8 Ways to Make Your Life Easier

8 Ways to Make Your Life Easier

Everyone has to deal with life’s annoyances every now and then, whether it’s having to do your taxes or fill out insurance paperwork, or trying to sell your house in a tough market. What do you wish you could do about all these little nuisances? We’ve collected some creative ways that people have found to make their lives easier. If you have any ideas of your own, please share them in the comments!

1. Create a routine
   One way to make your life easier is to create a routine and stick to it. This can help you save time and energy by not having to make decisions about what you're going to do every day. Decide what time you're going to wake up, go to bed, eat meals, etc., and then stick to it as much as possible. This will help reduce stress and make it easier for you to get things done. Sometimes you'll have to break the routine, but don't let that happen too often or else it won't be helpful anymore. Keep track of your daily tasks so that when one task isn't getting done, you know which one it is so that you can focus on doing just that one thing. You can also use a planner with color-coded tabs to keep all of your lists organized. Take care of yourself: It's important to take care of yourself in order to feel good and do well. Put together an evening routine that helps you wind down after work so that you can sleep better at night, including taking hot baths, reading books, listening to music, meditating, or exercising before bedtime. Practice self-care techniques like breathing exercises, yoga, or mindfulness meditation to release tension from your body and mind. Eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water so that you have enough energy throughout the day. Get some exercise by taking walks outside during lunchtime or spending 30 minutes on the treadmill while watching TV if you can't squeeze it into your schedule any other time during the day.

2. Create an at-home spa night
   There's nothing like a relaxing spa night at home to help you unwind and de-stress. Here's how to create your own at-home spa night •Light some candles around the room
   •Turn on some soothing music
   •Turn down the lights, or turn off the lights altogether
   •Start with a calming shower or bath
   Next, scrub your body down with a gentle body wash, then apply lotion to hydrate and soften skin. You can also use an exfoliating scrub for extra softness. Spend some time moisturizing your hands, face, neck and chest using lotions that suit your skin type. Then move onto nails and feet by filing them gently with a nail file before painting them in colors of your choice. Lastly finish off by spending some time reading (or just chilling out) in bed with plenty of pillows! It'll be hard to fall asleep after all this pampering but it's worth it. Now you're set for a great sleep, sweet dreams!

3. Get off social media
   In today's society, it's easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing and compare our lives to others. However, this can lead to feelings of jealousy and inadequacy. If you find yourself feeling down after scrolling through social media, it might be time to take a break. You may also want to delete the app from your phone or limit your usage on the computer. Talk with friends: It's always good to keep in touch with friends, but sometimes we don't make enough time for that important relationship. Spending some time catching up with them will help them feel loved and will also help you feel better too! Engage in an activity that makes you happy: Whether it's playing a game, going to the movies, reading a book, or working out--finding something that makes you happy is essential. If it's been awhile since you've done something like this then now is the perfect time! Cut back on TV watching: For many people TV has become more than just entertainment--it has become their life. But cutting back even just an hour per day can have benefits like more energy and creativity as well as less anxiety.

4. Follow your 'should' with a 'must'
   We all have a never-ending list of things we think we should do every day. But with only 24 hours in a day, it's impossible to get everything done. That's why it's important to focus on the things that are truly important to you. Write down your musts and work from there. Here are 8 ideas for making your life easier:

5. Organize your physical space so that you can find what you need when you need it.

6. Try scheduling time for yourself to do those 'should' tasks so they don't interfere with your 'musts'.

7. Establish boundaries and limits in your life so you can be more productive and focused on what matters most to you. 4) Eliminate clutter and distractions by getting rid of unnecessary possessions and social media accounts. 5) Get into the habit of saying no to new commitments whenever possible. 6) Turn off push notifications on your phone, computer, or tablet so you're not tempted to check them constantly. 7) Choose friends who understand and support your goals instead of people who just drag you down or try to change who you are as a person. 8) Plan your days so you know exactly what you'll be doing before even waking up. Be mindful about how much sleep you're getting each night (eight hours is best). Allocate enough time for exercise and self-care (at least 30 minutes per day). And drink plenty of water! 1) Avoid taking on too many projects at once and you'll feel less overwhelmed. 2) Use routines to make sure your daily tasks are well-organized. 3) Review your schedule regularly to see if any changes need to be made. 4) Create rituals for coping with stress (exercising, meditating, going out with friends). Remember to take care of yourself!

8. Learn to live alone
   There are plenty of benefits to living alone: you can come and go as you please, you don't have to deal with anyone else's mess, and you can make all the rules. But it can also be a bit daunting at first. Here are a few tips to make the transition easier do your research beforehand by finding listings for apartment buildings in your area and looking up reviews; take time off work before moving so that you'll know what to expect when going back; get out there and explore your new neighborhood - if possible, set up meetings with neighbors before moving in; find an activity or two that will fill some of your newfound free time (for example, cooking classes); give yourself a pat on the back for taking this step. In just six months, you could save $6,000! To show how easy it is to do this, we did a cost-benefit analysis. Assuming a constant interest rate of 3% and no additional payments, how much money would you need to pay into your 401(k) each month in order to accumulate $1 million dollars over 20 years? The answer is just over $300 per month - less than one third of the average American's monthly income. Think about how much easier retirement would be with money like that waiting for you. It doesn't matter whether you're young or old -- taking advantage of these tax breaks today will ensure your future financial security tomorrow.

9. Learn how to do things yourself

1. You don't always need to hire someone to do things for you. There are plenty of things you can learn to do yourself with a little time and effort.
2. Not only will learning how to do things yourself save you money, it will also give you a sense of accomplishment.
3. Before you hire someone or pay for a service, see if there's a way you can do it yourself. Chances are, there is.
4. YouTube is a great resource for learning how to do things yourself. A quick search can yield videos on just about anything you can think of.
5. Another great resource for learning how to do things yourself is your local library. They often have books on specific skills that may not be covered in-depth online.
6. Or maybe one of your friends knows how to do something you've been struggling with. Ask them! They'll be more than happy to help out, especially if they know they're giving you the chance to stop calling them all the time! Plus, it's a good way to get back into their good graces after borrowing something without asking first.
7. Become a member of freecycle groups around your area.
   The goal of these groups is to get rid of unwanted items while helping others at the same time by finding people who want what you no longer need or want.
   There are several ways that you can use freecycle groups: (1) post an item that you want to get rid of, (2) post an item that you want and ask members if anyone has one they would like to part with (3) browse other people's posts and make offers for items which interest you (4) email other members directly asking for items which interest you 8.

1. Get organized
   Organization is key to making your life easier. When you're organized, you know where things are and you can find them when you need them. Plus, being organized can help you save time and be more productive. Here are eight ways to get organized and make your life easier -Clean out your inbox: Do it now before it gets out of control! Delete or archive any emails that don't require action. Then, organize the ones that do into different folders. That way, you'll know exactly what's in each folder so if you need something later on, you won't have to sift through all of your emails to find it.
   -Create a home for everything: Create a place for everything in your home (or apartment). It'll keep things cleaner and cut down on clutter which will reduce the chance of tripping over something while walking around the house at night or forgetting where something is because it was misplaced. You'll also be able to find things much faster and easier. Label containers with what they contain and store similar items together. If you put like items together, it'll be less work to go looking for them.
   -Delegate tasks: Delegate some tasks that don't need your immediate attention or skill set to someone else who can do the job well with minimal supervision, such as cooking dinner or doing laundry.
   -Do one thing at a time: Multi-tasking sounds like an easy way to get more done but it often has negative consequences, such as lower quality work output or forgotten details. Instead of juggling multiple projects simultaneously, focus on one task until completion before moving onto another project.

2. Learn how to say no
   One way to make your life easier is to learn how to say no. This can be difficult, especially if you're a people pleaser, but it's important to set boundaries. You can't do everything, and that's okay. Here are some tips for saying no -Be polite: Saying no in an unfriendly manner will only create more tension.
   -Think about the request: Before answering a request, think about whether or not it would actually work with your schedule.
   -Set limits: Know what you want and don't want to do so that when someone asks you to take on something new, you know whether or not it fits into your day. If it doesn't fit, then there's no reason to say yes. Setting limits also makes you feel better because you'll have time for yourself and all of the things that really matter to you.
   -Focus on no: Sometimes all it takes is one word to get what we need. When someone asks us for help, we might tell them no before they even finish their sentence! The truth is that often times we just need to hear ourselves say no without hearing any other words first!
   -Practice self-care: Self-care doesn't always mean spending money; sometimes it means finding time in your day where you're going out of your way just for yourself.