If you can intentionally simplify your day, you can intentionally simplify your life. As Annie Dillard said, “how you spend your day is, of course, how you spend your life.” Embrace the quiet power of these habits to simplify your day and eventually your whole life.
I love the idea of quiet power. It’s the kind of strength that comes from subtle shifts, from trusting yourself and from letting things unfold slowly and gently. Generate your own life-changing quiet power with each of the suggestions below.
The Quiet Power of 8 Gentle Habits That Simplify Your Day
Use these gentle habits to simplify your day to bring some intention and mindfulness to the changes you want to make in your life. It’s not about doing it all at once or pushing through, but instead honoring your energy, focus, and emotional well-being to make real progress. Try one of these simple living recommendations to begin your intentional living journey.
1. Check your heart before you check your phone
Simplify your day by starting it anywhere but on your phone. If breaking the phone-first habit is hard, take this recommendation literally. When you wake up, before reaching for your phone, pause. Put your hands on your heart and stay there for a few moments. Practice mindfulness by checking in with yourself first. Then you can make space to hear your own voice and remember what’s important to you before you engage with email, news, and social media. Start with just a few minutes and extend your heart practice as you get more comfortable with less phone and more life.
2. Slow it down
In our productivity-driven world, slowing down feels radical, but it’s one of the most powerful ways to simplify your day and reduce stress. Logically we think that if we can move faster, we can get more done and maybe even have time and energy for how we actually want to spend our lives. But we prove over and over that the faster we go, the more mistakes we make and the more tired we become. Instead, choose to embrace slow living and notice the small, beautiful moments around you.
3. Change your measuring system
We try to prove our worth by what we get done, which means we always feel like we have to do more. Your worth, your heart, your you-ness, it’s not connected to how many checkmarks are on your to-do list, how clean your house is, or how many hoops you jumped through at work. Simplify your day by redefining success through intentional living instead of achievement. Check in with your “doing more” mindset. Is it working for you or against you? Give yourself permission to do less and be more.
4. Declutter 3 things
When it comes to letting go of your stuff, simplify your day by not trying to do it all at once. Decluttering a few things every day means letting go of hundreds of items over time. Keep a box or bag somewhere you can easily access each day. Keep a box or bag where you can easily drop items to donate. Every small step creates space—both physically and emotionally. Gentle decluttering is one of the simplest ways to practice mindful living without overwhelm. Make more progress occasionally with a decluttering burst or other decluttering challenges, and continue to focus on decluttering a little bit every day. Consistency will get you further than intensity.
5. Enjoy a simple pleasure
Give yourself some joy every single day with a simple pleasure. Your simple pleasure might be coffee in bed, a nice walk, chatting with a friend, listening to your favorite music, or creating a simple ritual. Don’t save your simple pleasure as a reward. You do not have to earn it. You are allowed a simple pleasure when you are having a good day or a bad one. These simple pleasures are usually small, inexpensive, and easy to get started. Taking care of yourself and doing little things that make you smile will certainly simplify your day.
6. Make a not-to-do list
What we intentionally choose not to do can be just as important as what we choose to do. Instead of giving all of your focus to your to-do list, try a not-to-do list. Make one for the day or the week as a reminder of what you do not want to do. If you don’t have time for what matters, stop doing things that don’t. Think about the things you do on autopilot that you’d rather not do, or the things that really distract you from what matters to you right now. Here’s one of my not-to-do lists. I called this the “protect your peace not-to-do list” and included things like over-reacting, over-thinking, and overdoing it.
7. Assume that everyone wants the best for you.
When we assume that everyone is against us and out for themselves, it’s harder to accomplish anything. We stop sharing our dreams and celebrating our progress in fear of someone else pushing back. Eventually we stop wanting things for ourselves and we stop believing that we have a choice in how our lives unfold. Instead, treat others as if they want the best for you and you want the best for them. Start to identify who is really in your corner and who might need a little time to work on themselves. Share and celebrate with your people and keep all of your dreams alive and energized.
8. Be gentle
What I’ve discovered over the last decade and especially the last few years is that we don’t have to fix everything within us or around us, and when we do want to make a change, the more, better, harder, faster approach causes more damage. Instead, let’s take the journey to becoming gentle by trusting ourselves to be kind, soft, and slow in how we treat ourselves and others, how we change our habits, and how we live our lives. If you struggle with perfectionism or often look more closely at things that go wrong vs. things that go right, simplify your day and be gentle with yourself. Treat yourself like you would treat a good friend, celebrate your progress, even if it’s small progress, and resist the urge to pick apart all of the things you could have done better.
To really simplify your day and enjoy the quiet power you aim to create, choose one or two of these gentle habits at a time. After a few weeks, add another. Remember to give yourself permission to move slowly and gently. Inch by inch, day by day, and year by year, we can learn to trust ourselves and find peace in slow living and simple routines that make room for what truly matters.
