Simplify your life week …

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Did you know that today is the start of Simplify Your Life Week?  In the first seven days of August, do something to make your life simpler, more organized, less complicated, less cluttered.

I received this in an email today and really liked what I read and decided to randomly check with the Gods of Google to see what I could come up on this.

Guess what – it’s actually true !  The 1st – 7th of August is  actually a National Simplify Your Life Week !!!  It’s an official, yet little known observance that encourages you to organize and de-clutter your life.

Considering I just found out about this – do any of you know about this Simplify Your Life Week ? Have you maybe heard it in passing but not really focused on it ?

I don’t know about you, but I definitely need more than one week during the year to reduce the stress brought on by work, family, and general things taking place in my life.  I’ve been trying to take a vacation all year around and I’ve realised that I have to make a choice : go on vacation and splash out my savings OR forgo the vacation (including a friends’ wedding) and just let the next few months pass and think about it for another time.

We constantly over-work ourselves and then try to compensate by taking a long weekend or a week of vacation.  As dreamy and relaxing that a vacation may be – once we’re back (to reality) the same worries, commitments, tasks, and responsibilities are still there – they only went away temporarily and were just waiting patiently for our return !  The stress doesn’t just go away !

 

So what does it really mean to SIMPLIFY our life ?  After reading around a little bit, I came across this quote …

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.
-Hans Hofmann

 

So by way of the above quote, simplifying is all about having enough without having too much.  I suppose this would include cutting back on unnecessary spending, taking time to slow down and focusing on ones true priorities.  Obviously no two people have the same priorities.

Ohio State University Extension suggests that you do something each day of that week to reduce the stress in your life and start enjoying life more.

Here are a few things one could indulge in to start reducing stress :

  • Take a bubble bath.  When was the last time you had one ? The last time I soaked in a tub was in April ! and before that it was in September ‘08 !! talk about really waiting to kill the stress !!!
  • Make a List.  Sounds simple right ? But do you make the list ?? Start small i.e. clear out clothes that don’t fit me and move on to more pressing matters
  • Go For a Picnic.  When was the last time you did that ?
  • Ask For Help.  Yeah you read that correctly.  There’s nothing wrong in asking someone else for help.  No one is perfect – and even the most perfect person gets stumped every now and then !

I genuinely can’t think of anything else right now – however here are some links that give more detail about the week and what you can do to simplify your life – and it all depends on your perspective

So what will you do to simplify your life this month ? Do share your suggestions in the comments :)