Opinion: Simplify your life for optimal happiness

Steph Brunt

Rush. Rush. Rush. It's what we all seem to do these days — we literally rush from one thing to the next, one task to the next, one place to the next. Why?

We expect more of ourselves.

We're more available, therefore think we should be achieving more.

We have a "more is best" mindset.

Yet there certainly aren't more hours in the day or days in the week to achieve what we're trying to cram into our lives.

It's time you slowed down and simplified your life. Even if it's only changing one thing, that will make a difference. And guess what? Your body will thank you for it. Your family will thank you for it. And ultimately, you'll be happier for it too.

Are you up for a challenge? See if you can choose one of the below ways to simplify your life and do it within the next seven days.

· Declutter your house. Okay, don't try and tackle the whole house at once, that's far too daunting! Start with your wardrobe. Donate or sell anything you haven't worn in the last year or anything that doesn't bring you joy when you're wearing it. Once your wardrobe is done, move on to another part of your house (your pantry is a great one!).

· Cut out negative people. Everyone has people in their lives who can be quite draining, it's time to let them go. Whether it's a case of no longer following them on social media or simply not taking the time to catch up with them, removing their negative vibes from your life will be a weight off your shoulders.

· Control your time. Stop mindlessly scrolling and plan your time so you're using it wisely. By planning your time, you might find you can tick more things off your "to do" list, ultimately giving you more time to do other things.

· Watch less TV. I know, relaxing on the couch while watching your favourite Netflix series can seem like the ultimate way to relax and unwind, but does it need to be for as long? The average person spends 35 hours per week watching TV … 35 hours! Imagine if you halved that, you would have so much more time on your hands to do other things!

· Say "no" more often. Only commit to things that will bring you happiness and add value to your life. Being available and helping at everything won't be doing your stress levels any good at all. Give yourself a break and be okay with saying "no".

· Slow down and enjoy the present. It's so easy to constantly be looking forward to the next phase of life. But before you know it, your whole life will have whizzed by and you won't have taken the time to appreciate it. Enjoy the present, challenges and all, because otherwise one day you might look back and wish you'd appreciated it more than you did.

Simplifying your life doesn't have to be complicated or hard. Just tackle the little things, one at a time. And you know what? I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't long before you're tackling the bigger things too! It's just a hunch I have.

Steph Brunt is a certified health and life coach in Whanganui. Steph works with adults who struggle with thoughts of not being good enough, who feel 'stuck', overwhelmed, stressed and like their life is out of control. She helps them believe in their abilities so they can thrive and perform in every way. Find Steph on Facebook, Instagram or go to her website, www.stephaniebrunthealthcoaching.com.