This is a guest post by Grace Bailey.

I truly believe that life can be simple, even though there is no unified opinion on what exactly a simple life might be. The way I see it, a simple life could mean a life with less clutter, both physical and psychological which allows us to pursue the course we’ve always wanted without being weighed down by unnecessary burdens and chaos around us. This may mean downsizing your home or even considering some significant changes to your lifestyle. Whatever the reason for that the outcome must be the same – less problems and stress and more time for yourself and for fun activities with your beloved, and a general sense of peace. Here are some tips on how you may achieve that:

1. Buy what you need and nothing else.

This doesn’t really need to mean “living frugal” though its a good idea to avoid buying things we really don’t need since this is the perfect way to avoid useless clutter around our home which makes things complicated. Going on a shopping spree or “shopping therapy” may be a great way to provide positive feelings because of new possessions, but consider this: How much of what you buy is something you really need? How much of those items will be something you’ll use throughout the years? Making sure you keep them away from your home will let you travel light so you can enjoy more space and freedom of movement in your own home. Having less stimuli around you can also help you concentrate better as we are easily distracted by sources of entertainment which lower our creative drive.

2. Eat sustainable and seasonal food.

Most of what you find at grocery stores are things like processed meat, cheese “products” and many other questionably healthy foods which are always on hand and easy to buy. This is how the industry works – it provides you with as much comfort as possible so you can keep coming back. Here’s a thought however: Why not shop locally instead of feeding the giant corporate machines? Most towns have amazing local produce just waiting for you which tastes much better than what you may find at the large chains. Most of the non-seasonal food you’ll find will be grown in hydroponics farms and no matter what they do it never tastes right, so shop locally. And do avoid fast food restaurants and junk food as they are the number one source of obesity and as much as we love them they should be far away from our lifestyle if we want a simple life.

3. Be inspired, be creative.

There are many sources of inspiration capable of changing your life and your philosophy – thousands upon thousands books, blogs, movies – you name it.

Inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes from doing something small to something huge. You don’t have to strive to change the world or cure a disease. Start small and do something you like but avoid getting bogged down in too much entertainment thus losing sight of the big picture. Start pottery classes, art classes or try to write a book. You’d be surprised how much fun it is to create something with your own imagination and how gratifying it can be in the long run. Go hiking or simply get away from the stress and emotional clutter of your usual lifestyle every week or so.

4. Learn to say “No.”

Now this may be difficult if you’re used to having a lot of friends calling all the time and taking away from your “me”time, but the best way you can avoid stress for the most part is by enjoying the quiet moments away from the hustle and bustle of social life where you can hear yourself think. You will find that cutting away on that and not agreeing with the plans of everyone around you will give you plenty of time for yourself.

Overall be positive and avoid getting dragged down in unimaginative routines which hobble your freedom and life flow.

Grace Bailey is a happy housewife and a passionate writer. She really enjoys sharing house cleaning and organizing tips. Stay tuned for more.

Thanks to Mrs. Macass (via Flickr.com) for the image. Image licensed under Creative Commons.