10 Powerful Ways To Make Life Easier For Yourself

There’s certainly no denying that life can be difficult. We are often pulled into a million different directions and responsibilities. Drowning in so much stress and worries trying to navigate the lows of life. During those moments, figuring out how to make life easier for yourself may seem like nothing but a passing thought.

This is exactly how I felt. When I was trying to bounce back from so many setbacks, I got caught up in the relentless hustle, trying to do everything that I can to turn my life around without really recognizing how exhausted, drained, and burned out I was already feeling.

During that time, I really believed that this is how life is supposed to feel. I thought that every day should always feel like I’m running this never-ending marathon, drowning in my to-do list, stress, and worries. Barely even having the chance to breathe and slow down.

But it was wrong of me to think that life should be lived this way. It was wrong for me to believe that a happy and successful life feels like you’re constantly yearning for a break. Because the truth is, during those moments I barely felt like I was living.

Every day felt like I was just existing. Like I was just a passenger in my own life. I thought that life should always be difficult and stressful because if it wasn’t then that meant that I wasn’t doing enough. But I was completely wrong to think that.

Our life is far too precious to waste it just existing and surviving. I’ve learned that regardless of where you are in your life right now, you have the power within you to create a life that you love. You have the power within you to make life easier for yourself.

While this definitely doesn’t mean that life will just be sunny days moving forward. I’m certainly not saying that we can just snap our fingers and then all our problems will disappear.

But we can change our habits and take little steps to help us find calm and peace even in difficult times. You can make small changes every day that’ll help make life easier for yourself.

In this post, I will be sharing with you the steps I took that helped me make life less overwhelming. These steps have tremendously helped me create a life that is not just easier but also deeply meaningful and I’m hoping that it will do the same for you.

How To Make Life Easier For Yourself

1. Learn To Let Go Of Things Beyond Your Control

How often have you spent so much time and energy trying to control every little aspect of your life only to be met with disappointment and frustration when things go wrong?

I’m certainly guilty of this for the longest time. I’ve always believed that if I just work really hard, plan meticulously, and anticipate every outcome then I can prevent things from going wrong. That somehow if I just continue to do this, I can make my life easier.

But it’s actually the exact opposite. Doing this does not make life easier, for what it’s worth it just makes it more difficult and when things actually fall apart, it just makes it even harder for us to face it head-on and bounce back.

The reality is, regardless of how hard we try, there will always be things and circumstances that are beyond our control. Regardless of how much time and effort we try to control every little thing in our life, it still won’t guarantee that everything will go according to our plan. Life can still hit us with surprises.

Allowing ourselves to spend so much time and energy attempting to control everything in our life will only lead to so much stress, disappointment and honestly, it just makes us feel more defeated. There is freedom and peace in letting go.

Remember that letting go of control is not about surrendering ourselves to the chaos and noise of life. It is about accepting that some things and circumstances are just beyond our control and focusing instead on the things that we can actually control.

Like our choices, attitudes, and reactions. Free yourself from that burden and allow yourself to embrace life as it actually is, unpredictable and imperfect.

2. Learn To Say No

How many times have you overextended yourself by constantly saying yes to other people when you really didn’t want to do it in the first place?

How many times have you drowned yourself in an overwhelming number of responsibilities and obligations fearing that saying no will disappoint other people?

I can’t even begin to tell you the number of times I have done this. I was always guilty of constantly saying yes to other people, especially to the people closest to me, regardless of how drained and exhausted I already felt, because I was so afraid to disappoint them.

And truth be told, the reason why I find it so difficult to say no to them is because I believed that as long as I am deemed useful to other people, then I am enough and worthy.

But the thing is, if you continued to stretch yourself thin constantly saying yes to other people’s requests, sooner or later you will have nothing left to give yourself.

Learning to say no and setting boundaries is not about being selfish, unkind, or shutting other people out. It is about self respect and honoring your time, energy and priorities.

By learning to say no to the things that no longer align with our values and goals, we are actually giving ourselves the space to make time for the things that really matter to us and to take care of our own needs and well-being.

Here’s a great article that’ll help you say no from BetterUp.

3. Set Clear Goals

Part of figuring out how to make life easier for yourself is setting clear goals. Setting clear goals is not just about creating an everyday to-do list. This is about creating a life that aligns with your aspirations and values.

Setting clear goals is about identifying the things that truly matter to you, what you want to achieve, breaking it down into manageable steps, and focusing your energy and attention on pursuing it.

Start by reflecting on what you truly want to achieve. Think about your long-term goals and where do you want to see yourself in the future. It’s important to consider all areas of your life while you’re reflecting on your vision.

Make sure your goals are specific and achievable. Also, another important thing to remember when setting clear goals is to never be afraid to take small steps. Big goals and tasks can often easily lead to overwhelm and it may be more difficult for you to actually follow through.

Break them down into small manageable steps. Each step should be achievable within your given timeframe.

4. Create A Morning Routine

For years, I haven’t really given my morning routine much thought. I would always end up caught up in chaos and rushing from one task to another. I didn’t really take the time to realize that rushing through my morning stressed and anxious also greatly affected my entire day.

Mornings can be such a powerful tone-setter for our entire day. If we constantly start our day in frenzy and chaos, that chaotic feeling can often linger throughout our day.

Create a morning routine that works best for your lifestyle. Now, the reason why I’m saying this is because while I was creating my own morning routine, I had this notion that I had to follow what other successful people’s morning looks like.

But the thing is, if we follow a routine that is not suited to our lifestyle. It will be much more difficult for us to stick with it. I’ve realized that the key to creating the perfect morning routine is by designing a series of intentional steps and habits that will set YOU up for a successful and easier day.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Create a set of activities that align with your goals, your preferences, and your aspirations. Doing this will make it a whole lot easier for you to follow through and stick with it.

5. Practice Forgiveness

You’re probably wondering how forgiveness plays a role in figuring out how to make life easier for yourself. To be honest, I didn’t really know that forgiveness can play such a huge role in this journey.

I thought that it was all about changing our habits. You see, growing up I was deeply hurt by some people that I love. I was made to believe that I was nothing without my achievements and I wasn’t enough and worthy if I wasn’t making myself useful to them.

I held on to this anger and I let it consume me for years without realizing that doing this did not help me in any way, for what it’s worth it just made life more difficult. By allowing myself to hold on to that resentment, I was anchoring myself in the past and preventing myself from being free from the pain and from moving forward.

I know how difficult forgiveness can be. It’s important to remember that forgiveness is not about invalidating their wrongdoings or minimizing the pain that they have caused. It is about choosing to free yourself from that emotional baggage that you have been carrying for so long and finally giving space for healing and moving forward.

It is about releasing yourself from the grip of bitterness and allowing yourself to fully live and embrace the journey of your life.

Also, please don’t hesitate to offer that same forgiveness to yourself. Human as we all are, we are all bound to make mistakes and you are certainly no exemption to that. Offering yourself forgiveness doesn’t mean that you’re avoiding accountability.

This is about acknowledging your mistakes, learning from them, and allowing yourself the chance to move forward.

6. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help

When I was struggling in life, regardless of how defeated I was feeling, I would never tell or show other people, even the closest to me, what I was going through. I always had this notion that since this is my problem, then I should be the one to fix this.

And to be honest, I found it really hard to open up to other people. I have always assumed that by opening up to them, I would also be burdening them with my problems.

But one of the most important things that I learned when I was at the lowest point of my life is, regardless of what you think, you will never truly be a burden to the people who really love you. They actually want to be there for you and they are just waiting for you to let them in.

Life can be really difficult sometimes and please know that asking for help doesn’t mean that you are a failure or that you’re weak. We all need help and we all need someone in our corner to hold our hand when things get too difficult for us to face.

Asking for help does not in any way diminish your strength. I truly believe that it takes courage and strength to ask for help and allow ourselves to be vulnerable.

7. Let Go Of Social Comparison

In today’s world, it’s so easy to fall into the comparison game. With everything that we see on social media, comparing ourselves to other people is almost becoming second nature.

I’m certainly no stranger to this feeling. For years I was constantly chained to a life of comparing other people’s success to my own. I didn’t realize that by doing this I was actually basing my life on their own standards.

I was living my life constantly chasing after ideals that other people deemed to be valuable instead of actually living the life that I want. And let me tell you, living that kind of life was just exhausting and it just made me feel bad about myself.

I was constantly feeling like I wasn’t enough or worthy. If you want to make life easier for yourself, learning to let go of social comparison is vital. Know that life is far too short and too precious to just spend it living somebody else’s life.

We all have different journeys to take and you don’t have to keep chasing other people’s standards just to feel worthy or valuable. Because you are enough and worthy just as you are now. Please free yourself from the burden of constantly comparing your life with others.

You deserve to live the life that you want. You deserve to go after your dreams.

8. Make Self Care A Non-Negotiable

When we have so many things on our to-do list, taking some time off for your self care is certainly not on our minds. I’m guilty of this for years.

I have always believed that self sacrificing for other people’s needs and my goals is the way to a happy life. But this certainly wasn’t the case. Now there’s no denying that working hard and hustling is important but let us not fail to acknowledge that slowing down, taking a break, and practicing self care is just as essential.

We shouldn’t treat self-care as a luxury or something that we just check off our to-do list once a year then just forget about it the next. We should treat self-care as a non-negotiable.

Practicing self care does not only give us the chance to breathe and take care of our needs but it also lessens stress and helps us avoid burnout which ultimately leads to an easier life.

As cliche, as this sounds, you truly cannot pour from an empty cup. I learned this the hard way. Self care is not selfish. It is a necessity and it is a form of self love. We can’t expect ourselves to live meaningful and happy lives if we continued to neglect our needs and well-being.

You deserve to take care of your needs. You deserve to take a break and make time for the things that nourish your soul and give you joy.

9. Practice Daily Gratitude

I know that we have probably heard the phrase “Be grateful” more than a dozen times and yet sometimes it still feels impossible to do.

It’s easy to be grateful when everything in your life is going right but when things fall apart, when you’re hit with one problem after another, finding something to be grateful for can feel impossible. This is exactly what it felt for me when I was navigating the lowest point of my life.

I allowed myself to be drowned by the negativity and I chose to focus all my attention on the things that are going wrong in my life. I honestly thought during that time that doing this was making me more accountable and more motivated to keep pushing.

But what it did was the exact opposite. It just made me bitter and angry at the world and it made my life so much harder. To be honest, focusing on everything that was going wrong just made me feel more hopeless.

I used to believe that being grateful was toxic positivity. I hated it when someone was going through something and others will tell them to just be grateful.

But one thing that I’ve learned while I was navigating the darkest moment of my life is, being grateful is not about pretending that everything is okay. It’s not about dismissing what you are going through or invalidating the pain that you are feeling.

It is about allowing yourself to find joy in simple things while still acknowledging and addressing the challenges that you are going through. Gratitude is not about avoiding your problems.

For what it’s worth, allowing myself to find joy even in the midst of struggles and challenges not only made me feel better but also gave me hope and the strength that I needed to keep going.

10. Live One Day At A Time

I can’t even begin to tell you the number of times I found myself constantly fixating on the future and all the what if’s without realizing that life was just passing me by.

More often than we would like to admit, we find ourselves constantly ruminating about the future or even past experiences without realizing that by doing so, we are robbing ourselves of the chance to actually live our lives.

We trap ourselves into constantly fixating on all the what-ifs of the future to the point that we are constantly drowning in so much stress and anxiety.

I was certainly guilty of this and to be honest, during that time, I believed that this was the best way to go. I spent so much time and energy trying to plan for the future and anticipate every outcome, failing to realize that by doing this I was missing out on actually living the moment that was currently unfolding before me.

I’ve learned that living one day at a time is certainly not about abandoning all our goals and plans. Living one day at a time is about finding the balance between planning for our future goals and enjoying the present moment of our lives.

By choosing to live one day at a time, you are finally freeing yourself from the weight of the past and the worries and anxieties of the future, ultimately leading to an easier and more meaningful life.

Final Thoughts

It’s best to remember that figuring out how to make life easier for yourself is not about eliminating the challenges, or avoiding the struggles. It is about adopting certain mindsets, habits, and beliefs that’ll help us navigate and cope with the downs and lows of life with peace and grace.

Ultimately, the path to making life easier for yourself is a deeply personal thing. You don’t have to follow each and every step here, find what works for you, explore what other steps might help you, and start there.

As you move forward with this journey, please remember to give yourself love and patience along the way, especially during those hard days. Remember that regardless of how defeated you may feel some days, you have the power within you to create a life that you love. A life that aligns with your goals and a life that brings you peace.

Please know that I’m constantly rooting for you!