Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing with you a 3 part series on finding balance, which is something that I have been researching and studying like crazy in an effort to find more peace in my own life.
Back to basics
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1
In this season of my life, I’ve felt a strong desire to live more simply.
I love the scripture in the Book of Mormon that reads
“And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.”
Mosiah 4:27
Here are 3 small and simple ways we can put things in order and simplify.
1. Take a social media fast for at least ten days.
I am currently in the middle of the longest break from social media I’ve taken in the past six years…
I thought I had a handle on my social media and internet use until I cut it all out.
An anxious, false sense of productivity and busyness that has hung over my head for years has all but disappeared from my life.
I’m getting to the things that really matter to me every single day.
My days feel longer.
Slower.
More peaceful.
I’m sure I’ll find a way to introduce social media back into my life at some point, but for now it feels great to be free from what was once a HUGE distraction for me.
2. Simplify your spending.
Last fall, I started tracking my personal expenses and realized that I was spending money on little things that were starting to add up very quickly.
I got a library card so I wouldn’t waste money on books that would just end up getting donated to goodwill a month later.
I’ve been trying to spend less money on clothes (easier said than done) so I’ll have more in the budget to put towards experiences and things I want to save up for.
Cut back to eating out only once a week and cook more wholesome meals at home.
3. Do all things in order.
Sometimes, life throws you a curveball.
You lose your job.
You lose a loved one.
You get injured or get diagnosed with a chronic illness.
We all come up on speed bumps that require us to slow down.
Sometimes those mountains we’re climbing help us put things in perspective.
It’s ok to take time to heal.
To slow down.
To put first things first and to let all of the other fluff float away for right now.
How do you find balance in your life?
Resources:
Of Things That Matter Most – Dieter F. Uchtdorf
“It Works Wonderfully” – A Talk by Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Soulful Simplicity: How Living With Less Can Lead to So Much More by Courtney Carver
Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living by Shauna Niequist