(Day 19) Simplify to De-Stress
Oh stuff! We love stuff, don’t we?
Always we need more and more, not less and less… or do we?
In our household, we are constantly taking measures to de-clutter and simplify our lives through a variety of ways… because when we do, we’ve found it lessens our stress! Some changes are singular (one time) while other changes are a continual process to keep simplifying as things pile up and clutter up again. So… I thought I’d share with you my 5 top tips on how we’ve simplified our life as a busy family of 5. (Note: this is coming from a mom perspective so certain de-stressing tips especially for overwhelmed mom’s might be thrown in! But there are other tips I share that can be utilized on a generic spectrum.)
5 Simplifying Tips
(1) Shoe bin!
How many of you get stressed and irritated with seeing shoes strewn all over the house? Not anymore! Get a designated spot for shoes that are used frequently or throughout the week. For my husband and I, once I see them piled high in the shoe bin that is the next sign that I need to put them ALL away in our closet upstairs (where the majority of our shoes hang out before being worn).
(2) Cycle in-and-out toys!
Mom’s and Dad’s… do NOT, I repeat do NOT miss out on this great simplifying trick! Take large plastic containers (from Walmart or Costco) and place a variety of toys in each one. Then, only have 1 toy bin out each week or cycle them through how ever often you’d like. This way the kiddos don’t get bored with the one’s they have and you are less overwhelmed with the amount of toys to clean up at the end of the day! Keep the other containers in your garage or somewhere the kids won’t get into it before it’s time to switch it up!
(3) Condense bank accounts and credit cards.
Ever get stressed thinking about how many credit cards you have or the different bank accounts you might have? Suggestion: only have 1 credit card (not including your debit card) + one checking/savings account single or married. You have less places to keep track of where your money goes and less temptation to buy things by having too many credit cards in your wallet. Keep it simple. (More later on regarding managing your finances to lessen stress!)
(4) De-clutter your closet.
Is your closet stuffed with clothes overflowing onto your husbands side? Are your shoes piled high to the ceiling? It’s time to simplify your closet. Instead of wishing you had a bigger closet (or thinking about redoing it to add more space) think about lessening what you DO have, even consider a minimalist wardrobe. Get rid of anything you haven’t worn in the past year (at least 2 years). Or if it’s not something you use on a regular basis place it in a container and put it in the guest closet (or somewhere else for now). I guarantee though next time you find that container, you won’t even realize you missed it!
(5) Find a home for everything, otherwise throw it out. This mindset will help you only keep what’s most important or used on a frequent basis. Or, even the things you don’t use on a frequent basis, as long as you can find a storing place for them (while making them accessible) you will find this method of simplification goes a long way towards restoring your sanity.
So tell me, what are other ways YOU’VE found to simplify your life and home?
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