Life can be chaotic for all of us. I think we’ve all been in that position where we feel like we’ve overcommitted, are completely unorganized, and feel like we’re hanging on by a thread. No, just me? I didn’t think so.

When we moved to England, I made a commitment to myself to focus on the really important things to me. I had a huge advantage in that I was starting completely anew – new house, new job, new hobbies, new friendships. For me, it was definitely a process of rebuilding, rather than stripping back on what I already had.

But now as I’m starting to feel really settled in the UK and seeing all the opportunity before me (both in terms of activities and purchases!), it’s tough to pull back on the reigns and keep that focus on living a simpler life.

With all that you feel you need to do and be to all people, I’m guessing you feel like I do sometimes – that it’s just tough to keep up. How can you tackle those work goals when you’re doing all you can to just get the laundry done and keep yourself fed while attempting to maintain some semblance of a social life? Oh, and work out and get enough sleep and…?

Ugh, just thinking about this makes my head hurt. Let’s dive into my top tips for getting back to the basics.

Order Your Priorities

First, list your priorities. All of them. That includes the obvious stuff like work and housework, plus all the less obvious things like hobbies that are important to you, relationships, health, etc.

Then put them in order of priority. This is a tough ask. The number one question I ask myself when I do this is, “What would happen if I didn’t maintain this?” It really clarifies what is most important to me and also clarifies that items in my life that I really can live without.

Make A To-Do List

Now that you have your priorities in order (literally), write down everything that you have on your to-do list and categorize it by priority. Ex. “Housework – vacuum downstairs, clean kitchen, buy sink cleaner; Friendship – text Emma back, set up dinner date with Jocelyn.”

Immediately delete what you can. Not everything you put on the list is going to be important. One of my favourite discoveries during my (very short) period of bullet journaling is this idea that you write out the day’s to-do list, cross out what you’ve done, and then transfer the rest to the next day. After copying certain tasks over and over because I didn’t manage to do them for the last week (okay, two), I realized the world was going to continue to spin if I didn’t do them and just crossed them off the list.

Now start to tackle the list, just a little bit lighter. And when you get to several days in that tasks aren’t done, start deleting them one by one, knowing the world is still turning.

Control Your Digital Time

This is a huge one in today’s digital age. Online distractions are such easy traps to fall into. How many times have you gone online to check your bank statement and ended up scrolling Facebook for a half hour, clicking on an ad for the latest sale, and have now fallen into the abyss of finding the perfect midi dress that you don’t even have a place to wear it? What should have been a 5-minute task just lost you an hour.

Unsubscribe from marketing emails in one foul swoop with unroll.me. Or do it the old-fashioned way by doing it one-by-one as they come into your inbox. Use the app Offtime to control what apps you can see on your phone and when. If all else fails, turn off the internet. You don’t need a Facebook break while you’re cleaning the house.

This one is tough for those of us who work in a digital world where distractions are ever present. But you can start with keeping your online actions really focused.

Start Saying No

You don’t have to say yes to everything. Clear your time and your head by turning things down, and remember that you’re no good to anyone if you’re doing everything halfway.

This can sometimes seem really rude, that you’re not giving the other person all of yourself at the time. But you can reject a proposal with grace. What the other person expects is a solution, really. So can this be put off to a time that’s more convenient for you? Are you even the right person to do this, and can you therefore suggest the right person? If you offer an alternative, chances are you’ll have a better response from the rejection.

At the end of the day, also remember that “no” is a complete sentence.

Declutter Your Stuff

Does this one make you feel even more overwhelmed? Me, too. Start small if you need to. Clean out your handbag. Then your car. Then tackle your bedside table.

You don’t need to go all Marie Kondo if you don’t want to, though that totally works for some people. Some days, I just go through all my dresses and pick out the ones that I continually reject in the mornings when I’m getting dressed. Those go in the donate pile.

I’m a believer in “a place for everything and everything in its place,” which is totally a byproduct of being my mother’s child. But now as an adult, it makes sense. You don’t need more things that you have space for. You want things you don’t have space for. And do you really want to bring that item home from the store knowing it will only add to the clutter? Nah.

Wear A Uniform

Wait, what? Okay, not literally. But having consistency in your wardrobe can really help streamline your mornings.

For example, my “work uniform” has a couple of different iterations – a dress and black or tan heels; or trousers/jeans, white or blue shirt, and a jacket. It means I’m only picking out a few items, and it’s so easy to shop knowing what my wardrobe consists of. It also means I get a bit more adventurous with dresses because I know it’s only one piece that I need to match shoes (and maybe a coat) with.

Prepare The Night Before

This one is so terribly difficult if you have really long days, but I find it’s so much easier to start the morning on the right foot if you’ve done all the difficult bits the night before.

At a minimum, set out your clothes, get your breakfast and lunch ready, and pack the bags you’ll need to bring with you. I also suggest going a step further and setting your key to-dos the night before. For work, I do this last thing before I leave, and it really sets my intentions for the next day, as opposed to simply being reactive to email.

Living a simpler life simply means putting priority where you want it to be and making your expectations more realistic. Too often, we hold ourselves to impossible standards of always being “more.” With the right strategy to tackling that mountain of tasks, life can become that little bit less hectic and a lot more peaceful.

Please note that while this post is not sponsored, some of the clothing worn in the featured photo and listed below was gifted.

Outfit details: Trench coat (similar here, also love the lining on this one) and scarf by Marks & Spencer (love this pink one). Breton striped shirt and Katie backless loafers by Boden (gifted). Jeans and earrings (similar here) by J.Crew. Bag by Kate Spade (similar here).