You read that right, sis. It’s National Simplify Your Life Week and we are totally here for it. This holiday is observed during the first week of August and encourages babes everywhere to declutter their lives and get organized. And as it turns out, doing so has some pretty impressive benefits on your overall health and quality of life. But don’t worry, you don’t have to Marie Kondo your whole house or take the week off work to work a little organization into your life. Nope, not necessary. In fact, in honor of this holiday, BBE is bringing you our favorite ways to get organized and simplify your everyday routine for a lifetime of healthy habits.

Create a peaceful and decluttered home environment.

If you want to live a simpler more peaceful life, start by looking at your living environment around you.

Research has shown that having a cluttered home can impede on everything from your sleeping patterns to your anxiety levels. Not to mention, it can make it nearly impossible to focus on what you need to get done and prevent you from winding down after an already exhausting day of work.

Whether you need to get rid of old things you no longer use or if your floors are in need of a serious mopping, these household chores can make all the difference in ensuring that your living environment is decluttered and healthy. What’s more, having a seasonal deep clean of your home can help make every day cleaning tasks less difficult. Interested in giving your humble abode a little cleanly TLC? Check out these tips, right here.

Get rid of toxic habits, people, and things that are holding you back.

Simplifying your life goes way beyond giving your home a deep clean, babe. In fact, how we live our day to day lives and the people & things we expose ourselves to have a serious impact on our health and overall wellbeing. So the next time you consider changing your diet to get rid of bad habits, think beyond the realm of your nutrition.

Books we love to help you ditch those toxic guys above.

Atomic Habits is one book that is totally worth the hype. In this easy to read guide, you’ll learn how habits are formed, what makes us repeat them, and how we can break them with just a little bit of practice and consistency. Whether you’re a nail biter or someone who needs to form a healthy exercise habit, Atomic Habits can get you well on your way to achieving these goals.

The Mountain is You is all about the self-sabotaging habits we learn (without even knowing it!). This popular self-help guide helps you to identify the habits you might have that are holding you back and causing you to miss out on success. From uprooting yourself to being closed off in relationships, The Mountain is You can help you get to the root of what is causing self-sabotaging behavior in the first place.

The Buddha’s Guide to Gratitude is an easy-to-read pocket book that will make you feel, well, that much more grateful. This little guy is full of tips you can incorporate into your daily life to form healthy, long-lasting habits that will make you feel that much better. Use it in your morning affirmations or right before bed to foster the habit of gratitude, girlfriend.

Cut back on screen time and implement a daily “disconnect time”.

Want a simpler life? Cut down on your device time, babe. We know, we know. This one is much easier said than done. But the truth is that carving out some phone-free time every evening can improve your sleep patterns, lessen anxiety, and help you slide into relaxation mode *way* more easily.

Luckily, scheduling a daily disconnect time is easy peasy. We recommend trying this out right before bed so that the benefits slide right into your sleep cycle. If you’re someone who watches TV or is on their phone up until the second they close their eyes, start with just a few minutes of meditation or relaxation before you go to sleep. Eventually, you can work your way up to a full hour or more before bedtime which is quite honestly, life-changing. Here are some of our tips to curate the perfect “disconnect time”, every single night.

• Wash the day off with a soothing shower routine. The benefits of a cleansing bath or shower to signal the end of the day and the beginning of disconnect time are numerous. Oh and using a product that is loaded with relaxing essential oils sure doesn’t hurt the process, either.
• Polish that off with a stellar skincare routine. After your get clean ritual, applying a few soothing skincare products can help you slip right into relax mode. Think nourishing essential oils that smell ahhh-mazing and that make your face feel like a dream.
• Pick a book that will have you forgetting about your phone altogether. Once you’re feeling so fresh and so clean, reach for a nightly read that will make you forego that screen time. Whether it’s a fiction novel or a self-help book to give you all the good feels, reading before drifting off to bed is much more relaxing than endlessly scrolling through TikTok (you know, no matter how fun it is).

Choose fewer ingredients when it comes to your everyday products.

Living a simpler life doesn’t stop there, sis. One of our favorite ways of living better and cleaner is to swap out everyday products that aren’t so cute for you or the environment. In fact, we have a whole series on this topic called “This Not That” that you can find at our blog, right here.

From cleaning products to how to host your next gathering in a simpler, more eco-friendly way, we’ve outlined a *ton* of ways you can simplify your life and make a difference for this beautiful planet of ours. Below are some of our favorite tips & tricks to do just that.

• When it comes to your body: Instead of splurging on an expensive juice cleanse program that'll leave you restless and hungry, put your focus on whole foods! You'll get the satiating fiber and nutrients that juices tend to lack, and options abound.
• When it comes to cooking: Use more Ghee. This magical butter alternative also produces less of the toxin acrylamide when heated. Especially when compared to other oils that are typically used in the kitchen. We definitely recommend avoiding acrylamide as much as you possibly can, because studies have shown it is linked to some cancers.
• When it comes to shopping: Whether you’re looking for the best food ingredients or unique table settings, consider hitting up your local heroes whenever you can. Supporting local businesses is *way* important, and you’ll end up finding gems you never would at those big box stores. Additionally, keeping your shopping local means that you’ll be reducing your overall environmental impact. Less driving and less pollution, baby. And when it comes to local food shopping, you’ll be getting fresher more organic produce, too!
• When it comes to cleaning: Making your own natural cleaning products at home is easier than you might think. Most of the time, your pantry will have you covered. All you’ll need is some baking soda, vinegar, and good old h20 for most of these eco-friendly solutions that will get your countertops gleaming.

Learn how to say no and cut back on commitments that don’t make you happy.

This one is self-explanatory, babe. As humans, we tend to overcommit to engagements (whether they be personal or work-related) and later regret doing so. I mean, how many of us have made one too many plans in the span of the week and been burnt by the time Sunday rolled around? We’re all guilty of it, and saying “no” more often is a serious form of self-love.

Practice self-care (beyond your weekly face mask ritual).

And speaking of self-love and self-care, this daily habit can greatly contribute to helping you live a healthier, simpler life.

While we love putting on a hydrating face mask as much as the next babe, self-care goes beyond the fancy skincare routines. Instead, practice self-care on a daily basis by carving out alone time for yourself, practicing positive affirmations, and making more time for the things that make your heart sing. Even if it means (simply) staying in instead of dragging yourself to an engagement you can skip out on just this once.  

Don’t take anything personally (and when you have a chance, read The Four Agreements!)

This is without a doubt one of the easiest ways to make your life simpler. Mainly because it will save you the exhaustion of always trying to figure out what someone meant or whether their behavior had anything to do with you.

Making the move to not taking things personally will not only give you a simpler life. It will also save you the suffering that often comes along with overanalyzing the many things that happen in your life daily. Want a few more tips that are in line with this life-simplifying advice? Read this classic, right here.

Tidy up your living space before you go to sleep.

Babe, you would be stunned at how much easier and calm your mornings can be if you simply tidy up pre-bedtime. Put away the clutter on the counter, make sure there are no dishes left in the sink, and wipe down those counters. This will help start your day off right, every time – we promise!

Take charge of your finances, you girl boss, you.

And finally, our last tip to simplify your life in 2022 is to get a solid hold of your finances. So many babes have added stress in their lives due to the mismanagement of their funds (which can seriously keep anyone up at night).

Whether you hire a financial advisor or use an online tool to take charge on your own, properly managing your finances can have serious benefits for your health and your new simple lifestyle.

And just like that… you’ve got yourself a more stress-free, easy to manage, simple life you can love.

What are some of your go-to tips for a simple, happy life? We want to hear all about them below, babe.

Carey <3