Ina's Place

Living a modern life can be exhausting and overwhelming. The myriad of activities we have to do every single day makes us think often that 24 hours a day are not enough. We are constantly looking for ways to simplify our lives, or at least get rid of some tasks on our lists, and we act on our moods according to what the situation dictates.

In the light of the countless duties and events happening in my life right now, and having some “tricks” up my sleeve, I think it’s only fair if I can share with you, and, hopefully, help you navigate with ease through everyday life.

For the past couple of months, my life got to a higher level of difficulty, very much like in the Mario game where, with each finished level, you move on to a harder one to either lose, or win. The best part about real life, though, is that we have as many trials as we want, as long as we keep on persisting and not giving up.

So, what I do right now may sound simple – I’m a mom, I’m a wife, I’m a blogger, I’m a full-time worker, and, finally, I’m a part-time student – but in reality, it takes so much time, effort, energy and “life” out of me every single day! I have many moments throughout the day, where I feel like there’s no  air for me to breath in, like my body is the weight of a truck when I’m actually this petite 1,59 m (5’ 4”) and 45 kg (99 lbs) human being that has difficulty walking on the street when it’s windier outside (if you know me in person, I bet you witnessed some of my “struggles” 😊, to name a few).

And so, one day, I just decided to simplify my existence and I planned, tried and retried strategies, and compiled these    3 most relevant self-made tips:

1. Prioritize.

Nothing kills a day and your entire energy like you trying to DO IT ALL in one day! Rather, when you wake up and you know what your day should look like, start taking care of the most important activity on your mental list. Say you have to go to work, to take care of your family in the evening, study for your next course, reply to some personal e-mails/requests, and start/ continue working on your side-kick. This all is just waaayyyy too much for a person to do in a day!

So, get creative, divide and combine your tasks according to what is Urgent for today, for example – go to work; during your lunch hour do some e-mail/requests replying, problem solving, reading for your courses, side-kick work; and in the evening you are free to spend time with your family. Don’t shy away from combining 2 activities into one, like, when you are on your morning or evening commute, read that book you always meant to, or write that Facebook/Instagram post, or make calls and appointments you need for you and your family, or think of new ideas for your blog, or just anything that’s related to your life activities and interests.

For me, my lunch hour and my commute are the best times to accomplish half of my day’s tasks, and they save me at least 3 evenings a week! Think about that.

2. Embrace the chaos in your life.

Adults, especially those who have children, know that every day brings new challenges, new phases, unpredictable situations and a lot of thoughts like “I don’t know if I can do it anymore” and “This is insane”. Well, a real example would be me trying to write this exact blog post and wanting to publish it a week ago, but, like Cinderella, right on the day when I sat to start writing it, I got kicked by life with one problem after another that involved me and my entire family. 5 days later, things had calmed down, so here I am giving you advice.

Now, my first and biggest advice is to not have expectations from life! Unfortunately, our days don’t depend on us entirely, and there is no guarantee that, if you start your day nice and easy, it will end in the exact same breeze and a glass of champagne in your hands. Therefore, keep your focus on your end goal, take the craziness of the day as something normal, and remember that tomorrow is another day and the situation may change completely. Like 180ᵒ “completely”.

3. Use Shortcuts.

I get it, you want to do it all and you, maybe, feel obliged to, but it doesn’t make your life any easier. Taking care of every detail of your life is draining and not healthy. Instead, use “shortcuts” to life situations whenever possible.

In this modern world, we can do most of the stuff online, so use your grocery store’s Pick-up service (you choose all your groceries, put them in a cart and pay online), which saves you at least 2-3 hours a week. Do your shopping/ renewals/ situation clarifications/ inquiries/ appointments/ payments/ etc. online and keep an eye on your e-mail for updates or confirmations. This will save you another 3-5 hours a week.

Also, don’t forget that you can delegate some of your tasks to your hubby, boyfriend, partner, siblings or parents. Don’t think about anything, just ask for help when you need it! Don’t try to conquer the world by doing every little thing all by yourself (perfectionists and caregivers – my eyes are on you right now!). Just get other people involved. Period.

In the end, no matter what goes on in your life, don’t forget that you’re only a human being – although a very SUPER-human – so take breaks as often as possible. Pamper yourself, accept those great invitations coming your way, eat whatever you want, take short weekend road trips, kiss your beloved ones very often, book those spa/yoga/fitness sessions, sleep as much as possible – just anything you love and brings you PURE joy. If you have too much to do, it doesn’t mean that you should forget about yourself, your body and soul!

So, today, make a small plan of your life, and rock on. Because you’re already a Star!

For more tips on how to ease up your life, check out an older article of mine: 4 No-Brainer Steps to Simplify Your Life