27 Things I Quit To Simplify My Life | Minimalism, Slow Living, Self Care

Did you know that simplifying your life can increase your happiness by over 20%? Today I'll take you through 27 things I quit to reclaim that peace and joy in my own life. And some of these might surprise you. Are you ready to find out what you could let go of to make room for the things that truly matter? Welcome. If you are here, you're probably feeling that pull to simplify, to quiet the noise of life. Maybe you're a mum like me, juggling it all, or someone who's just overwhelmed with the stuff of daily life. I've been there too. Over time, I've found myself drowning in clutter, physically, mentally, even spiritually. I'd go from tidying toys to tackling piles of laundry only to find myself still feeling restless, exhausted, like there was something deeper missing. But through a lot of trial and error, I found that letting go, piece by piece, gave me back not just space, but a renewed sense of purpose. Today I'll share the 27 things I let go of to make my life simpler, quieter, and more joyful. And as we go along, I hope you'll see ways you can bring the same peace into your life too. These days it feels like life demands more and more of us. We're told we need to be busier, more productive, to fill every moment with something. For mums, homemakers, and honestly anyone managing a household, the weight of it all can just feel overwhelming. There's stuff to buy, stuff to organize, and stuff to clean all while we're working, caring for the family, and trying to find a moment of peace for ourselves. It's so easy to get swept up in the busyness, to believe we need everything we have, or that we don't have time to stop and ask if we really do. And that's where I found myself not too long ago feeling stretched, thin, holding onto things, habits, and even relationships that just didn't help anymore. Have you ever felt that way, like you're just managing a little bit too much? That's when I realized what if simplifying my life meant quitting some of these things altogether. So I started my journey of letting go. Here's where it all began. I made a list of things that I realized were just cluttering up my life, physically, emotionally, mentally, and one by one I quit each of them. Let's dive in. Now don't forget I'm still on this journey and I'm still getting rid of most of these things. So if you're starting this process, join me. Let's do it together. Number one is clothes I never wear. This one was tough. I held a whole section at the back of my wardrobe and in my drawers dedicated to someday clothes. You know, someday I'll fit back into this. Someday I'll find an occasion for that one. I'm not postpartum or breastfeeding or pregnant or losing that weight, but I realized that clothes were just taking up space and making me feel guilty. Now, I'm starting to build very slowly as I've just given birth to my third baby. Very slowly I'm starting to build a capsule wardrobe. And again, I'm stepping into that place where I never really have to say that I have nothing to wear. Number two, mindless scrolling. Social media was like a black hole for me. I'd just go on to just check something and suddenly an hour would vanish. Now I have set times for social media and I'm more present with my family. It's amazing how much more I can accomplish without those little distractions. Number three is a perfectly clean house and the expectation of that. As a mum, I used to feel like every mess had to be cleaned immediately. Now I've embraced the good enough. Yes, there are toys on the floor, but that means happy children. And instead of chasing perfection, I'm actually starting to enjoy my home. Number four is limit my daily decisions each day. Have you ever stood in front of your wardrobe just staring? Decision fatigue is so real. Now I pick out my clothes the night before or even think about it, maybe even a week ahead. But something like that, it sounds small, but not having to decide what to wear each morning frees up your mental space for those bigger things. Five is designate one day for errands. I used to feel like I was constantly running out to pick up some food or groceries or grab random items. Now, if I can, I designate one day for all of the errands and it saves so much time and I'm not scrambling through the week. Plus, it's nice to just stay home the other days. And I also take part in the modern technology of delivery all the time. I try to embrace no tech hours. Maybe after dinner, you know, I used to scroll on my phone until bedtime. But when I'm feeding the baby in the night, scrolling through social media, just feeling more drained by the minute. And now I try and have a no YouTube rule or a no social media rule. After 8pm, you could change the time for whatever suits you. But the difference in my sleep and mood has been huge and my family enjoys the calm it brings to our evenings. Seven is to keep only one of each type of cleaner. I used to have different cleaners for every little thing. Bathrooms, kitchens, floors, windows, the list is endless. But now I stick with one multipurpose cleaner. I have a vinegar, a very natural vinegar and water mix. And then a couple of other slightly stronger things. But fewer bottles, less clutter and cleaning feels way less overwhelming. Number eight, streamline your recipe list. I had a massive list of recipes I'd collected thinking I'd try them all on Pinterest, on my phone, just everywhere. But really, I just kept making the same dishes on repeat. Now I stick with a rotation of about 10 favourite recipes and meal planning is so much easier. Plus, my children are a lot happier with the familiar dishes. And I'm a lot happier because I know that they will eat them. Unsubscribe from unnecessary emails. Nothing clutters your brain like an inbox full of promotional emails. My husband, I think, has thousands sat in his personal inbox right now. And I finally sat down recently and unsubscribed from dozens of them. Now I only see messages that actually matter and I'm not tempted by sales I don't need and marketing. And it feels so much better. Number 10 is I cut down on seasonal decorations. I used to have a few bins of decorations for different seasons. But as much as I loved them, they were just taking up storage really. So now I keep my absolute favourite pieces. And really that's just a few pieces for winter and Christmas and a little bit of autumn. And it just creates a simpler look for each season. It's less to store, less to set up and feels just as cosy. 11 is schedule weekly quiet time. It sounds simple but making an hour just for quiet has been quite transformative. I quite like to do this in the children's nap time. Just make a cup of coffee and just sit. No chores, no talking, just peace. It's my time to kind of reset. It makes me so much more patient and focused for the week ahead. Number 12 is set a weekly budget for small luxuries. I used to impulse buy little things here and there. A coffee, a candle, a plant, some clothes. But now my husband and I have a small budget for treats like that each month. And I actually look forward to that one little thing I get. And I'm not filling my home with extras that I don't need. Number 13 is to create a go-to uniform. I have a go-to outfit that I love and it's a cosy jumper and jeans combination that feels just right. It saves me time on casual days when I don't want to think about what to wear and I still feel put together. Number 14 is to stop over committing. I used to say yes to every request because I didn't really have the word no in my vocabulary. Helping with projects and you know you could be baking for events you don't need to be in. Hosting dinners you don't need to be. And it just can leave you feeling exhausted. But now I remind myself it's okay to say no. And I do a few things well instead of everything half way. Number 15 is only keep books you love. I had shelves packed with books I thought I should read. Now I only really keep the ones I truly love or want to re-read. Or really feel the desire to read in the future. It feels like a gift every time we look at our bookshelves. Now it's like full of old friends. Here you are seeing the cupboard that sits next to our kitchen that is always so cluttered. And just chaotic because we are going to renovate our kitchen. And we don't currently have the right storage space set up. So a lot of the extra stuff gets shoved in there. And the bottom two shelves are for my husband's tools for all of our projects. And so it's just chaos. So I didn't manage to get the bottom two shelves done of that cupboard. But I did go through and simplify what we had in the top two shelves. When I started simplifying my life I realised it's not just about decluttering. It's about being intentional with what I kept. That even extended to my jewellery collection. Instead of having lots of pieces I rarely wore. I wanted to choose a few that truly felt special. One of those pieces is this gorgeous necklace from MS Blue. It's a 2.98 carat sapphire halo necklace with a pear and emerald cut. I love how timeless it is. It's elegant yet simple. And it goes with everything. I also added this beautiful emerald gemstone ring from MS Blue which I've been wearing non-stop. It's been this amazing split band design. It's the kind of piece that makes you feel put together even when you're keeping things simple. If you're simplifying, focusing on fewer quality pieces like these. This can actually make a huge difference. Plus if you're interested you can get 15% off with my code Mia15. I'll link them below. Back to our list. Number 16 is store less and display more. Instead of stashing all of our family photos away in boxes. I aim to pick a few favourites to display around the house. Not only does it reduce that clutter but it also brings a smile to our face every time we walk by those memories that we can see on the walls. Number 17 is to quit multitasking. I used to try doing a dozen things at once while also having a dozen things going on in my head too. Folding laundry while answering emails and checking in with the children. Now I try as much as possible with three young children. Three and under. I focus on one task at a time and I actually end up getting things done faster with a lot less stress. Number 18 is to clutter your digital life. My phone was just full of apps I barely used. Cluttering up my home screen and my mind. Now I try to only keep the essentials. I'm not scrolling through endless icons that are overstimulating and my phone feels so much more manageable. Number 19 is to make weekends sacred. I used to spend weekends catching up on chores and errands and then wonder why. I feel like I hadn't had a break at all. But now I try and dedicate at least one full day to rest and family time. Monday comes around and I feel so much better when I've actually taken a break. Number 20 is to limit your makeup collection. I used to have every shade and product under the sun but realistically I only wore a few. Now I stick to the very basics. It saves time, space and I actually finish the products before they expire. That is actually a thing. The next one is I quit saying yes to every invite. FOMO is real isn't it but I realise that saying yes to every invitation just can feel quite draining. But now focusing on quality time with friends and family I have so much more energy. Plus it's nice not to be just rushing around everywhere all the time. The next one is holding on to guilt. This one's huge. Letting go of guilt especially as a Christian was one of the most freeing things. I learned to trust in God's grace knowing I don't have to be perfect to be loved. The next one is comparing myself to others. This was a big one. I've always struggled with this one and I'm starting to let it go. I used to feel like I was falling short compared to everyone else's perfectly curated lives online. But now I've quit that habit and I'm a whole lot happier focusing on my own journey and where the Lord is taking me. The next is unhealthy friendships. Some friendships I realised were more about obligation than real connection. Letting go of toxic relationships can give you more time and energy for the people who truly matter. Filling every minute of every day is something that I definitely quit. I used to think that productivity was everything. But now I'm trying to value rest. Taking time to just be still has been one of the most refreshing changes. Number 26. I let go of trying to control everything. This might be the hardest one for me. I used to think if I just planned everything perfectly life would go smoothly. But life doesn't work like that. Letting go of control has brought me so much peace. Number 27. This one's for all the homemakers, mums and anyone who feels like they have to carry the whole world on their shoulders. I learned to ask for help and accept it. Sometimes the most loving thing we can do for ourselves and our families is to let others support us. Now here's what surprised me most. As I continued this journey I reached a point where it wasn't just about the things I quit but about who I became through quitting them. I found myself more grateful, more present and oddly more free. I realised that each item, each habit and even some relationships I'd let go of weren't just things. They were holding parts of my heart and keeping me almost captive in a way without being too dramatic. Maybe this is the hardest part of simplifying. Letting go of the things we're used to. The things we feel obligated to. But by letting go we open ourselves up to something so much better. And that's what's happened to me. I wasn't just creating a simpler life. I was discovering a life that has more intention. So here's what I learned from quitting these 27 things. It's not about depriving yourself. It's about freeing yourself. Freeing yourself to live more fully with the things, peoples and habits that you already have and that truly matter. Maybe you're wondering if it's worth it if letting go of what you don't need could even make a difference. Well I can tell you it does and I hope that you'll feel lighter. You'll notice that your days aren't as rushed, that your mind is clearer and the time you have left over, that's time to spend with the people you love doing the things that you love. Now here's something unexpected that happened after all of this. I discovered an entirely new way to bring more peace and simplicity in our home. One that I hadn't considered before. But that's a story for another video. And trust me, you'll want to see it.