Really easy things I'm doing to simplify my life

What I’m doing to unravel the chaos—without overhauling my whole routine

A few things brightening up my week: books on the mantle, a cool bookshop find, flowers on my walk, and Suki being stoic in the (LA!) rain.

Hi friends,

Welcome to October—I can’t believe we’re here already! I’ve been amusing myself by imagining Halloween costumes for the dogs. Will they want to wear them? Probably not. But even the thought makes me happy, and that feels worth it in this economy.

This summer, though, was another story. I felt like a tightly wound ball of stress—partly because I kept waiting for someone else to tell me what to do next with my writing. (Not ideal, given I’m a grown woman with my own hopes and dreams.) I realised I was in desperate need of some changes…

We humans love to overcomplicate things, but as we hurtle into a new season, I’m craving simplicity.

So here’s a list of small, minimal-effort habits that have been helping me wrangle my life back into order. Some are old standbys, others are new tactics—and I hope at least one meets you where you are.

And please share your own tricks in the comments. I need all the help I can get!

🧹 Small space victories

I know I keep banging on about this, but I’m knee-deep in a house clear-out. After unpacking our belongings from eight months in storage, I’m looking at everything with fresh eyes. It doesn’t help that the new place is short on closets…

Still, I’d been putting it off for ages—piles of clothes and random bits had colonised every surface.

The simple fix? One space a day.

It doesn’t matter what: the pyjama drawer, the kitchen island of lost things. On busier weeks, I’ll save the task for the weekend. The point is, any progress counts.

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🏋🏻‍♀️ Exercise, but make it bite-sized

Confession… I hate working out. But sadly, it has to be done. I walk the pups every day (extra hikes on weekends if I’m feeling ambitious), but I know I need more—especially to strengthen my bones and heart after chemotherapy.

I’ve been using the Trainwell app for a while, and discovered that if I scheduled a long workout… it just didn’t happen.

So now I break it up into short bursts. A walk. Some strength training. A quick spin on the stationary bike. Stretching.

On good mornings, I’ll smash it all out at once. On the messier ones, I spread it across the day: dogs in the morning, strength at lunch, stretching after dinner. Either way, by the end of the week, I’ve actually moved more than I ever did with those dreaded long workouts.

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🧴 One product at a time

Another post-move realisation: I own a lot of skincare. Some bottles weren’t even opened. Truthfully, I’m pretty lazy when it comes to beauty routines, and my rosacea means most of those “miracle products” just sat there untouched.

But I don’t want to waste them—and I do aspire to have glowing skin. So I’ve set myself a “use it up” challenge:

Pick one product, use it every day until it’s finished, then move on to the next.

It keeps my routine simple, my skin happy, and saves me from the overwhelm of a 10-step regimen I was never going to keep up with anyway.

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📱 The texting window

Confession No.2… I hate texting. I love my friends—and I love hearing from them—but I hate the act itself. I get anxious if I’m tethered to my phone, especially when I’m trying to write. And because I want to respond properly, I end up with a backlog of unread messages that stresses me out even more.

My solution: designated texting windows.

I check in at lunchtime and again in the evening before bed. The new iPhone “send later” feature has been a lifesaver—perfect for when I’m in full night owl mode but don’t want to wake a morning person friend.

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🧽 Start fresh Sundays

For years, I stuck to a cleaning routine where I tackled one room a day. It worked—our house stayed tidy—but lately it’s been hard to juggle that with my writing goals. So, I’ve pivoted to Sunday resets:

One big session where everything gets cleaned, vacuumed, and laundered all at once.

Do I love spending Sunday mornings this way? Not really. But I do love starting the week with a sparkling house. I find it impossible to write in a mess.

(Pro tip: invite a friend for dinner. Nothing motivates a deep clean faster than guests on the way.)

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⏰ Time management epiphany

I recently took a time management Zoom lesson with Courtney Maum, and it sort of changed my life.

I won’t give too much away (you should take the class yourself!), but her approach to time management revolves around the different identity spheres we each inhabit—and how to block time accordingly.

One of my biggest takeaways was how much I enjoy learning, and that I need to schedule time specifically for my ‘student’ identity.

It was a brilliant three hours, and I’m already loving the new schedule I’ve been trialling. In fact, this week has been one of my most productive in ages. Now, I just hope I can stick with it!

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📚 One for craft, one for joy

Lately, I’ve been deep in research reading—and as important as that is, it can suck the joy out of one of life’s greatest pleasures.

So now I alternate: one book for craft, one for pure entertainment.

This way, I never get bored or burned out with reading, as I’m pivoting between learning and filling up my creative cup.

It should be said that in my case, “entertainment” often means meaty biographies or memoirs of trauma… so maybe I’m still doing it wrong.

Thanks so much for reading! Here’s your puppy tax!

Flynn and Suki wish you a calm and productive week—and they’re hoping you can talk me out of buying them Halloween costumes. 🐾🎃

Puppy portraits from our recent trip to Santa Barbara.

What’s a low-effort habit you swear by? I’m always on the hunt for new ideas!

Oh, and don’t forget to tap the 🧡 button on your way out.

(Unhearted posts are an optimist’s worst nightmare.)

Keep reading

On reclaiming the day (and other September feelings)

Attempt at stepping through a portal