25 PRACTICAL WAYS TO BEGIN LIVING MORE INTENTIONALLY
If you’re ready for change, a fresh perspective or just want to remove the things in your life that remove you from really living that life, here are 25 gentle, practical ways to begin living more intentionally.
GENTLE IDEAS TO EXPLORE INTENTIONAL LIVING FOR YOURSELF
If you’d like to explore intentional living but aren’t quite sure where or how to start, I hope this post helps. I’d like to share some practical little suggestions to help you get started and discover the benefits for yourself.
They’re a gentle little introduction to removing the clutter, deciding what’s important to you and finding a way to honour these things more in your everyday life.
- Take one idea a day and see how it works for you. Take your time and try to notice any differences to how your life starts to look on the outside and what you start to feel on the inside.
- If something doesn’t work for you, try something else or re-visit it another day.
- Not only are there some practical ways to begin living more intentionally but I’ve also included some links to further reading and resources which might be helpful.
Intentional living isn’t a project you can tick off but rather a state of mind and lifestyle choice that brings wonderful benefits over the long term.
Read more about it in this little introduction to intentional living or keep reading to try these gentle practical ideas now for yourself…
PRACTICAL WAYS TO BEGIN LIVING MORE INTENTIONALLY
- Start the day with a tidy mind and tidy room. Make your bed as part of the process of getting ready for the day ahead. Mindset is everything.
- Try to get up 15 minutes earlier than usual tomorrow. Use the extra time to do something for yourself and that sets you up for the day ahead. Read more on creating a simple morning routine.
- Cancel or postpone an activity or appointment in the coming month that you don’t want to do. How can you use that extra time for something you DO want to do?
- Find a new podcast, TV series or book that you can dive into when you have spare time and want to switch off. Sometimes we forget what we like to do when we’re used to being busy all the time.
- Not sure what clutter is? Check out this post.
- Look at your kitchen counter. Can you clear the surface and put everything away in drawers or cupboards? Clearer surfaces are easier to clean and easier on the eye.
- Unsubscribe from email newsletters and subscriptions you’re no longer interested in.
- Check out these Small Simplicity Challenges to get you started, gently.
- Name 3 things you’d like to do or that make you happy. Can you create a plan to make them happen?
- Get some fresh air today, even if it’s just 5 minutes. Natural daylight does wonders for your mental health and restores a sense of calm.
- Head into the bathroom and get rid of empty bottles, toiletries and bath products you won’t use. The bathroom is a great place to start decluttering if you’re new to it.
- Set a timer and declutter a room for 5 minutes. Alternatively, choose just one cupboard or drawer and deal with it, or keep a box or bag handy for items to donate/recycle or throw. Put something in it every day.
- Write a To Do list for tomorrow. Keep it simple with just 3 – 5 items, less if you can. Simple, strategic and achievable.
- Ready for some more decluttering projects? Read this…
- Stand in the mirror and say 5 kind things about yourself. Try my free self-care challenge if you found it difficult!
- Feeling overwhelmed? Write down your thoughts onto paper so you can prioritise and take action instead of cluttering and confusing your mind.
- Clear your nightstand. Only keep what you need for the night. Treat your bedroom as a sanctuary.
- Go through your junk emails and delete what you don’t need. Move onto your inbox if you have time and inclination.
- Stop buying things you don’t need and be mindful of how and where you spend your money.
- Open your wardrobe, remove the hanging clothes and put them back with the hangers facing backwards. When you wear and wash something, put it back with the hanger facing the right way. Over time, you’ll build up a picture of which clothes you wear and which clothes just clutter your closet.
- Look through your medicine cabinet/box. Get rid of anything that’s out of date or empty. Re-stock it next time you’re shopping.
- Donate any books that you don’t plan to read or have read and won’t read again.
- Clear out your purse/bag/wallet.
- Remove unused apps from your phone and re-organise what’s left. Read more about clearing your digital clutter.
- Take 5 minutes out to listen to yourself instead of the world around you. What do you hear?
RESOURCES FOR INTENTIONAL LIVING
If you’d like to explore intentional living and how to get the most out of your life, here are some resources which you might find helpful:
- 20 ways to simplify your life – ideas to create ease with less stress.
- Declutter Starter Kit – a free guide and workbook to help you understand the what, why and how of decluttering. Projects, tips and guidance to clear the clutter in your home and life.
- 5 decisions that inspired my intentional life
- How to be more present in life