This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Ivory. The opinions and text are all mine. Affiliate links are included below.
This past year was an extremely busy and stressful year for my family. I found myself rushing from commitment to commitment, short with my kids, easily frustrated, and completely overwhelmed. Evaluating my life, I realized I was doing too much. I needed to declutter my life. Although this decluttering is still a work in progress, I’ve realized I’m happiest when life is simple.
6 Important Things You Should Be Doing to Simplify Your Life
1.Learn to say “no”: One of my New Year’s resolutions is to say “no” more often; which also means not apologizing or feeling guilty for turning someone down. You know what you can handle. If you know something will give you added stress, say “no.” Don’t be afraid to turn down dinner invitations, favors, gatherings, etc.
2. Get rid of things that don’t bring you joy: When my son was little, I felt like I had to give him every opportunity available. We had daily playdates, fun outings, played sports, etc. Not only did my son dislike our busy schedule, but he would protest every time we got in the car. After one particularly tearful soccer game, I realized the stress just wasn’t worth it; my son was happiest playing with his sister at home. He didn’t need all of these extra-curricular activities to make him happy. We decided to stop playing sports and spend more time as a family. I’m sure there will come a time when my son wants to play sports again, but for right now, we’re all happy being homebodies.
3. Make a list: At the beginning of each day, make a list of everything you need to accomplish. Next, rank each item in order of importance. Do your best to accomplish the most important thing, but don’t beat yourself up if you don’t check every item off of your list. Look at the bigger picture of life. I find that when my kids are my number 1 priority, then even if I don’t have time to clean my house or run my errands, I still feel accomplished because my most important priority is taken care of.
4. Keep a calendar: I find when my family is all on the same page, life is so much simpler! At my house, we have a family calendar. It’s hung in a spot where everyone can see what’s going on that week. I’ve found that when we are all aware of events, there is less stress and no over-scheduling.
5. Declutter your home: More possessions mean more things to clean up. Clutter clouds your mind and can produce unnecessary anxiety. Get rid of things you don’t need. Simplifying your surroundings helps you simplify your mind.
6. Meditate: Because we live in a world full of commotion, make sure your mind has time to think, process, and rest. Spend time outdoors, turn the T.V. off and the radio down. Allowing your mind time to think also helps you better focus on things of importance.
7. Limit artificial ingredients: Avoid filling your body with unnecessary ingredients. This includes everything you put in your body as well as products you use to care for your body. A healthier body makes for a simpler lifestyle. That’s why my family loves washing with products.
Working on simplifying my life, I can’t help but think back to the 1800’s – life was so simple, people were so happy! Dating back to 1879 (that’s over 138 years!) Ivory has provided soap with 99.44% pure and clean ingredients; making Ivory a brand families can trust. Now with new vintage-inspired packaging, these products help take my mind back to those simpler times, reminding me of the importance of simplifying.
Because of Ivory’s pure and gentle formula, my whole family (even the little kids) enjoy using Ivory Free & Gentle Body Wash with Pear & Sandalwood bath time. Not only does it smell amazing, but includes the #1 Dermatologist-Recommended moisturizing ingredient to soothe our dry skin, and doesn’t cause any skin irritation. I even use this soap as a face wash – in my opinion, that’s a true sign of a gentle formula. A few other Ivory favorites include their Ivory Original Body Wash and Ivory Original 3-Bar. Both offer a pure clean and are free of dyes and heavy perfumes.
Don’t let the start of a stressful new year get you down. By taking these 6 simple steps, you’re on your way to a simpler life.
Just came across this post at just the right time. Such simple but effective tips. Thank you. I’ve been getting the children to meditate with me and it’s been such a great time to share together.
All the tips are really helpful in order to simplify the life. We complicate our lives by just taking extra burden. These tips are beneficial for limiting the stress level.
I agree with all these!! Simple things yet they make a huge difference in our life!
We try to get rid of things we don’t love/need several times a year. It’s so refreshing to declutter the house.
That is one amazing tub–wow! I love the smell of Ivory and had no idea they made washes.
I have always been a fan of Ivory so pure for the kids. I like your tips to declutter and keep track of things. Sometimes it is better to say no.
Great tips for any family. Lots to think about
These are great tips that will definitely help bring peace in my life! I especially need to take your advice for decluttering more often (we live in a small NYC apartment and I purge every few months) and getting rid of everything that doesn’t bring me joy.
I have tried to simplify my life over and over and over again. Are usually federal after about a week. There are so many things I need to get done that my brain just sort of skips out on everything and go straight to the next day. I will definitely try some of these things to simplify my life.
Great tips. Nothing beats a good purge for making you feel better. It’s so cathartic.
Great post! I am also obsessed with Ivory soap. I use it with a little vinegar and water to get rid of the hard water stains in the bathrooms. From kids to kitchens, it rocks my world. Thanks for the lovely post.
Emily
http://www.piecrustandpixiedust.com