Five ways to simplify and destress

Old Navy tee; Logo layering tank (love!); Target moto jeans; Payless wedges (similar); ℅ Sears knit vest (similar.)

I’ve been trying to simplify my life lately, especially as I head into school year craziness with my kids. This has led me to look at my routine and daily life choices and find what needs improvement. I’m the type of person who can’t handle a lot of clutter, in my head and in my daily life, so taking time to eliminate the stressors that trigger this mental clutter is important. Now that I recognize this and what makes me NUTS, I can then work on making it better. Here’s what is currently causing a tornado of stress in my head, and how I’m working to slow it down:

1) Shopping is something I love. It makes me happy to bring home something new every couple of days or so. I’m really good about sticking to a budget and not spending more than I have, but sometimes the need to have all the pretty things consumes me. I become this want monster who isn’t happy until I have it, therefore making me no very appreciative of what I DO have. Being a style blogger can be difficult when it comes to this, because is is nice to show off the newest things, but I find that there isn’t a lot of creativity in this. Because I see this in myself, I am taking a month off from shopping in September and using that time to wear what I already have in more fun and unique ways. 

Also, have you seen the Capsule Wardrobe that UnFancy does? I am so intrigued (even though I could NEVER do it!)

2) Since lightening my hair last month I find that it needs time to rejuvenate. My typical hair routine includes blowdrying, then flat ironing it, and then beach waving it with a curling iron. That’s a TON of heat styling. I find that lately I can air dry it, then sleep on it with a simple no heat curling routine (I can do a video tutorial if needed!), and I wake up wavy (see above.) It’s not perfect, and looks a bit more mussed, but again, you’re not coming here looking for perfect hair so I can quit torturing it with heat tools. Also, great style to me means having a less done aspect about it, and my less done aspect will be crazier hair. Sometimes you just have to let fuzzy hair reign supreme, hmmm?

3) After a couple of months of doing without, I’ve bought a new calendar/agenda book and I’ve been writing everything down in it that I need do get done. And I mean everything! It helps me to have a place to write it down and a place to plan ahead. It’s a simple planner with large spaces to write in, and it works. Everything from “pack lunches” to “mop floors” is written down, because I will not leave it uncrossed after I write it down. I am a procrastinator at heart, so this little plan of writing it all down after a Summer of nothing is keeping me on task, which makes my mind a happier place. 

4) Every season I go through every room in my house and clear out what I don’t use and what I know I will never use. I then ruthlessly pack things into trash bags and bring it all to Goodwill. This makes me feel so good! I hate clutter and useless things and I’d rather donate it all than keep moving it from place to place. I go though my closet and either sell some of it on Poshmark, give it to my friends, or donate it. Doing this always shows me what I wear and what I don’t. I’m hoping that I can then shop smarter in the future and avoid buying things I won’t like three months from now. (Right?!)

5) My week generally runs on a routine that I can count on. I work out, grocery shop, run errands, etc on the same day each week. I can count on filling in the blanks in my calendar around this and it makes me more sane. I also like to start my Monday with a clean slate. All emails are cleaned out, all blog planning is outlined, kids activities are set, and tasks are written down so that when the week starts I know exactly what is going on and how I am going to do it. My kids are getting older, too, which means more after school activities and plans. Pre planning is SO key for my mental stability! I like to do all this pre planning on Sunday mornings, which for us is our least busy day and a time I can lay things all out on my kitchen table and plan.