As we celebrate 65 years of serving our customers, we thought it would be fun to put together 65 simple living tips and tricks. After all, we’ve spent the past six and half decades helping folks take the next step on their journey to a simpler life. Enjoy the three-part series and send us your simple living tips – info@Lehmans.com – maybe they’ll make it onto our list!
1. Eat leftovers. Make a larger quantity of each meal and keep the leftovers. Not only will you be saving money and eating healthy, the landfill won’t be full of the disposable, one serving plastic and paper trash.
2. Make your bed. Ever heard the phrase, the state of your bed is the state of your head? Get something accomplished first thing in the morning and you’ll be more productive all day.
3. Go outside. Fresh air and sunlight are essential for good physical and mental health. Take a hike, go on a picnic, or just read a good book.
4. Cook together. Are mealtimes stressful because you have picky eaters? Let them in on the shopping and meal planning activities. Cooking together is also a great way to learn math, reading and patience.
5. Volunteer. Giving back to others is one of the simplest ways to feel better about yourself.
6. Grow your own salad. It’s cheaper, healthier and a great way to teach children patience.
7. Declutter. Your home should contain a place for everything so that everything can be in its place.
8. Pitch it. If you have too much stuff, only keep what you use, what you want and what you love.
9. Say “no thank you.” No need to offer lengthy explanations when you are over-committed. Just politely decline the offer to participate. Remember, there is a difference between an obligation and an invitation.
10. Choose small chores. Every day pick one small-ish chore to get done, such as cleaning off the countertop or putting all the laundry away. By the end of the week, you’ll be pleasantly surprised what you can get done.
11. Get it done first. Think about something you’ve been dreading, at work or at home, and get it done first thing in the morning, when your energy is high. You’ll feel more productive the rest of the day.
12. Write it down. Can’t sleep? Feeling stressed? Make a list, jot down notes about what is bothering you. Review it the next day and plan your attack.
13. Carry a water bottle. Being dehydrated can make you feel hangry and deplete your energy. How many times would you have taken a refreshing drink of water, if you had it at your fingertips?
14. Sit at the dinner table. Not in front of the tv and not on the couch. Family meals are an important time to connect and it doesn’t have to be dinner. Try it for breakfast or lunch!
15. Prep the night before. Pack your lunch, lay out your clothes, make a list for morning chores.
16. Unplug. Play a board game, go for a walk, have a face to face conversation, take a nap.
17. Choose not to choose. We get overwhelmed because we have so many choices – what to wear, what to eat, what to watch, what to listen to. Limit your choices and you just might relieve stress.
18. Pet a pet. Pets are non-judgmental, always-ready-to-listen friends that you can count on. Even you don’t have a pet, volunteer at a pet shelter.
19. Get a hobby. Is your life all work and no play? Start painting, creating, sewing, baking – find your passion.
20. Learn to play a musical instrument. You don’t have to master it, just learn a few keys on the guitar or tunes on the piano. Playing music awakens a different part of the brain than office or physical activities do.
21. Be still. Maybe meditation isn’t your thing, but when was the last time you sat still, in peace and quiet, for five or ten minutes? Try it.
22. Give back. Your money, your time, your skills – it doesn’t have to be big, just ensure it is meaningful. For example, shovel the elderly neighbor’s driveway, pay for the person in line behind you at the coffee shop, compliment a young person on their attitude.
Editor’s Note: Want more tips? Click here for part two and part three of this series.
