• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Becoming UnBusy
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Start Here
  • About
  • Life Quotes
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
  • ×
    Home » Blog » Living a Simple Life

    5 Ways to Save Time, Feel More Whole, and Simplify Your Life

    Published: Feb 20, 2020 · Modified: Jul 1, 2022 by An UnBusy Community Member — Submit Your Story Today! · Post may contain affiliate links

    2842 shares
    • Facebook2670
    • Email to a friend!

    There are ways to be more productive, while simultaneously cutting things out of your life that don’t serve you. Here are five ways to get started from Katie Sullivan of Rise Through Strife.

    . . .

    In a society obsessed with productivity and convenience, many of us have failed to acknowledge the adverse effects of a world that moves at hyper-speed. Maybe we notice on a more global scale - we see more depression, anxiety, and even suicide.

    But what about on an individual level? Have you paid attention to how this obsession with to-do lists and intuitive calendars has made a mark on you as a person (not a robot)?

    There are ways to be more productive, while simultaneously cutting things out of your life that don’t serve you.

    There are ways to be more productive, while simultaneously cutting things out of your life that don’t serve you. Here are five ways to get started ... 5 Ways to Save Time, Feel More Whole, and Simplify Your Life

    5 Ways to Save Time, Feel More Whole, and Simplify Your Life

    The goal with productivity should be to have more time to be whole, not to find other things to put on your list. So, here are 5 ways you can save time, feel more whole, and simplify your life.

    Jump to:
    • 1. Ask yourself: “Is the really necessary?”
    • 2. Establish a sustainable routine
    • 3. Cut out toxic people
    • 4. Consume less media
    • 5. Do more of what you want and less of what you don’t
    • 💬 Community

    1. Ask yourself: “Is the really necessary?”

    The popular advice right now is to suggest that we should just say “no” more often. While I understand the sentiment, I think it should be more nuanced.

    Indiscriminately saying “no” only for the sake of exercising your free will may land you in a more isolated place than you originally planned.

    What I’ve found to be more helpful is to consider whether something is really necessary to my well-being or not. If it doesn’t serve me, why am I doing it?

    Here’s where the nuance comes in: even if something doesn’t serve me now, I need to consider whether my efforts now will serve me later. Considering your happiness now and later may have more lasting, effective results.

    Ask yourself what is really important and then have the courage to build your home and life around that answer. #becomingunbusy *Great post on embracing simplicity

    2. Establish a sustainable routine

    The operative word here is “sustainable”. The fact of the matter is, that we often overestimate what we are able to accomplish in a given amount of time. In other words, we never seem to get as much done as we think we can.

    This is not a personal failure, but it is a reality.

    What can you reasonably get done in the morning before work?

    Daily gratitude practice, meditation, 30-minute workout, and make your organic, fresh breakfast?

    As lovely it sounds, that’s not realistic. And all of these self-love, personal development acts may end up making you more crazy than before.

    Clearly, that’s not what we’re going for here.

    If you can only manage to write a journal entry and eat a nutritious breakfast, that’s great! And your ability to remain consistent with that routine will, over time, make you feel much more centered than adding 37 extra additional things.

    3. Cut out toxic people

    We’ve all got people in our lives that make us feel emotionally drained, or who constantly drag us into their drama.

    Ever sat down to actually think about how much time you spend with people who only dim your light?

    Even if it’s not the time spent with them - how much energy do you expend just thinking about the garbage they bring into your life?

    It’s not a betrayal to keep certain people at a distance. In fact, you never even have to inform them that the nature of your relationship is changing - it can just happen.

    When you leave behind people who don’t bring positivity to your life, suddenly the clouds lift, and life feels a little lighter and brighter.

    Not everyone needs access to you. Some people are draining and they don't even know it. You are allowed to say no, you're allowed to not answer calls, you're allowed to break plans, and if you need to save yourself, do it.

    4. Consume less media

    We consume TONS of media every single day. In fact, we spend more time-consuming media today, than in any other time in history.

    Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, late-night talk shows, the news - I could go on - the barrage of “latest news” is endless.

    Again, I challenge you to take stock of how much time your consuming media, and how you feel after doing it.

    Did that last post from your favorite Instagram beauty influencer leave you feeling ugly and insignificant? Unfollow.

    Did that last post from your most-admired political figure leave you feeling helpless and hopeless? Unfollow.

    Media may help keep us up-to-date, but it doesn’t help us take action. It doesn’t help feed our souls. And it definitely doesn’t help us live happier lives. So, let go of it.

    5. Do more of what you want and less of what you don’t

    We often forget to consider one really important question: what do I want?

    So much is expected from us, and so much pressure falls on us day after day, to do/be/look/act a certain way. And then we forget that we’re allowed to consider our own desires.

    People too often forget that we have a choice in how we want to spend the rest of our lives.

    If you’re constantly deprived of the little and big things that allow you to express your creativity, individuality, and make you feel alive, the results can be devastating. This is what’s driving the uptick in anxiety, depression, and suicide.

    We’re suffocating - deprived of our own essential selves, and it’s literally destroying our populace.

    Next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, under-appreciated, and without direction, stop to consider what you want. Once you figure it out, march toward it, and don’t look back.

    Katie Sullivan is a mindset & creativity coach who helps entrepreneurial-minded creatives turn their passions into a lifestyle.

    Love this post? Sharing it would make our week. 💛

    It would make our week if you took a second to share this post on your favorite social media spot. That's how we know we're on the right track and should continue writing more posts like this!

    « 5 Science-Backed Reasons 'Getting Lost in a Book' is Good for You
    This 75-Year Harvard Study Found This One Thing is the Answer to a Good Life »
    2842 shares
    • Facebook2670
    • Email to a friend!

    Primary Sidebar

    Portrait of Becoming UnBusy founder, Zina Harrington

    Hi, I'm Zina.
    I believe overwhelm and busy get in the way of finding time for what really matters in life. I help women unclutter, make space, and design a simple and slow life. Let's de-crapify your world → Ready to reset?

    Binge-Worthy Reads

    • A woman holding a bouquet of sunflowers.
      How To Start Over: 5 Steps To Reboot Your Life

    • Loving this collection of 12 Poems About Life For a Beautiful Life Well-Lived
      12 Poems About Life For a Beautiful Life Well-Lived

    • 5 Ways To Live A Simple Life

    • Anxious woman sitting relaxed with a book and cup of coffee.
      The 21 Day Anti-Anxiety Challenge

    • Woman holding her arms open wide in a vast field.
      200 Bucket List Ideas: Inspiration for Women Who Want to Embrace Life

    • 3 Documentaries That Will Change How Your Kids See The World

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About UnBusy

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Accessibility Policy

    Slow Down In Life

    • Overwhelm and busy get in the way of finding time for what really matters in life. Begin slow living → Ready to reset?

    Slow Living Movement

    • "She silently stepped out of the race she never wanted to be in, found her own lane, and proceeded to win."
      — Pam Lambert

    Copyright © 2020

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.