10 Things To Do in September to Simplify Your Life

September is a busy month of change. We transition from one season to another and head back into routine after the slower summer months. Here are 10 things to do in September to simplify your life.

SEPTEMBER IS A MONTH OF CHANGE

September can feel like a reset button.

The slower days of summer begin to give way to routines, school, work, appointments and all the little commitments that seem to gather as the year moves towards autumn.

It’s also a lovely natural point to pause and ask yourself: what could I simplify before life gets busy again?

You don’t need to completely overhaul your home, create a perfect new routine or fill your diary with good intentions. A few small changes can make the month ahead feel calmer and easier.

So, if you’re looking for some simple things to do in September to simplify your life, here are ten ideas to help you get started.

10 THINGS TO DO IN SEPTEMBER TO SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE

Here are ten simple things you can do this September to create a little more space, ease and calm in your home, your schedule and your everyday life.

1. do a Quick September Declutter

September is a good time for a little decluttering reset.

After the summer, you may find that certain areas of your home have accumulated more clutter than usual. Perhaps the kitchen surfaces have become dumping grounds, the hallway is overflowing with shoes and bags, or you’ve got a pile of paperwork waiting for your attention.

You don’t need to declutter your entire home. Instead, choose one or two areas that would make the biggest difference to your everyday life and give them a quick reset.

Ask yourself:

What has accumulated over the summer?
What do I no longer need, use or enjoy?
What is making this space harder to use?
What could I remove to make life a little easier?

A small maintenance declutter can be enough to stop clutter building up and help your home feel calmer as the busier months approach.

Further reading: How to Declutter Your Home in 30 Days

2. Get clear on your boundaries

September can be one of those months when the diary starts filling up surprisingly quickly.

School, work, family commitments, social plans, appointments and other responsibilities can soon leave you wondering where your free time went.

This is a good moment to think about your boundaries and what you realistically have space for.

Ask yourself:

What am I saying yes to that I don’t really have time for?
Where do I need to protect some time for myself?
Are there commitments that no longer work for me?
What could I say no to this month?

Your boundaries might involve your time, your phone, social media, shopping, work or family life.

You don’t have to be available for everything. Sometimes simplifying your life starts with deciding what you won’t take on.

Further reading: Why Setting Boundaries Is the Ultimate Self-Care

Things to do to simplify your life in September

3. Simplify Your Seasonal Wardrobe

A change of season is a natural opportunity to look at your wardrobe with fresh eyes.

Rather than rushing out to buy new clothes for autumn, take a few minutes to see what you already have. Put away anything that’s no longer suitable for the season and make the clothes you’re most likely to wear easy to find.

You could also create a few simple go-to outfits for busy mornings. I’ve found that having a handful of combinations I know work makes getting dressed much easier and reduces the temptation to buy more clothes just because I feel like I have “nothing to wear”.

Before buying anything new, make a note of genuine gaps or items that need replacing. Giving yourself a little time to think before shopping can help you avoid unnecessary purchases.

Further reading: How to Declutter Your Clothes in 10 Easy Steps

4. Get Organised for the Month Ahead

Before September gets underway, take a few minutes to look at the month as a whole.

What appointments, birthdays, school or work dates, trips, deadlines or other commitments are coming up? What do you already know will need your attention?

Getting these things out of your head and onto paper can make the month feel much more manageable.

I like to start by looking at the practical things I need to know, then choosing a few priorities for the month. You don’t need a complicated planning system. The aim is simply to have a clearer picture of what’s ahead so you’re not constantly trying to remember everything.

If you’d like a little more help with this, my Monthly Planning Workbook gives you a simple space to reflect on the month that’s gone, think about what’s coming up and decide what matters most in the month ahead.

It’s undated, so you can use it again and again at the beginning of each month.

5. Check-in with your goals

If you set goals at the beginning of the year, September is a useful time to check in with them.

But this doesn’t have to be about asking yourself whether you’ve “failed” or “fallen behind”.

Life changes. Your priorities change. Sometimes the goals that felt important in January don’t feel quite so relevant several months later.

Take a look at what you wanted to achieve and ask yourself:

Does this goal still matter to me?
Am I still moving in the direction I want to go?
What has changed since I set it?
Is there anything I need to let go of?
What would I like to focus on for the rest of the year?

You might find that you’re happily on track. You might decide to change your approach. Or you might realise that something no longer matters to you.

All three are useful things to discover.

Further reading: How to Refresh Your Goals and Why It Matters for a Simpler Life

10 things to do in september to simplify your life

6. work Through Your Simple monthly checklist

There are always those little jobs that are easy to forget when life gets busy.

That’s why I created my simple Monthly Checklist. It’s a gentle prompt to help you think through the practical things that can make the month ahead feel easier and more organised.

You don’t need to complete every item. Simply use it as a starting point and pick out the things that are relevant to you this month.

Keep it somewhere you’ll see it at the beginning of each month and use it as a simple reset whenever you need one.

Head to the bottom of this article to get your copy after reading this article!

7. Reset Your Everyday Routines

When the seasons change, our routines often need to change with them.

Think about the parts of your day that feel more difficult than they need to be. Perhaps mornings are rushed, dinner feels like a daily headache, laundry seems to be never-ending or you’re constantly trying to catch up with household jobs.

Instead of adding another complicated routine to your life, ask yourself:

What could I make easier?

Maybe you could prepare a few things the night before, simplify your morning routine, choose some easy meals for busy evenings or create a more realistic cleaning rhythm.

The best routines are the ones that support your actual life. They don’t need to look perfect or work for anyone else.

Further reading: Minimalist Morning Routine Tips to Start the Day Well

8. Make space For Simple Pleasures

September doesn’t have to be all about getting organised and ticking things off your list.

Make some space for things you genuinely enjoy, too.

Go for a walk. Read a book. Sit outside with a cup of tea. Meet a friend. Take a day trip. Spend some time in nature. Or simply give yourself permission to have an afternoon without a plan.

It doesn’t need to be expensive, productive or impressive.

As the seasons change, it’s a lovely reminder that life doesn’t stay the same forever. Notice what’s around you, enjoy the season you’re in and make time for the little things that make everyday life feel good.

Further reading: How to Enjoy the Little Things in Life

9. Clear some mental clutter

Sometimes the clutter we need to deal with isn’t physical at all.

If you’ve got lots of little jobs, decisions and things to remember swirling around in your head, try a simple brain dump.

Take a piece of paper and write down everything that’s occupying your thoughts. Don’t organise it as you go. Just get it all out.

Once you’ve finished, look through the list and decide what you can:

Do – something you can deal with now
Decide – something that needs a decision
Delegate – something someone else can help with
Delete – something you don’t actually need to do
Later – something that can wait

Getting everything out of your head can make an enormous difference when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

You don’t have to solve everything today. Sometimes simply knowing that it’s written down is enough to give your mind a little more breathing room.

Further reading: How to Declutter Your Mind for More Calm and Less Stress

10. Leave Some Space in Your Calendar

September can be a month when the pace starts to pick up again.

Before your calendar fills up completely, look at what’s coming and deliberately leave some blank space.

Not every evening needs an activity. Not every weekend needs an outing. Not every free hour needs to become productive time.

Be mindful about what you say yes to and choose your commitments carefully. If something doesn’t really matter to you, it’s okay to decline it.

Free time isn’t wasted time. Sometimes the space between commitments is exactly what we need to rest, think, sustain some simple daily practices to look afer our physical and mental health, catch up or simply be.

Further reading: How to Be Less Busy

YOUR NEXT STEP…

You don’t need to use September to reinvent your life.

Maybe you simply clear a little clutter, simplify your morning, say no to something you don’t have time for, or sit down with a cup of tea and work out what you actually want from the month ahead.

Small changes can make a surprisingly big difference.

So choose one thing from this list that would make life feel a little easier and start there.

And if you’d like a little help keeping track of those small monthly jobs, don’t forget to download your free Monthly Checklist.

Here’s to a simpler September.