Personal Development

How (and Why!) to Do Less in Your 30s

posted on July 25, 2018 | by Chelsea Becker

How (and Why!) to Do Less in Your 30s

Can we all agree that the whole “I’m so busy” thing is overrated? Because I personally hate being busy – so much so that I made it a priority to do less in my 30s. It’s been about a year and I can happily say I still have friends, family, a job – and much more time for myself. If you’re struggling with how to do less while still showing up in life, I hope these 5 things help!

Be decisive with plans

When you think about it, going back and forth not only causes anxiety, but it’s taking up space in your brain. #BYE! Instead of being indecisive, consider the commitment the moment it comes up. If you’d want to go to that event or whatever it is in that moment, say yes. If you don’t, say no. This way, the decision is made and you can release it from your mind (and to-do list). Plus, being decisive actually leads to more confidence, which is always welcomed.

Purge your life

I’m a big fan of being minimal when it comes to everything. Whether that’s your friend group, closet, or kitchen, having less means loving more. Think about it – a closet full of 40 shirts will take a lot longer to go through versus one with 10. Spending time with friends that don’t make you feel great will take away from those who do. Less is more – so think about how to have less in all aspects of your life. If you need a little push, I love this book and this website so much.

Rethink things you hate

About 2 months ago, I declared to my husband that I was no longer doing dinner. That meant I was no longer cooking for us or even choosing what we were eating. Because here’s the thing – I hated it. Around 5 pm, I’d feel the pressure of dinner and I’d get in a shitty mood, which wasn’t fair to myself or my husband. Now we do our own thing. Some nights I’ll cook or he will, but for the majority of the week, we make our own meals. Not making dinner (aka doing less) seriously changed my life – as crazy as that sounds. Assess the tasks in life that bring you down (and that won’t alter your world negatively if you stop doing them), then say see ya!

Spend less on beauty

I wore a lot more makeup in my twenties, and it usually took me 20-30 minutes a day. It wasn’t even a confidence thing – it was more of a habit. But when I sat back and thought of what else I could be doing with those minutes, I came up with SO many things. I could workout, walk to work instead of ride the bus, or sleep! Now, I spend about 5 minutes on a tinted moisturizer and mascara, and I have 15-25 extra minutes daily. No one has even noticed! If you feel confident in wearing less (or maybe air drying your hair), think about doing less with your beauty routine.

Delegate

If there’s one thing I’ve gotten great at in my 30s, it’s delegating. It’s scary at first because it usually costs money, but I can’t recommend it enough. Depending on your situation, think about hiring a house cleaner if cleaning makes you crazy (or takes up precious weekend time). Consider having your groceries delivered if that’s cutting into you time. I suggest making a list of your weekly responsibilities and then circling ones that you could delegate. If you really hate those tasks, even more reason to get them off your list. Then, cross reference your budget to see if it allows for delegating – or even shift your spending habits to prioritize hiring help.

OK I could write 10 more things because I truly believe in this topic, but in the vein of doing less, I’ll stop there. Are you all about doing less in your 30s? Please share how you’ve made this happen!