7 Ways to Simplify Your Life.

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary, so that the necessary may speak.”

—Hans Hofman

Introduction

As a physician, time is scarce. Between keeping track of patients and your sanity, it can be easy to overlook the day-to-day tasks of living. However, simplifying your life can help you reclaim some of that lost time and focus on what's truly important. In this blog post, I will share the top 7 ways I’ve learned for how to simplify my life so I can have more time for myself.

Grocery Delivery

Grocery shopping can take up a significant amount of time, and trust me- after working a 28 hour shift, the last thing you want to do is go shopping. I highly recommend getting your groceries delivered. Many grocery stores offer delivery services, and there are also several online grocery delivery options like Instacart, Shipt, and Amazon Fresh.

I use Walmart+ and absolutely love the convenience. Not only does it save me time from having to go to the grocery store, the app is also extremely easy to use and I can put items in my shopping cart as soon as I realize I'm running low. You can time it for express delivery for later that day, or schedule it a week in advance for when you know you’ll actually be home and not at work. Gone are the days of proving to yourself you can in fact carry ALL the bags at once, and say hello to the days of direct delivery to your door.

A Workout Plan That Takes All the Work Out of It

Actually finding the time to workout can be challenging enough. However, the most overwhelming part of the gym is the decision-making process of what to do while we’re there. We already have decision fatigue from all the decisions we have to make throughout the day, deciding what to workout that day should be the least time consuming aspect of your day. Additionally, while I may be an expert in many things, I do not need to also be an expert fitness trainer (otherwise I would have just done that). Hiring a personal trainer is expensive, and finding the time to adapt your schedule to classes can seem almost impossible.

That’s why I’m such a proponent for workout apps. I personally use EvolveYou which has a wide range of different types of workouts and routines. It even has meal plans and meal inspirations as well as a water intake tracker. All I do is open the app and follow the instructions.

Ironically, working in healthcare can take a toll on your mental and physical health. Finding a consistent workout plan that you can stick to can help alleviate some of that physical and mental stress.

Meal Prep

Learning how to meal prep or finding a few easy meals that you can make can save you time and reduce stress. Meal prepping can help you eat healthier and save money. You can meal prep once a week and have your meals planned out for the entire week. If meal prepping seems too daunting, find three to five easy meals that you can make for when you don't want to stress about what you’re going to eat that night.

Meal delivery services are also a wonderful way to eat healthy and not have to worry about food. There's so many nowadays that range from sending you the ingredients and recipe (such as HelloFresh) to sending you ready-made-meals (such as Trifecta). Trifecta has been my favorite as they send ready-made-meals designed for busy individuals still trying to eat healthy and lose weight. These meals are also easy to take with you to the hospital and reheat, so you don't have to worry about cafeteria hours.

Laundry Service

Laundry is another time-consuming task that can be simplified. Consider using a laundry service that will pick up your dirty clothes and return them to you clean and folded. By outsourcing this task, you can free up valuable time that can be used for more important things. This is especially helpful if you live in an apartment where you don't have an in-unit washer and dryer.

Simplify Cleaning

Trust me- after working all day, the last thing I want to do is clean. However, I also hate living in a pigsty. So discovering robot vacuums, and even better robot mops, has been wonderful in helping keep my apartment clean without me doing the work. You can set them up on a schedule so they clean while you're at work and you come home to a clean apartment. There are so many different ones nowadays, all for relatively cheap.

I have also heard a lot of people hire cleaners to come once every so often. I personally haven't used it, but from everything I've been told- I might start, so if anyone has good recommendations, let me know.

Regardless of how you do it, simplifying cleaning will save you hours of work so you have more time to do what you actually want to do.

Autopay

One of the easiest ways to simplify your life is to automate your payments. Definitely put all your student loans, internet, cell phone bills and all other miscellaneous bills on autopay so you never have to worry about missing a payment or incurring late fees.

You can also put your credit cards on autopay, as long as you make sure not to overdraft. (I personally don't put my credit cards on autopay, because it helps me keep track of my finances. [I do, however, always set an alarm for the first of the month so I make sure to pay them]).

If you can, putting your rent on autopay can free up even more mental energy and time. I personally highly recommend the Bilt rewards card as you can set-it up to autopay your rent every month, AND you actually get points back on your rent so you have more money for fun activities. (Here is my referral link if you want to help support my endeavors for more fun activities: BILT Rewards Card).

With everything on autopay, you can focus on more important things, like making the money to pay for everything.

Establish a Care Team

It is essential to make an appointment with a primary care physician (PCP) to ensure your own health is taken care of. Your days are busy and stressful taking care of everyone else; however, at some point you will get sick. Having a point of contact established in case you need medications, bloodwork or even a physical for work will make your life much easier.

Additionally, taking care of your mental health is crucial. When life gets overwhelming, the last thing you want to do is add to your to-do list, even if it finding a therapist. So finding a therapist while you still have the emotional ability is key. Just knowing which one you would call can be enough. I highly recommend BetterHelp, an online therapy platform that is affordable and accessible. Mostly because it means I can do therapy from my apartment and not have to worry about going somewhere else.

Conclusion

In conclusion, simplifying your life can help you reclaim some of the lost time and focus on what's truly important. Automating payments, getting your groceries delivered, finding a no-fuss workout plan, learning how to meal prep, using a laundry service, and getting a robot vacuum are all simple ways to simplify your life. By taking care of these tasks, you can focus on your own well-being and the activities you actually want. Remember, taking care of yourself is essential, and you can't take care of others if you don't take care of yourself.