8 Things That I Gave Up To Simplify My Life

This post is all about the 8 things that I discarded from my life in pursuit of simple living.

I am thankful to my Asian roots for teaching me the importance of punctuality, discipline, and hard work.

Those values made me who I am and I couldn’t be prouder of my upbringing.

But if I said that prioritizing my studies for most of my teen years didn’t come at a cost, I’d be lying.

Somewhere between trying to be a perfectionist and working non-stop to chase goals, I ended up overcomplicating my life.

And regardless of what your story is and where you are from, you might be doing the same.

I know a lot of people in my circle (some of them from different parts of the world) who are hustling and struggling in life, carrying weight that can very easily be put down.

If you find yourself getting burnt out easily and being unhappy more often than you are happy, then there are probably some mental blocks stopping you from simplifying your life.

Pin this post before reading on. Thank you!

Simplifying your life isn’t about depriving yourself, it’s all about freeing yourself from the unnecessary and creating space for what truly matters.

In this post, I’ll spill beans on the 10 things that I bid farewell to in my pursuit of a simpler and more fulfilling life.

It’s time to declutter, refocus, and rediscover the joy in the uncomplicated.

10 Things I Quit To Simplify My Life

1. Rushing When I Could Go Slow

I don’t know when humans got hard-wired for a fast-paced life, but it is something that impacts your wellness greatly.

There are instances when you can’t help rushing.

You might have a project deadline that requires hours of working without a break, or you might have to get somewhere fast.

But in a lot of cases, we are going around freaking out when there is a clear option to be softer.

In his book The Motivation Manifesto, Brendon Burchard says ‘This day is to be enjoyed like a pause at a cool stream during summer’s heat.’

I know this is true because this is how I live my life now.

I stopped telling myself to go fast and started doing things at a normal pace, and it made me less self-absorbed and more open to the beauty around me.

Might help: 11 Amazing Ways To Slow Down And Live Blissfully

2. Focusing On Quantity Over Quality

We all know that in most cases, focusing on quality is better than quantity. I say most because there are always exceptions.

Growing up, I was the worst at this. If my mom gave me ten bucks, I’d buy ten candies than my favorite chocolate.

This would leave me longing for the good stuff and I just pushed away this feeling saying ‘I’m just being conscious with my money’. News flash: I wasn’t.

My last two years have all been about minimalism, and so I’ve worked hard on deprogramming my brain from buying things in numbers.

It’s made my life so much more pleasant. I love that I have a scented candle burning on my desk right now and that I won’t be buying another one until I’ve nearly exhausted this one.

When you aim for quantity, you end up cluttering your lifestyle.

Be it the groceries, books, or the furniture in your room, it’s always better to pick what makes you feel good, even if you can’t buy a lot of it.

And besides, everyone knows quality stuff lasts longer, so are you even losing anything here? Definitely something to think about.

3. Eating When I Was Bored

Just like any other person, I am all up for comfort eating. I love curling up with coffee and cookies on a winter night and I also enjoy putting effort into my meals.

But nothing good can come from eating out of boredom. For one, it makes you turn to food in your free time instead of nurturing hobbies.

And secondly, it’s not good for your health.

Your free hours should be spent exploring your passion, the outer world, or a skill that can boost your career.

Snacking in your free time might lead to an unhealthy relationship with food, and close your senses to other beautiful hobbies that can be pursued instead.

I was stuck in a cycle of binge eating out of boredom and then quitting all my favorite food to do damage control.

The only way out was to stop eating when I was bored, and so I did just that.

There were deeper issues here, of course, that I had to work on detangling.

I’ve written about it in length in my post on how to heal your relationship with food. Check it out if this is a habit you’d like to quit to simplify your life.

4. My Obsession With Time

As a student, I was highly aware of every passing minute of the day. I had a wristwatch that was hooked to me like glue, and I did everything on time.

Now, here’s the thing. Respecting your time is a great way to stay organized, but too much of anything can be detrimental.

If you depend on time too much to get your tasks done, then you’re giving space to a kind of obsession, the one that’d stop you from living in the moment.

You’ll always be on the lookout for the next task, the next hour, and even the next day.

This obsession with the concept of time will only lead to mental burnout, and a state of panic when things are not going according to your plan.

I decided to ease up my hold overtime just a bit, and it opened up so many new possibilities for me. I don’t keep a clock anywhere near me now and just use my phone to check the hour when I need to.

If I miss my evening workout, I do a yoga stretching routine before bed to make up for it.

It feels wonderful to flow with time rather than staying constricted in it. Life doesn’t get simpler than this, trust me.

5. Looking For Validation

It’s hard to find someone who’s not bitten by the nasty validation bug.

No matter how good a job you’re doing or how hard you’re trying, you always need someone to tell you that you’re doing great.

There’s nothing wrong with loving appreciation and acknowledgment, but when you doubt yourself when there is no praise from others, you run the risk of losing your authentic self.

You might find yourself making decisions to please others, conforming yourself to their beliefs, and going out of your way to do things that you don’t even need to do.

In the end, looking for validation does nothing but waste your time and harm your ability to love yourself.

I stopped doing this by relying on my intrinsic motivation to keep working on my goals and celebrating my victories with people who always support me.

In doing so, I’ve freed myself from the need to please others and seek healthy relationships in my life.

My confidence has shot up too, which is a huge bonus.

6. Mindless Screen Time

I love the digital world and couldn’t imagine my life without it.

But there’s no doubt that it also comes with its share of troubles, mindless screentime being the most prominent one.

I know it’s fun to scroll down your feed and discover fun reels. It could even be a comfortabel way to pass time for you for you.

But if you feel a dull energy surrounding you whenever you’re using your phone, then it’s a warning sign of mindless screen time.

At one point, I had no hobby in my life other than staying on my phone, and once I realized I hadn’t picked up my books or my ukulele in months, I had to put a stop to it.

Here are some tips that helped me overcome this annoying habit:

• Put your phone on work/DND/personal/sleep mode depending on what you’re doing.
• Replace your mindless screen activities with healthier ones like watching a sitcom or reading a blog.
• Prioritize non-digital hobbies in your free time.
• Journal every day to stay more mindful.
• Do a digital detox every week to build a healthy relationship with your screens.

7. Relying On Others To Get Something Done

I fully believe in depending on your people for some needs, but sometimes this habit can end up complicating your life.

I wasn’t overly dependent on my family, but in some simple aspects of life, I was.

For instance, growing up, I’d depend on a family member to do my outdoor chores for me when he was doing his.

I never enjoyed stepping out for mundane tasks, and it made me depend on others to get some things done.

This is something I see a lot of people being comfortable with when it’s only making their lives harder.

You have the option to do something, and you also have the time for it, so why not do it yourself instead of waiting for others to finish it for you?

It’ll expand your comfort zone and also make you more self-reliant.

Bookmark now: 51 Important Things In Life You Can Control Starting Right Now

8. Meaningless And Unhealthy Relationships

I’ve saved the hardest item on this list for the last.

It’s not easy to reflect on your relationships and certainly not comfortable to realize that some of your bonds aren’t what they used to be.

Relationships change with time, people grow apart temporarily before coming back together, and it’s all a part of growing up and evolving.

But if a relationship isn’t adding any value to your life at all and instead taking away from you, it’s a sign to let go of it.

You might feel guilty at the thought of even doing so, but if you don’t distance yourself from such people, how are you going to make space for healthier bonds?

I shied away from letting go of relationships out of the fear of being left alone, but something I realized soon was that even when you think you have no one, you almost always do.

We tend to take the genuine bonds in our life for granted, and end up wasting too much of energy into people who don’t add to our happiness at all.

Wouldn’t it be healthier to pour into your true relationships instead of trying to hold on to the quantity of people in your life?

This mindset has made my social life ten times better, and I’ve never been happier with all the wonderful people that I spend my time with.

Hope you’ll consider this one and see how you feel about it.

What Would You Quit To Simplify Your Life?

I wrote this article to share my journey on simple living. Some of you might not agree with some things that I gave up, and that’s fine.

My aim here is to gently nudge you to look at your own lifestyle and see if you can find some things that you’d be better off without.

It might seem pointless to work on some of your complicated habits right now, but a year down the road, your life could be different because of it.

Aim for stress-free, go for happiness, always. You deserve nothing less.

Read next: How To Change Your Life Completely – 25 Transformational Ideas

Your turn to spill. What are the two things you believe you can quit to simplify your life? Leave your response in the comment box. I’d love to hear from you.