Life is easy. Why do we make it so hard? We’ve all heard the adage that life is hard. But have you ever considered that it doesn’t have to be?
Life is Easy, Why Do We Make It So Hard?
Often we make life far more difficult than it truly is, either because we don’t know any better or because our emotional responses get in the way of our better judgment. Whether it’s changing the way we approach our day-to-day tasks or reframing our mindset, here are some tips for getting a handle on difficult areas of life and making them much simpler.
Find New Ways To Reduce Stress
Stress has been cited as one of the leading causes of health and wellness issues for adults. Anxiety, worriment, and even physical pain can all be attributed to elevated stress levels.
The best way to reduce the impact of stress is to seek out activities and therapies that can help center your thoughts and prepare you to face challenging days. Meditation and mindfulness, for example, are incredibly helpful and quite easy to fit into your routine.
Additionally, there are countless yoga classes, outdoor activities, and even therapeutic arts and crafts you can explore to find a stress-relieving hobby and hobby that can help you clear your mind.
Break Big Goals Into Smaller Components
Oftentimes the feeling of overwhelmingness and resultant stress come from feeling like you have to accomplish too much at once. If your goal is to start a blog, for instance, don’t think of it as having to write an entire blog post and design an entire website all at once. Instead, break it down into smaller, more manageable goals.
Start by focusing on researching topics you’re interested in writing about and seeing what kind of audience the topics could reach. Then, decide on a web platform you can use for your blog design. Once you have those decisions nailed down, you can focus on smaller tasks like designing the website’s color scheme and layout and writing content. Breaking down big goals like these into small, actionable steps makes completing them far easier and often more enjoyable.
Take Time To Reflect And Check-In With Yourself
It’s easy to get so wrapped up in the minutia of our daily to-dos and goals that we forget to step back, take a deep breath, and consider how all the myriad tasks we do in a day fit with what we want from life.
Take time to reflect on your accomplishments and areas in which you could use some extra help. Are there any bigger tasks ahead that could be more easily accomplished with guidance from a family member or friend? Are you feeling the physical and emotional symptoms of over-reaching? Making sure you are mentally and physically fit to take on the challenges that life throws at you will help ensure that you don’t become overburdened with too many.
Set Reasonable Boundaries With Your Time and Energy
Life is a constant series of balancing acts. Just as it’s important to challenge yourself to reach new heights, it’s also important to know when it’s not the best time to take on new things or to continue pushing ahead when something isn’t working.
Setting reasonable boundaries with your time and energy is one key way to make life simpler. It’s okay to say “no” to certain activities if they’re draining you mentally, physically, or emotionally. It’s also important to practice time management to make sure you don’t overcommit yourself, which can be difficult when every task feels equally important.
Find Ways To Destress At Home
Home is the most important place for winding down and taking some much-needed time for yourself. Finding activities that help you relax and destress can be a great way to wind down after a hectic day.
One of the easy ways to create this calming environment is by connecting with nature even if you can’t be outside. Try growing indoor plants, which can help oxygenate the air in your home and provide a calming atmosphere. Incorporate pieces of nature, like shells or stones, into your home decor as reminders of the beauty of the outdoors. Finally, take up a relaxation hobby or activity like coloring, playing a board game, or watching a movie.
Make Time For Fun
Make sure to include time for fun, creative pursuits in your schedule. Choose something you find enjoyable and indulging in it regularly can make life simpler and more enjoyable. Whether it’s going for a run, playing video games, sailing, cooking, or painting, activities like these can provide you with social support, a source of relaxation, or a sense of belonging that will make your life much easier.
Get Outside of Your Comfort Zone
Getting out of our comfort zones can be scary, yes but it can also help us grow and move forward in areas of our lives that have become stagnant. Making mistakes or trying activities that are unfamiliar to you can force you to think differently and can help you find the answers you need.
No matter what you choose to take on, make sure it’s something that excites and challenges you. Once you begin to tackle the challenge or goal, don’t give up if it gets difficult. Instead, focus on the ways this new skill or experience can help you better understand the world and apply it in your everyday life.
Life is Easy, Why Do We Make it So Hard?
Life doesn’t have to be hard — we make it so by allowing ourselves to become overwhelmed, stepping out of our comfort zones too often, or not taking time for ourselves. By shifting the way we approach life and looking at simplicity as the true goal, we can make each day more meaningful and enjoyable.
FAQs
Q: What are some ways to find stress-relieving hobbies?
A: Finding a stress-relieving hobby can be a great way to reset and refocus your thoughts throughout the day. Options include yoga classes, outdoor activities, therapeutic arts and crafts, like woodworking or pottery, and even meditation and mindfulness practices.
Q: How can breaking down goals into smaller tasks make accomplishments easier?
A: Big goals can feel overwhelming, but breaking them down into smaller, actionable steps makes them much more manageable and often more enjoyable. For instance, if you want to start a blog, don’t focus on designing the website and creating content all at once. Instead, focus on first researching topics and deciding on a website platform, and then match the content creation to those decisions.
Q: What should I do as part of my reflective practice?
A: Reflecting is an incredibly important part of making life simpler and more enjoyable. There are a few key components to any reflective practice. Consider your accomplishments and areas where you could use additional help. Think about how specific tasks match with what you ultimately want out of life. And make sure you check in that you’re feeling fit to take on the challenges that life throws your way.
Q: What can I do to stay out of my comfort zone without overreaching?
A: Staying out of your comfort zone is an important part of growth, but it’s just as important to make sure you don’t overreach. Make sure to pace yourself and begin with activities that are closer to your comfort zone so that you don’t become overwhelmed. Don’t forget to take time to appreciate your accomplishments and to reward yourself for trying new things.
Q: What’s a good way to destress at home?
A: Home is the most important place for winding down and taking some much-needed time for yourself. To destress at home, cultivate a calming atmosphere with activities like indoor plants, outdoor decorations, relaxation hobbies, and even aromatherapy. Taking some time to play video games, cooking, or meditating can also be great ways to destress.
Q: How can I make time for more fun in my life?
A: Making time for fun is an essential part of making life simple. Choose activities that you find enjoyable and make sure you carve out time for them in your schedule. Incorporate social support if possible, or make sure you plan some solo activities as well. And, finally, make sure you take the time to savor the moment and fully enjoy whatever it is you’re doing.
Q: Why shouldn’t I use commas when I’m joined by coordinating conjunctions?
A: You should never use commas when you are joined by coordinating conjunctions like and, but, nor, or, so, yet, or for. This is because the coordinating conjunction forms a link between two independent clauses, which should not be separated by a combined. The coordinating conjunctions form one sentence, and as such, don’t require a comma.