Life can be a complicated mess sometimes. We all have so many things going that it can be hard to keep track of everything. When your life has become a chaotic affair, where you have to scramble to keep many different things in balance, it might be a good idea to think about making some changes.
There are ways an individual can simplify his or hers life in order to maintain a more peaceful existence. By determining what bits of your life are most important and essential to you, and eliminating all the fluff and bad elements that are causing undue stress you can feel much better.
Below I will list forty ideas on things you can do to simplify your life. A person’s life and what is essential is really a subjective thing, so these are merely suggestions that may or may not work for you depending on your outlook.

1. Get rid of unnecessary stuff
We all love our possessions, but after a while we seem to accumulate so many things that are unimportant and we never use. It can help to get rid of these things you never use and donate them to a second hand charity store. Not only will someone be helped by you donating these items you’d never use, but also it will simplify your living quarters and give you more space.

2. Stop buying new things
People love shopping, but it can get to be too much. If you can limit the purchases you are making to the essential things you need month-to-month then it would be better. Buying something special now and again is a different story, but a closet full of clothing doesn’t scream simplicity.

3. List the most important things
Try to make a list of the most important things in your life that you wish you had more time for. Then you can try to strive for making more time to do those things.

4. Lessen your commitments
We adults in the workforce have many commitments, but sometimes we overextend ourselves. Make sure you haven’t bitten off more than you can chew. Success is incredible, but down time is important.

5. Take a look at how you spend your time
This can be a big step to simplification right here. A lot of our time each day can be spent on little things that just eat away at our daylight. If we can eliminate those things, a simpler life can await.

6. Take care of important work first.
When it comes to our work day, we can wind up having to juggle many different things at once. However, there should be tasks that are more important than other. By focusing on completing the most important things, it can simplify the work experience.

7. Simplify home chores
Try not to get overwhelmed with home chores. If you need to delegate some tasks to room mates, or your family then do so.

8. Say no to some things.
You can’t always say yes to everything that comes your way. You don’t have the time to in some cases energy to do everything everyone would ask of you.

9. Less cell phone time
People become attached to their cell phones. Try not to waste the day away on it. Limit the texts you send per day.

10. Less media in your life
For some people this wouldn’t be optimal. Media can be a distraction that keeps you from what you really want to be doing. So try to keep your time on the Internet to a smaller amount, and watch less television.

11. Simplify fashion options
Go through your closet and get rid of the stuff you never really want to wear. Stick to work clothes, comfort clothes and going out clothes.

12. Unclutter the desktop of your computer
Sometimes we have too many programs and unnecessary things on our computers. Simplify your computing time by going down to the essentials.

13. Organize digital music and media files
With as prevalent as digital media is now, things can get cluttered. Try to organize these things into specific folders and make it easier on yourself when you are to use them.

14. Try to do what you love
Take the thing you love to do and make time to do it. If that is gardening, then make time for your garden no matter what.

15. Spend time with loved ones
Loved ones are important. You need to be able to make time for those you hold dear.

16. Find alone time for yourself
Time spent alone can help a person recharge their batteries. Peace and quiet is very desirable.

17. Take time to savor your meals
Those with busy lifestyles sometimes adapt to the habit of eating food as fast as possible so they can go back to working. Taking time to savor a meal will make you feel good and give you some zen.

18. Drive slower and be careful
Being in a rush to get somewhere isn’t always a good thing. Leave early and give yourself time to get where you need to go if you have to. Just don’t make yourself feel rushed.
19. Live in the moment
Don’t spend time lamenting the past or worrying about the future far too much. The present is where you are and you have to seize the moment. Your life is happening right now.

20. Create a system for filing your bills and paperwork
Bills and paperwork can pile up like nobody’s business. Having an efficient system to take care of them is a great way to simplify your life.
21. Have a plan for running monthly errands
Having errands planned out and getting them down to a science is great. Planning routes and knowing the best times of day to do certain things can save time and effort.

22. Keep a clean and clear desk
Some get in the habit of having mountains of stuff on top of their desk and office area. Keeping things clean and uncluttered can help one keep a clear mind.

23. Empty your inbox
Delete those old emails and don’t just let a thousand sit around in your inbox forever. It can be daunting having so much to sort through.

24. Make your life a series of routines
Routines help to simplify life because we can know what to expect and become more and more efficient at getting things done through repetition.

25. Learn to save money
Saving money is always a great idea, but it can help in making things simpler too. By not wasting money on unneeded things or events, you will have less to deal with, and having more money around makes problems that might arise easier to handle too.

26. Think about buying or renting a smaller house
Having a large house to live in can be a blessing if you have a lot of family, but if it is just you as a single individual, or even you and a spouse a smaller environment might be better. A smaller house would be easier to take care of, and thus things would be simpler.

27. Plan your meals a week in advance
Sometimes it is stressful trying to hurry and figure out what you are going to eat for the evening. If you can plan simple dinners a week at a time, then you can save yourself some headaches. Sticking to a plan can be a good thing.

28. Try to eat healthy
There are various benefits to eating healthy foods. Trying out a more healthy diet can help you feel better, more energetic and ready to get things done. Plus it might help you avoid getting sick as much, and you won’t require as many trips to the Doctor’s office.

29. Exercise regularly
Exercising is a great way to make yourself feel good both physically and mentally. We feel good about ourselves when we know we are doing positive things that have a good affect. With your body getting stronger and in better shape, you will feel less stressed and worry about your health or appearance. Looking your best can take a lot of stress out of the equation.
30. Turn cleaning up into a habit
If you can get into the habit of cleaning things up after you are done with them, you will keep your house from becoming cluttered. A cluttered house can be overwhelming. Simply putting things back in their places instead of leaving things strewn about can help a lot.

31. Designate a place for everything you own
Putting your stuff back after you use it is good, but it also helps to have a specific place for everything. That way you never get confused on where to stash something.

32. Take time for meditation or prayer
Depending on if you are a spiritual person or not, this suggestion may or may not apply to you. Taking the time to find some inner calm can be a wonderful way to wash some stress away from your being. It will help you stay in a good mood to do this every once in a while. Even if you are not religious, peace and quiet combined with meditating on the day’s events is a good practice.

33. Discover outlets for self-expression
This is an incredible tool for those who are artistically inclined in some way. You don’t have to possess amazing talent to enjoy this though. Take time to write in a journal, jot down short stories, paint or play a musical instrument. Expressing one’s self in these ways is very satisfying.
34. Streamline your goals
Sometimes we are so driven that we possess multiple goals, and strive towards them with purpose. Although wanting to succeed is good, it is probably better to limit yourself to one goal at a time. Think of the goal that is most important to you at the moment and make that your focus.

35. Avoid multi-tasking
The ability to multi-task is admirable, but it can be frustrating and stressful. Try to do only a single task at a time.

36. Learn to let things go
Being a person who is easily angered, or who holds grudges is not conducive to living a simple and calm life. You need to let things go. Like water off a duck’s back, just move on with your life.

37. Take the time to do nothing
Every once in a while a person deserves to treat themselves to a few hours of doing absolutely nothing. This can feel sinful to a driven individual, but taking time to relax is important to maintaining a less stressful environment.

38. Stop carrying so many things with you
These days’ people take all sorts of devices and things with them when they are out of their homes. A cell phone, gaming device, tablet and any number of other things could be on your person at any given time. Simplify this and only take what you really need. There is no need to be so plugged in all the time.

39. Appreciate the little things
The little things matter so much. Some don’t realize this until it is too late. Enjoy talking over coffee with your significant other and the family barbeque on the weekend.

40. Maintain a simple budget
Making a budget and following it at the beginning of the month is a great idea because it will keep your spending in check and promote good habits. It can seem like a hassle at first to do all the math and figure everything out, but it is a great thing to do. It will make your decision making process much simpler.
These forty things are just some examples of how you can simplify your life and begin to live in a less stressed out environment. There are many things a person can do to achieve this but the most important thing is doing what will work for you. We are all individuals and have different thought processes, feelings and ideals.
Think about what is important to you, look at the suggestions listed above and really give thought to what steps you can make to simplify your life. Once you eliminate some of the stressors from your day to day operations, it will feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders. Being unencumbered by stress is the way to be.