7 Ways to Simplify Your Life, According to Hardworking Redditors

Given that most of us spend a third of our lives working — sorry for the reminder —it's easy to fall behind and neglect what we value most in life. But members of Reddit's r/SimpleLiving community are trying to reclaim their lives from the "work/spend/borrow cycle" to live more simply. In a recent thread, these Redditors shared what they're doing to make their lives easier despite the never-ending grind that is the 40-hour (or 40-hour-plus) workweek.

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The ultimate lifehack to instantly simplify your life: remote work. Most obviously, working from home means you don't have to commute or even have a car. But remote professionals also don't have to worry about their wardrobe, spend time on makeup, or prep their lunch. "That's been the single most significant and life-changing improvement I've had that's made life simpler and a bit easier on the brain," one Redditor says of their transition to remote work.

Related: No Experience? No Problem With These Work-From-Home Jobs

If, like most workers, you can't spend the day in your pajamas, then you can at least simplify your wardrobe. Numerous Redditors say they only purchase clothes that adhere to their preferred color palette so that getting dressed is a no-brainer. And if you heed their advice, you'll be in good company. Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg have famously worn standardized outfits to reduce what psychologists call "decision fatigue." “The more decisions you have to make, the more fatigue you develop, and the more difficult it can become," psychiatrist Lisa MacLean tells the American Medical Association.

Related: 25 Things to Toss From Your Closet Right Now

Speaking of decision fatigue, have you noticed that it's hard to pick what to watch these days with such a glut of streaming services? So maybe it's time to save some dough and cut back on subscription services, a suggestion that repeatedly came up in the r/SimpleLiving thread. Another pro-tip: Visit your local library to see if they have free streaming options like Kanopy and Hoopla.

Related: 6 Best Streaming Services, According to Frugal Redditors

Assuming you can afford a house in this market, one Redditor suggests shopping around for a smaller footprint. "Everything is simpler with a small house," they write, adding that cleaning, upkeep, and utility costs are all more manageable.

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Beyond simplifying their wardrobes, professionals on r/SimpleLiving are also ditching their makeup and hair routines. This saves one commenter 45 minutes every morning, allowing them to sleep more and accomplish small tasks before heading to the office.

While this piece of advice is a bit of a catch-all — most of these tips will save you money — Redditors repeatedly returned to the idea of living modestly to simplify one's life. What might that look like? Don't spend money on unnecessary goods, try to live without a car, eat at home, and buy secondhand. "Buy less, sleep more," as one top comment reads.

Buying in bulk, using appliances like an instant pot, and freezing leftovers will help you control your budget and free up your schedule, Redditors say. The key, multiple commenters note, is streamlining your meals so that they're easy to prepare, freeze, and reheat; otherwise, you might cave and eat out.