Most people perceive school or work as being the things that complicate our lives. But are these not all good things that we will eventually benefit from? Well, yes, but not if it is causing detriment to another part of your life. Balance Through Simplicity explains this best from their article titled, “What Does it Mean to Simplify Your life?” written by Antonia. She said that our lives can be so complicated that many of us are arriving at the conclusion that we want something different.¹ With a more general context, Antonia is in a way describing burnout and how many of us will eventually decide that we need a break. This can come in many forms such as taking less responsibilities at school or at work, instead giving yourself a pause in your busy schedule. However, sometimes taking on more responsibilities is positive but only if you are willing and prepared mentally. We often get scared of big commitments because sometimes they are necessary for our self growth and as long as it is within our capabilities of completing them. No one is perfect and it is okay to admit when you are unable to do something or simply have no time to. So, what exactly are some ways someone can lessen their workload? According to an article from Lifehack.org titled, “77 Ideas to Simplify Your Life and Feel Better Today”, written by Leo Babauta this can be done in many ways. While Babauta had many great ideas, not all of them were completely different from one another. The ones I believed were important was to start saying ‘no’, spend more time on the things you care about, work on yourself, and to simplify your goals.² A part of ridding yourself of overcomplications is simply by saying no and prioritizing. We often get put into situations where we feel obligated to take responsibility or be the ones to do something but it does not have to be like that.

If you are unable to do or complete something you should consider yourself first and understand your limits. This makes things much easier on yourself, unburdening your shoulders for however long you need. Now that you are not focused on the things that make your life more complex you can shift your attention onto the things you actually care about including time for yourself. Everyone from time to time forgets about themselves and for much of our lives neglect our physical and mental needs because something else happens to be seemingly a priority. Spending more time on yourself allows you to rework your goals to fit with your primary focus in life to maintain a balance. While for many people this may seem lazy or an excuse to not do more work it is not. Instead, it is just putting yourself first before other lesser important things. After all, the most important thing is taking care of yourself and making sure you are a priority even in moments where it feels easier to just forget.

Cited Sources
1- Titled “What Does It Mean to Simplify Your Life?” written by Antonia from Balance Through Simplicity
https://balancethroughsimplicity.com/what-does-it-mean-to-simplify-your-life/
2- Titled “77 Ideas to Simplify Your Life and Feel Better Today” written by Leo Babauta from Lifehack.org
72-ideas-simplify-your-life-today.html