Do your days feel too cluttered? Does your mind feel too full? 

In the midst of all the busyness, it can be easy to forget you have the power to bring more zen into your life.

Zen-like quotes, when taken into account, can inspire you to chose ease over distress, simplicity over complexity, healthy boundaries over none.

To keep them in the front of your mind:

• Put zen quotes on sticky notes and tape them on your mirror or fridge.

• Write one in your planner each day and reflect on it for a minute or two.

• Record them on your phone and play them back to yourself as part of your morning routine.

I’ve chosen five quotes from everyday people, like you and me, who have transformed their lives through the art of simplicity. By consciously decluttering their mind, heart, and physical spaces, they made zen the backdrop of their life.

You can too.

…

“You won’t look back and remember the time you didn’t complete your to-do list, but you may look back and remember the beautiful life you lived.” ― Courtney Carver, Be More with Less

When you simplify your life, you make more space for what truly matters.

What truly matters to you? Do you make time for it on a regular basis?

Reflect on your real priorities. Eliminate the non-essentials. There’s an art to getting things done. But there’s also magic in leaving the non-essential undone. 

It takes courage to say “no” and clear space in your life. But the more you set healthy boundaries, the more zen your life will become.

…

“The best present is presence.”— Joshua Fields Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus, The Minimalists 

Wherever you go, you see people glued to their screens, jumping from one site to another, rarely paying attention to people around them.

Science shows a progressive decline in attention span since 2004. Even if you were to capture someone’s attention, you probably wouldn’t keep it for very long.

But humans need connection.

According to Deb Dana, LCSW, connection is a wired-in biological necessity. We can co-regulate our autonomic nervous system through connecting with others and as a result feel less stress and more ease.

Presence has become a rare gift you can give to another. 

But it’s also a gift you can give to yourself simply by sitting quietly and tuning into the present moment. 

Micro-Action

• Be fully present for at least one conversation each day—a gift to someone else.

• Take a mindful walk in nature—a gift to yourself.

…

“Over the course of an average lifetime, because of all the clutter we live in, we will spend 3,680 hours, or 153 days, searching for misplaced items.”— Joshua Becker, Becoming Minimalist

Not zen, right?

As someone who used to lose things constantly, I know the intense frustration I felt when searching for a lost item—a phone, a critical document, my car.

Now, I follow the “a place for everything and everything in its place” rule.

My reading glasses have a specific home on the kitchen countertop. My keys live in the zippered section of my purse. My purse lives next to my bedside table. And so on.

I rarely lose things anymore. As a result, I’ve erased loads of unnecessary frustration from my life.

Micro-Action:

• Make a list of the items you lose most frequently. Over the course of a week or a month, find a place for each one. Develop the habit of putting each item in its place.

• Dream of what you’ll do with your extra 153 days. And do it!

…

“Instead of focusing on how much you can accomplish, focus on how much you can absolutely love what you’re doing.” — Leo Babauta, Zen Habits

We’re obsessed with getting more done as if we’ll find happiness once we do. 

But when does getting more done stop? 

Never.

The more we focus on getting more done, the more we need to get done. It’s a vicious trap. 

You might get a dopamine hit when you tick an item off your list. But that high doesn’t last long, does it?

How can you love whatever you’re doing? Is that really possible?

One way is to remain in the present moment. There’s no space for whining, complaints, and dissatisfaction in the present moment. When your mind wanders (it will), simply bring it back to the here and now.

That’s real zen.

Another way is to feel grateful. Gratitude can reduce stress and improve mental and physical health—just the kind of zen we want.

Micro-Action

• Chose one activity today and focus on how much you can absolutely love doing it. 

• Engage your senses. If you’re hand-washing dishes, feel the warmth of the water and the texture of the plates. Feel the strength of your feet touching the floor. Listen to the sounds around you. Be here now!

…

“So in fact, narrowing down our choices means less overwhelm, and more creativity.” ― Courtney Carver, Be More with Less

The more decisions you make each day, the more likely you’ll experience decision fatigue. Decision fatigue can lead to impulse buying, making decisions you regret, or avoiding decisions altogether.

Decision fatigue can also bring on mental and physical fatigue.

In contrast, limiting your choices can make your life more zen. 

For example, Courtney Carver popularized the idea of a capsule wardrobe with her minimalist fashion project called Project 333. The challenge involves selecting 33 items to wear over a three-month period. 

Thousand of people have completed Project 333 and felt liberated.

In order to reduce decision fatigue, several famous men wear the same style of outfit each day including Barack Obama, Giorgio Armani, and Tom Wolfe.

Fewer clothes options means fewer decisions.

A few other ways to narrow choices:

• Limit information channels—news programs, blogs, magazine—to a small number you enjoy the most. 

• Limit the number of recipes you use each week.

• Create routines like waking up at the same time every day to limit choices.

How could you limit choices in your life?

Micro-Action

• Limit choices in one aspect of your life for a week. 

• Add in another area of your life the next week.

Concluding Thoughts

We think we’re locked into a stressful life. Stress is just a normal part of modern life or so we tell ourselves.

But in truth, peace, simplicity, and ease is a choice.

Each of the individuals I’ve quoted above led a crazy life at one point too. But they made a life-changing decision to opt for greater ease.

They didn’t go zen overnight. It was a one step at a time process until a few years later when they found their life entirely transformed.

You can do that too.

Use the zen quotes I’ve shared to inspire you along the way. And add a few of your own to the list.

[Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels]

Thank you for your presence, I know your time is precious!  Don’t forget to  sign up for Wild Arisings, my twice monthly letters from the heart filled with insights, inspiration, and ideas to help you connect with and live from your truest self. 

You might also like to check out my  Self-Care Shop. May you be happy, well, and safe – always.  With love, Sandra