This post was updated on 27/02/23

What’s this blog all about anyway…?

I came up with the name of my blog-Simply Shine- a little while ago and the tagline around about the time I started doing this full time, at the beginning of the year. So far I’ve written a little about a simple home although I have focused on wellbeing and self-care. The observant among you will have noticed I haven’t written much about making life simpler and I thought it was about time I did.

What a Simple Life Means for Me

There are tons of articles and books on the subject. Living a simple life isn’t a one size fits all. So the only way of answering the question about simple living, is what it means for me. It is about living with intent and being mindful of what is happening around you.

For me it is…

Living in a Simple Home

Simply-Shine -live simply and shine

For me this isn’t about living in a tiny property or living in the middle of nowhere. Although sometimes the latter may be a little appealing! Instead it is about only having what is useful and beautiful in the house. Having a clean, clutter-free organised house means there is less to clean and store, so you can spend more time on other things. And for those things that do need doing, there are routines in place. The house is ready for visitors within a few minutes, rather than a few hours!

Having a simple wardrobe

 Simply Shine a simple outfit live simply and shine

Having a simple wardrobe, frees up so much time and energy. Working with set colours and/or types of items means it is easier to shop. It is also a lot easier to decide what to wear each day. I know since streamlining my wardrobe-it is a pleasure to open my wardrobe and choose things and it takes about five seconds! For a lot more on having a minimal wardrobe, visit Project 333

Eat simple meals and follow and menu plan

Simply Shine simple eating bowls on table

I’ve found it can be stressful to get to the end of the day and not know what to have for dinner. This is the time when you end up making bad choices and perhaps ordering a take-away because you are just that hungry. Creating a monthly menu plan, using some basic principles, takes the guess work out of dinner plans.

Reducing All forms of Clutter

live simply and shine

Clutter takes many forms, which can all take up time, energy and money.  The list is endless but includes

  • physical clutter (in your home)
  • emotional clutter-negative people that make you feel down or bad about yourself.
  • head space-useful? Write in down and plan it in. Just noise? Learn to let it go.
  • too much information. Watching the news and mindlessly scrolling on social media both count for this. Have you ever been reading and but can’t remember the last three pages? You can read more about information clutter here.

Slowing down and doing less

Simply Shine-a blank diary

A big part of this way of life for me, is to not over-load my schedule and to  intentionally decide how I spend my time. I don’t want to switch between rushing around and then being exhausted. I’ve done that-wasn’t fun. Slowing down and doing less feel luxurious. A worthwhile exercise is to look at your calendar or diary and highlight how many of the time commitments are things you have to, what you can delegate or what actually doesn’t need doing but has become habit.

Enjoying simple pleasures and the little things in life

Simply Shine-Enjoy the Little Things

It is important to me to have the time and mental space to enjoy the little things. To read for pleasure, to spend time with friends and family. To cuddle up with my husband and watch a film. That is nothing to feel guilty about. It’s uncomfortable to think back to a time when I thought I didn’t deserve that. I’m never going to feel like that again and I don’t want you to either.

As I said at the beginning; living simply can mean different things to different people. It is about finding a version that works for you. And enjoy it.

From what you’ve read so far, which area of living simply appeals to you the most? I’d love to hear from you in the comments. 

About Tina Russell

Tina Russell is a Mindset and Wellbeing Blogger and Coach who helps busy women to calm the chaos in their mind and life, prioritise themselves and shine in all they choose to do. After years of not valuing herself and being a perfectionist, Tina suffered from anxiety and exhaustion and knew something had to change. She set about retraining her brain and getting her shine back, making self-care and self-development her passions. Now happier in her life, Tina uses her coaching and influencing skills from her corporate HR career, and years of experience in making positive changes to her life, to inspire and motivate other women to do the same.

9 Comments

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  2. […] is the third post in a series on How to Live Simply to Shine in Life. You can read the second post in the series here-Ten Tips for a Simple Home. This post will focus […]

  3. […] is the forth post in a series on How to Live Simply to Shine in Life. You can read the second post in the series here-Ten Tips for a Simple Home. This post will focus […]

  4. Thanks!

  5. […] is a post in a series on How to Live Simply to Shine in Life. You can read the second post in the series here-Ten Tips for a Simple Home. This post will cover […]

  6. Hi. Thanks! It is a free theme that has been customised. Thanks again Enid. Keep reading 🙂

  7. Hello Bianca.
    I would like to think something may have got lost in translation, as I do not aim to pressurise. However if you felt inspired to read and put things into practice, that’s great. Perhaps you could let me know what you’ve done?

  8. […] Further reading: How to Live Simply To Shine in Life […]

  9. […] of living simply is about bringing everything back to the basics. The tendency is to overspend and get too many […]

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