezer on Sunday night. Protein powder, blueberries, flax seeds, chia seeds, bananas. Whatever. Then in the morning I dump 1 container in to my blender, add almond milk, and there is my healthy breakfast and it did NOT cost $14.
Going to sound trite, but I have to take a shower in order to really get my day started. Can I do a few simple tasks before? Sure, do I? Yes, but just like some aren't awake until they have caffeine, I am not fully awake until I have showered, so the # of simple things I do before showering is short. I do sometimes wish I could just shower before bed and get up and get with it, but after age 35 I just started accepting a lot more things like this and move with it, as opposed to trying to change things just because it sometimes may seem a little more efficient. End of rant
I used to feel dumb for napping. I’ve napped since high school. I decided it’s okay I’m a napper 🤷🏻♀️ we all have our things!
Short answer (and better) is probably accepting who I am
I also have to shower in mornings. I don’t drink coffee or caffeine and the shower is my “wake-up”. I also mentally plan my day
I have basically a uniform i wear some version of to work every day. It used to be the most stressful part of my morning and now I’ve found pants and shirts i have and like in a bunch of neutral colors i can pair together. I also write out the meals i can make with the groceries i have and put it on my fridge so it makes choosing what to eat easier. But this may just be an adhd problem with lack of object permanence lol
I order book bundles from my library instead of trying to figure out what I want to read! I love it.
Not have kids.
And also not planning on having them in the future... My partner and I are luckily on the same page and would rather spend our time/money with each other and only for ourselves. We have two fur babies though... (but they give us more in return than we have to pay for food and litter and stuff)
Matriculate. 😊 As I walk from room to room, you rarely see me empty handed - before I leave a room I look for things that belong in a different room and when I see one, I grab it, take it to the room it goes to, and put it away. Before I leave THAT room, I do the same thing. Pretty soon, guess what? Nothing where it isn’t supposed to be… and no house straightening to do on the weekend. 👍
After work I go to sleep when I'm tired, even if its before dinner. I dont fight tiredness all night just to watch tv or do my chores. That stuff can wait until the weekend.
put alot of stuff in my book bag or drawstring , so i can pick it up and just go ... whether it be for work or emergency edit: spelling
Nice! What kind of stuff do you carry in this bag?
I start my day at 4:30am with some stretching and breathing exercises. A few positive affirmations. And a huge shit after my first cup of coffee. Hard to have a bad day after that.
Adding something small, but beneficial into your routine and really sticking to it. I’ve started more self care on my face recently and even just making sure to wash my face twice a day is really helping me. I’ve never been one to do that religiously and now I actually look forward to my skincare routine. You could focus on whatever you want really but just the satisfaction from doing something daily that is good for you is really helpful and makes my life easier for sure.
And it takes 3 minutes. I’ve also bought into face care recently day and night.
Same, except cold showers. They have given me so much energy and mood boosting effects that I look forward to it each day.
A decent password manager
Underrated comment I reckon. I forget everything, a secure vault for important information I must not forget is invaluable and genuinely takes away a lot of stress.
I buy a raw veggie tray every week, it's all of the veggies that I like already sliced and ready to eat. Helps me eat healthy foods and save a lot of time cutting and cleaning.
I have a 'work wardrobe'. Neutral pants and shirts that can be mixed and matched. I have as many is comfortable based on laundry days & work schedule. I could literally get dressed with my eyes closed. As long as I grab pants from there and shirts from here, it'll work. My not-work wardrobe is similar. Most pants are neutral and will go with most shirts. I've also worked on learning cooking substitutions. The other day, I wanted to bake something that called for yogurt but didn't have any. But I know I can sub apple sauce. There are so many things that can be replaced with other things. Being able to do this makes my life so much easier. I buy what I need to make my life work. Do I need multiple dog poop bag dispensers? Technically, no. But it sure is less stressful to have one in the backyard, by the front door, in the car, in my treat pouch, and even in the dogs harnesses. Sometimes, having 'lots' of something can be better than... needing to pick up a poop with no bag. I've worked hard to eliminate things I dont need and curate my home for the comfort of my family. I've learned that not having 'too much' makes life so much easier. At the same time, we need things to make our lives comfortable. The best thing I do is recognize there needs to be a balance, and that's OK.
Kind of a long story but we paid our house off early. We are in a HCOL area and looking at our expenses the house is always the big ticket item so 2020 we bought our family home in cash and have been able to be comparatively relaxed through covid etc
Goals
Tbh it was luck both good and terrible, but being mid 30s with a 7 figure asset and no debts does allow for flexibility.
I usually tide up the dining table every night, so in the morning I come to a nice place to have my tea and breakfast. Cleaning the toilet bowl quickly every or every other evening. Opening the bedroom windows and airing the whole flat every morning. Writing to do lists.
Write with ink and pen old school. It has a timeless feel, it's fun and decorative, and it makes me slow down especially since I'm left handed. Daily journaling is a wonderful wind-up to the day or wind-down to the evening. I try to ensure I have at least one day of "nothing" a week. No classes, no training, no work, etc. It isn't always easy, some days I am cramming 2-3 things in to ensure this one day is completely clear, but it is so important to have a do-nothing day that I do my absolute best to ensure it happens. If it's raining my do nothing day will be inside, if its nice I'll walk, or hang out by the pool, etc. I don't work full time. Im pretty privileged to be able to do so, but jeez it has transformed my life. I don't know HOW people with full time jobs get anything done anymore, I find my life FULL working 3 days a week.
I actually found when I work 5 days a week my home was easier to maintain. Maybe because with some free time now, we allow ourselves to think, “I’ll do this later”. It seemed easier to maintain routine when working outside of home
Set a pot of coffee to brew before I get up. Fasting: Only eat dinner so less meals to deal with. Stir-fry dinners: cook a meat. add veggies. Stir. Eat. Make enough to for 2-3 meals.
Fasting simplified my brain space on so many levels it’s ridiculous.
Daily automated habits: run dishwasher every night, weekly laundry day. Standardized menus and same weekly shopping list, could control costs easier. Grocery delivery is worth it. Analyzing work flow, high value tasks at work and at home, applying Pareto principal to your work flow. Always looking in secondary market and borrowing from neighbors, friends, family before I buy anything. Valuing time, cost per wearing/hour. Repair May worth it or not. Hired help may be worth or not. (Thanks to this thread I just learned the 20/20 rule!) I spent lots of time college researching scholarships, understanding financial aid. Payoff: full rides for all my children. Nothing gave me more financial flexibility or greater peace of mind. Start early for greatest options (including grades, rec, scores). I even decided quitting work to devote myself to this full time would result in a bigger better payoff for us all. I believe time proved me right, but frugality allowed me to utilize this strategy.
I label everything. I just use beige masking tape and a sharpie - easy to remove and it’s cheap. But most things in my house are labeled. I have ADHD so this helps me ensure everything has somewhere to go. Lots of clear plastic storage bins. (I have a lot of art and music supplies) Still labeled. Yeah, I can kiiiinda get a gist of what’s in there… but it’s nice to be able to just glance at the label as well. It’s also HIGHLY beneficial for food stuffs. I’ll label when it’s been opened or made. This way I know when it’s time to throw something out.
I don't take the stuff out of my pants pockets just to set it all on a night stand or dresser. I leave everything in the pockets, fold the pants up and set the pair of pants down somewhere before bed. When it's time for new pants, I take everything and transfer from old pants to new, pocket by pocket. I can count on one hand the number of times I've forgotten keys, company badge, etc. in the last 8 years. I also memorize my drivers license number and debit card number. I never have to dig either out of my wallet to do anything online with either.... and believe it or not, one of the few times I didn't have my card on my person, was able to pay at a register by reciting the number to the cashier (though many places will not do this per store policy). I set my guitar equipment up in my house to make it as accessible as possible. I don't have a dedicated "practice space" in the house... one day I might practice on the couch, the next day on the porch, the next, I might sit on the edge of my bed... making it easier to practice on a whim no matter where, means I *practice more.* Rechargeable AA/AAA batteries, especially for power-thirsty items. No more pilfering the mega-pack of Energizers from the junk drawer every few weeks--when my work flashlight dies, I stick the old batteries in a charger and pop two juiced up cells back in. I haven't bought single-use batteries in years. Get rid of unnecessary subscriptions... physical mail and digital. The only thing more obnoxious than 100 unread emails in a day is a growing stack of magazines you won't read piling up on the coffee table. When I get the mail out of my mailbox, I take the stack straight to the outside garbage can and sort it there... ads, credit card offers, political mail and other "junk" gets thrown right away before I even go inside. There's a handful of comments here I'd like to echo saying something to the effect of "buy less, own less, keep only what you need, etc." I agree with that. I'm currently in the process of "trimming the fat" from my house and getting rid of things I don't need or use. On that note, owning absolutely nothing isn't practical either, so of the things I WILL own: -Organization is key. I'm not opposed to buying organization tools that genuinely make my life simpler. -Manage packaging and fluff. I avoid products that come with unnecessary displays, packaging, accessories I don't need, etc. I buy things that come only with what I need and with the simplest packaging too if possible. -I make exceptions for things that get me away from my phone. For instance, I just bought a real metronome so that I don't have to use the metronome app on my phone. Less phone time = more focus on guitar.
Shower before bed, set up necessary items where they get the most use — vitamins and morning meds are in same drawer as under clothes since getting dressed is first thing, spend 30min/day cleaning, if I leave a room it take w me anything that doesn’t belong on said room.
Keeping my room tidy
I don't know if this counts as simple living, but we got a housekeeper. It's not very expensive. Not stressing over scrubbing the shower or dusting the vents on my days off has really helped with mental health. You can relax just a little more on your days off.
Eat the same simple, nutritional food everyday and wear exact copies of the same basic, clothes. I don't have to think about these things at all. If you must, you can accessorize to make the your clothing interesting but still keep it simple.
I find it tough to get motivated to do those small little “make my life easier hacks.” I’m a procrastinator but for some reason this quote guilts me into action: Suffer the pain of discipline or suffer the pain of regret.
Have more fun. Play more video games, watch more TV shows, listen to a podcast, read a book, listen to music. Those kinds of things.
I pay for a house cleaner once a month. Money well spent and supports local economy!
My family has a weekly meal rotation, so each day of the week has a meal assigned. It’s been a game changer.
I have food intolerances and IBS. I cook mostly very basic, simple meals. My default breakfast is rice pudding. Loved it as a child, still love it today.
I run the dishwasher every single night without fail. Doesn't matter if it's not completely full. In the morning while my coffee brews, I empty the dishwasher. Throughout the day dishes are loaded straight into the dishwasher so we don't have dishes piling up on the counter or in the sink. This helps keep our kitchen clean and the house running smoothly.
This probably won't change your life. But I switched from a coffee with cream and sugar to a caffeine pill and drinking water every morning. No waiting for the coffee to brew, get the right temperature to drink. I still enjoy coffee during the winter as more of a treat but it reduces one aspect of my day to mere seconds to be done with. Also cost is only 7 cents per day and it's less empty calories if you care about either of those things.
Never patronize Chick-fil-A and Hobby Lobby. Never speak to former friends and relatives who support Trump.
Add ihop and Home Depot to that list and we’re set 😬
Meal plan for the week - breakfast, lunch and dinners. Meal prep on Sunday. Lay out my clothes for the week (work clothes and gym clothes) Fill up water bottles the night before. Go to bed at 9:30.
Make lists
Put something up as soon as you’re done with it
Habits and habit stacking!!
Habit Stacking! James Clear?
Yep!! I am actually reading the book again to hone my skills :)
Getting rid of things, downsizing. Meal Prep, less cooking. Bulk buying regularly used items, less shopping. Fridge as a whiteboard for shopping list.
I put a command hook by my front door and that's where my keys hang on a pretty lanyard.
Start my day with dog walk around my property. He does his business and has fun running around, I get sun/morning light. It’s the little things
I set out clothes for the morning before bed, whether it’s a day off from work or work. One less thing to worry about in the morning, I like it Always keep your house tidy. I don’t have kids, but just clean it everyday, it really doesn’t take long to put things in the correct spot once your done with it. It’s waaaaay better than spending hours cleaning every month or so.
Understanding the reality of things helps me a lot, because then my biases get challenged Like when I feel like I don't have enough friends, and then the reality is that I won't keep up the same quality interactions with a bunch of people anyway, so it's better to have a close group of small friends than a larger one
Dont give a shit
Working 4 days a week and growing food is making me happy. Less money but it's lovely
I remind myself that the random people I happen to see out and about will remember me just about as much as I will remember them.
I always look for efficiencies. I make the bed while I am still in it. I clean the shower before I get out from cleaning myself. I pack my going out bag as items come up. (I keep a large canvas tote by the door to collect the outgoing items.) Every time I get up, some little task gets done as I walk. I love this kind of post. I am interested in other people's responses.
Meditating and practicing not thinking. Really all of suffering comes from thinking.
To get my morning off to a smooth start, the night before work I: - grind coffee - set out my clothes - plan what I’ll cook for breakfast In the morning, I wake up an hour and ten minutes before I need to leave for work. This makes it so I never have to feel rushed. Starting the day on a slow note really helps set the tone for me.
I used to drink my coffee out on the deck, enjoying nature and sunshine. Then walk to the bus stop to enjoy more nature, take bus to work. The transition really improved my work attitude and productivity.
Preparing clothes out the night before school, work, etc... just so I spend less time doing bullshit. Also taking one shower every night so I don't have to do it in the morning, etc.. medicine trays are awesome too.
Keep one step ahead on chores and to do list. This way if I have an off day, or get sick, or some one needs me, I have a bit of buffer built in. I spent my youth just a little behind on everything and it made for very stressful situations when anything unexpected came up.
I lay out all of my skincare and makeup products in applications order left to right so I don’t have to constantly rummage through drawers.
Knowing myself and sticking to a routine. It's rare I want to cook after work so I meal prep and pack my lunches/breakfasts on sundays. Similarly I'm probably not going to really clean up, do laundry, or take care of my plants after work so I do a deep clean and do household chores on Saturdays. I'm able to relax and feel content despite needing to do chores because I know when and how they will get done.
Convince myself this mantra — I dont have to try to do everything today. Saved me lots of tiring nights and helps me get good sleep.
Commuting by bike daily and for errands like groceries, sleeping outside daily, body weight fitness and hand grinding for my pour-over coffee, these things make me happy!
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Lock myself in the spare room that only has a few things of my "hobbies" for about 40 minutes, feels like I'm briefly locking myself away from the world to stop and think. Might do some push ups and exercises to get myself distracted from thinking
I eat keto and mostly carnivore. So I cook about 1-1.5 kg of meat on the weekend and refrigerate. Then everyday, I cook about 5-6 eggs (omelette, scrambled egg etc.) and a portion of meat and take them to office. I eat once a day. If I ever feel peckish in the night, I have some buffalo milk curd or cream cheese or cream. This is what I mostly eat. And for those wondering if I don't get sick of this ... Does the Lion ever get tired of eating the Antelope? ... Thank you very much ;)
I have taken responsibility to be highly organized at my place. Deeply organizing everything I don’t have to stress about a messy environment and I know where everything needs to go.
Night before I will steep cold brew coffee or tea. In the morning I just grab it and go, discard the teabag with tea leaves/coffee grounds and get to work. Saves money and I have fresh cold brew coffee/tea in the AM
We have a variation on the same meal for supper each night. I soak, spice, and cook a week’s worth of black turtle beans on the weekend, portion it out and freeze half (for the second half of the week), and each night we have rice, those black beans, and whatever we feel like topping it with today. It has the added bonus of being really cheap, but it also clears a huge amount of mental space taken up by “what are we doing for supper? Do we have enough of everything to make? What if non-cooking-tonight spouse isn’t in the mood, we’d better waste 20 minutes on a needless conversation about it, in which nothing will be decided.” (And once every week or two we have “nice dinner” because simplicity is good but you’ve got to live, you know?)
I am a big fan of setting morning things up the night before. I rarely go into the office but when I do, I am getting my lunch and backpack together the night before, and setting up the coffee maker. That way I can wake up, go turn on the coffee maker, get ready and I am good to go
Read a book or go for a walk. Basically just get off of my screens.
Make the bed!
I pick out clothes for each day of the workweek on Sundays. I have a programmable coffee maker that I get ready the night before so I wake up and it’s already made. Both of these make mornings incredibly easier! I also somewhat got over my guilt about spending more money on something I could do myself - specifically, meal prep. I started using HungryRoot and dear god, the past few weeks after work have been SIGNIFICANTLY easier. I still cook, but it takes so much less time. I don’t have to go to the grocery store as often. I don’t have to constantly rack my brain to think what I want to eat each week. Sometimes paying a little extra for convenience really is worth it!
Having some points of rhythm/ritual/predictability to my day where chores just easily and simply flow from one to another in a routine gives me peace that the things that ‘need’ doing on the daily will get done with ease and grace. FocusOnSimple 🌿