5 Ways to Un-complicate

People are complex, dynamic and at times inscrutable in the way they navigate the world. Not only are we complex as entities in ourselves, our lives are – and there are few other words to describe it aptly – complicated. This rings especially true when you take a look at your daily schedule; one is willing to bet that your day is strewn with intricate rituals (wash dishes while grumbling about the help’s irregularity) and elaborate ways to deal with humdrum affairs (huff and puff when she finally turns up), all with the aim of bringing a sense of semblance onto the canvas that we paint our lives to be. There may be enough life-drama to put soaps on television to shame, but the real need in the present is to uncomplicate.

Here are five ways to keep things simple.

1. De-clutter.

Things have a way of piling up, and after they do that, they usually pile up some more. We have a lot of possessions, a certain portion of which have presumably outlived their purpose, or quite simply lie forgotten at the bottom of a closet. Physical clutter can sometimes translate into a disarrayed mind, and the action of getting rid of unnecessary things makes breathing space for your surroundings as well as your own being.

2. Prioritise.

Time is short and our bucket lists are never-ending, but the first step is always the one that takes you from ignorance to awareness. Being on auto-pilot mode sometimes means that we are mindlessly doing things that may not even be truly important to us. But take a moment to ask yourself: What adds real meaning to my life? And then go and do that before anything else.

3. Play.

We may have become adults, but the children in each one of us lives on in its own way, always seeking to manifest in our daily living. We do not realize how large a part of ourselves we deny when we don’t take the time to be that child in us, to do things for the sheer pleasure of it, whether that’s painting, playing football or daydreaming. Play never gets old because the child in us certainly never does.

4. Tell the truth.

In a world that relies heavily on diplomacy and political correctness, it is difficult not to become entangled in a style of communicating that may not always be very authentic. Take a moment to imagine how much simpler yet profound our relationships with people would be if we were able to tell the truth, be genuine, be kind? Lies may make great story-tellers out of us, but the truth ensures the clearer conscience and better sleep at night.

5. Do nothing.

Perhaps this suggestion sounds almost ludicrous, but consider this:
howcomfortableareyoureadingthissentencewithoutspacescommasorfullstops? A sentence is only truly coherent and meaningful when one puts the spaces where they are required. It may feel like you cannot afford to “do nothing”, what with the busy lives everyone is leading. Doing nothing may appear to be a luxury but is in fact the blanks you take that makes everything else make sense.

Sometimes, the deeper you go, the simpler things become. Simple is nice and although the word may not be considered the most interesting adjective in the lexicon, it is also underrated. Nice – nothing more and nothing less – is sometimes exactly what you feel and what you want to feel.