Happy, simple living is not a myth. There are many small habits you can do every day that will help you to lead a more happy and simple life. All of these habits will create changes in your mood, attitude, stress level, happiness, and help you achieve simple living.

You don’t have to do all of things on day one. As a matter of fact, it is probably best to start small. Do one of these things on day one and add more as you become comfortable with what you are doing.

Let’s look at some habits that you can do and the benefits they provide.

Find things to be grateful for

So what is gratitude exactly?  Gratitude is being able to see the good in things and the good that is all around you. Good things can be easy to miss if you’re not paying attention. It is a cornerstone of happy and simple living.

Here are some things to do to help you develop a good gratitude habit:

• Start a gratitude journal, write down 3 things that you are grateful for when you get up in the morning or before you go to bed. For most of us, writing something down helps engrain it in our memory. Plus, you can always go back and review your journal when you need.
• The second is to go for a nice walk, turn off all your distractions and pay attention to the beauty around you.

Family Search offers some great tips to start and keep a gratitude journal.

Improve your eating habits

You know what they say…garbage in, garbage out. You already know that food choices have an impact on your overall physical health, but some foods can also affect your state of mind.

Let’s look at some food types and how they affect your mind:

• Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates release serotonin, which makes you feel good. Simple carbs are high in sugar and starch. You will burn through these quickly, so eat these sparingly. Complex carbs, like vegetables, beans, and whole grains are better for you and burn slower.
• Lean meat, poultry, and dairy are high in protein. These foods release dopamine, which boost energy and concentration.
• Highly processed and deep-fried foods will leave you dragging and feeling down. Try to keep these to a minimum.

Again, you don’t have to do all of this on day one. You can start by making one better food choice each day. Simple living doesn’t mean you have to cook for hours. There are plenty of quick recipes for good clean eating.

Examine stress to diminish it

Life is full of things that make us stress out, and it’s impossible to avoid all of it. Achieving happiness and simple living will come easier by reducing your stress.

Stress engages the “Fight or Flight” instincts in our mind and body. Prolonged stress will wear down both ones mind and body, and will eventually defeat us with burnout and illness if we can’t get a handle on it.

Instead of letting it get the best of us, examine what is causing you so much stress and break it down to its simplest form. Sometimes examining the cause of our stress will help us find better long-term solutions. It is OK to talk to a counselor to determine the best ways to diminish your stress.

Visit my article on the Types of Meditation to use meditation to reduce stress.

Be Yourself

Do you know who you are? What makes you happy? What satisfies you as a person? What makes you feel comfortable and confident? What do you like to do for hobbies, for recreation? The answers to these questions are the things you should be doing.

This doesn’t mean that you should never explore the world out of your comfort zone.  You most certainly should push yourself to where you have never been before, but you should also take time to do things that make you happy and relaxed. This is very important for happy and simple living.

Get up and move

The human body needs to move to keep it strong and healthy. Movement is also beneficial to your mind.

Movement doesn’t necessarily have to be a daily exercise routine, but consistently move your body throughout the day in a way that feels good to you. This can be taking a walk, doing some stretches, yoga, Pilates, or an exercise routine.

Make movement a daily habit in your life. You will notice not only a benefit to your body, but your mind will also feel refreshed and even energized.

Some movement ideas you can start with:

• Take a walk around the block every night after dinner.
• Sign up for a beginner’s class in yoga or Pilates.
• Start your day with 5 minutes of stretching. I personally do some stretching every morning while my coffee is brewing. Just that little time spent stretching makes me feel better and more limber through the whole day.

Get Outside

Time outdoors can do wonders to improve your happiness. Sunlight, trees, and flowers provide an instant boost to your day, whether you live in the city or out in the country. Just a simple stroll or walk is great. Slow enough to take in your surroundings and be grateful for this day. For those more adventurous a hike in the mountains might be more your style. Either way, just get outside! Connect with the world around you.

Give yourself a break

Forgive yourself for not being perfect. We forgive and support others who make mistakes, but we have a tendency to beat ourselves up for our own mistakes. We all make mistakes. We do dumb things, say dumb things, it just happens. When you can realize that making mistakes is just part of being human, you will stop beating yourself up, learn from it, and move on.

Declutter your life

A house full of stuff in disarray has a way of wearing on your mind. Disorganization represents chaos and turmoil, not only in your house but also in your mind. If possible, carve out just a few minutes a day to pick some things up or reorganize a counter or drawer. You will feel better and your house will look more organized. This small effort to declutter will go a long way for your happiness.

Challenge your mind

Pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone will help you grow and make you feel so much better about yourself. The feeling of growth and progress is a wonderful feeling. It pushes you out of stagnation and helps you to explore and learn new things.

Create a habit of learning something new every day and exploring things you might not otherwise look at. Watch a YouTube video on a subject you know nothing about, volunteer in your community, start a new hobby or join a group.

Something new brings excitement, gives you something to look forward to, and gives you confidence to do more.

Connect with family and friends

Loneliness can feel like being down a dark well with no one around to pull you out. Not being connected with other people is also unhealthy. We all need to connect with others, whether it be with family, friends, or in our community. We need to establish relationships to help us grow and bring meaning in our lives.

If you are not connecting with others, start a habit today of reaching out to someone. Texting a friend, volunteering, or even just going out in the public to see others.

Are you ready to reduce stress through simple living?

These are just a few examples of some exercises and mindset habits that you can do every day for happy and simple living.

Start small, pick out one or two that you may want to start with and make a conscious effort to do them each day. Any one of these habits only take a few minutes, but you will start to see the benefits in a short amount of time. As you become comfortable with them add one more to your day, then another when you are ready.

These habits will help you to slow down while expanding who you are.