Simplicity enhances summer

With summer’s arrival in my part of the world and many others, it seems the perfect time to talk about simplicity. Engaging simplicity gives you more time to enjoy the beauty of summer: Time to enjoy nature, the sun, a breeze, talking with a friend, going to a farmer’s market and buying fresh fruits and veggies and so on.

Time to just be, and that’s so vital for your well-being. Our lives weren’t meant to be a hectic blur. In doing so, we miss a lot, and we know it. Then we try to fix that by adding even more things into our lives and onto our to do lists, and the vicious circle begins again.

Simplicity boosts your health because it helps reduce the chaos and clutter in your body, mind, soul, home, office. When things are simpler, you can relax, breathe, sleep well and find time to enjoy the truly important parts of life.

Where can you start? Is there something that’s been bugging you? Do you reach into your closet and recoil every day? Do you have to dig in a drawer to find an item? Do you walk into your home or office and feel overwhelmed because there’s just too much stuff there? Is your to do list packed and feeling hopeless? Is your mind a crazy, tumbling washer full of thoughts and worries?

Choose one place, one item to simplify. Don’t make this too big! Even if it could be a big task, find a way to chunk it down to small parts. Success at doing this one thing will encourage you to do more, not make you feel even worse. Is there just one drawer you can completely clean out? Can you cross off or delegate some things on your to do list? Can you dump a lot of your e-mail and just not worry about it?

How about cleaning off your desktop entirely, then only outfitting it mostly with things you really want there and that inspire you? Simplify your bedroom so you can sleep better at night – take out the electronic gunk, clear off the surfaces and perhaps just keep a beautiful item or two that you love.

Go find yourself a 15-minute simplifier, and do it! Then take some time to notice how that makes you feel. With most of you, you’ll feel a lot better – relieved, relaxed, renewed. And that, I hope, provides the motivation and encouragement to embrace your next 15-minute simplifier.