Living life and being your best self doesn’t need to be hard. Personal development and society make you believe that you need to hustle to grow and that something being easy means you’re really being lazy.
The truth is, life can and SHOULD be effortless.
Effortless living doesn’t mean you are lazy or not trying. It’s just a much more simple way of living. You can really make life feel like a breeze!!
So, if you want to work on yourself and live your best life but want to do it in an easier and less stressful way, keep reading.
Let’s talk about how you can embrace effortless living.
What is effortless living?
The idea of effortless living came from Taoism which is a type of Chinese philosophy and religion. The main belief is that people should live in balance with the universe.
That is a big concept!
Over time Taoism and the idea of balance and harmony have created a new branch of beliefs which is where effortless living comes in.
Effortless living means going with the flow and living in harmony. The things you do are still conscious decisions but are so in alignment with who you are as a person that it feels effortless. Anyone can live an effortless life and be balanced, it just takes some time to figure out what that means to you!
How to make life easier and start living effortlessly
Learning to find balance in your life between all the craziness will make all the difference for your happiness and mental health. You may be asking how you could possibly just “flow” through life with so many responsibilities, to-dos, and life goals but seriously, just some small changes to your daily life can make everything easier.
Here are some tips to make life a breeze!
1. Do less
Now, hear me out… I don’t mean just scrap your to-do list And give up all your responsibilities. I know you can’t just stop doing things.
However, you can stop doing SOME things. Oftentimes we are doing too much. Saying yes to too many obligations, adding more and more to your to-do list, and doing things the hard way.
Do the IMPORTANT things and either leave the rest or delegate it to others.
Example: you obviously need to eat and therefore you need groceries but you don’t need to go grocery shopping. You can order online and pick it up or have it delivered. It gives you more time to do other things and takes some stress away.
2. Clean a little every day
Effortless living comes from habits and routines that work. One thing that has helped me immensely is daily cleaning. I used to let things go until it was stressful. The kitchen would get dirty, the sink filled with dishes, and the laundry pile grew into Mount Everest. All the mess made me feel horrible and when cleaning day came around it sucked.
Make cleaning your house feel effortless by doing small tasks every day. Empty the sink at night. Pick your clothes up off the floor. Clean the shower while you’re in it.
It doesn’t need to be a lot. Just something to make the house feel more “put together.” Your brain will feel much more at ease and in balance when you have a clean space more often and it doesn’t need to be complicated.
3. Practice gratitude
Practicing gratitude is something many people do across many beliefs. It’s just a good thing to do. Gratitude is known to boost your mood, improve your mindset, and build connections to the world around you.
Once you start seeing the world in a more positive light and live a life of gratitude you will notice how much more balanced you feel.
Life gets a little easier when you aren’t constantly blaming others, having bad days, and seeing things in a negative way.
4. Embrace change
Human beings hate change! It’s uncomfortable and scary. I’m sure you’ve felt that way about Certain changes In your life before. It’s generally avoided.
However, change is not inherently bad. So many good things come from making changes. Effortless living takes away the friction. You don’t need to fight every change that comes your way. You can embrace change and even if you aren’t super happy about it, you can be open to it. The path of least resistance leads to a happier and easier life.
5. Do more of what you enjoy
It’s so easy to do the things you want to do. Making time to see your friends, going for a bike ride, seeing a movie, playing a video game… it’s easy to make space in your calendar for things that make you happy!
So why not do more of it? Get off your phone and do one of your favorite hobbies. Delegate a task so you can grab coffee with a friend.
Life feels much more balanced when you make time for the things that light you up.
6. Declutter your life
Make life simple! I love the idea of a capsule wardrobe because it makes getting dressed effortless. Could you imagine making fewer decisions when it comes to getting ready in the morning?
Or what about your other closets or even the garage? You don’t need so much stuff. Effortless living is about having less stuff so your home and your mind are not constantly full.
Don’t let your stuff own you! Having less helps you feel lighter.
Recommended Read: The Ultimate Declutter Checklist To Transform your Life
7. Control what you can and release the rest
You can’t control everything in life. Bad traffic, how someone reacts, a rainy day… while those things may annoy you, there’s nothing you can do. It’s out of your control!
As soon as you realize the things you CAN control versus the things you can’t, life gets easier. Less time is spent fretting over situations you can’t do anything about.
Tip: make a list of the things you can control and focus your energy on those things. When someone happens that makes you mad or annoyed check to see if it’s on your “can control” list.
8. Cut out negativity
Whether it’s negativity from others or yourself, being negative makes life harder. Negativity breeds negativity! It’s the law of attraction. The more negativity you put into the world, the more you get back.
When I’m in a bad mood I swear nothing goes right. I can’t find a parking spot, my belt loop gets caught on the door handle (like how is that even possible?!), I run out of my favorite shampoo and I can’t find it in stores… You know how it goes.
Life definitely doesn’t feel effortless when everything is going wrong because of my bad attitude lol.
It’s not realistic to think you can just always be positive but you can choose what to let affect you and what to not.
9. Simplify routines
Effortless Living typically means having less complex routines. You don’t need a 20-step bedtime routine. Having 15 different skincare products isn’t necessary.
Simple really is better when it comes to most things in life! Living more effortlessly means doing things that make sense. You aren’t doing them just to do them, ya know?
10. Ask for help
It’s always okay to ask for help! Doing life with others makes it easier. It really takes a village.
Ask for help with tasks that are hard, when you have too much on your plate, or when you just don’t want to do it alone.
Effortless living is made possible when you surround yourself with others who want to support you. When you can pass something on that is causing you too much stress. It’s called balance!
11. Stay organized
I love a good to-do list! When you are organized from the beginning it makes life easier. You know what you need to do and how to do it. You aren’t scrambling around wondering what to do next.
Keep lists, use a calendar, create healthy habits, and stay organized on a regular basis! You can go with the flow much easier when you have routines, clear to-dos, and a plan!
Final thoughts
I think everyone strives to make life easier. From meal prep services to using AI, many things in life can be effortless. However, living an effortless lifestyle is more than quick hacks. It’s a way of living both mentally and physically.
Effortless living involves living a balanced lifestyle. Making the decision to pick simplicity over complexity. Deciding to let negative emotions go and ditching things you don’t need.
I truly believe anyone can live an effortless life but it does take some EFFORT to make it work. Which may seem counterproductive but you sometimes need to put in the work before you can reap the rewards.
Hopefully, you have a few ideas now about making your life a breeze!
What effortless living tip will you try?
Author: Deanna Frig
Deanna is a personal growth blogger and freelance writer. She created Life By Deanna to inspire other women to focus on growth, create lives they love, and dream BIG! When she isn’t writing she is likely reading a fantasy novel, cuddling her cat, or eating a warm bowl of mac and cheese. Check out her blog for more posts on personal growth, wellness, and lifestyle.
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