I do love to keep things simple. Why?
我喜欢凡事简单。为什么呢?

One simple reason and one the most important ones for me is that simplicity reduces the heaviness in life. It makes it lighter, no to stressful or energy draining as it once might have been.
简单说来,因为对我来说最重要的莫过于简单能够化解不少生活负担。生活会更轻松,不再一如既往地充满压力、精疲力竭。

So today I would like to share 10 daily habits that make my life simpler and lighter. I hope you’ll find something useful for your own life among these habits.
所以今天我就跟大家分享一下使我的生活更简单轻松的10个日常习惯,希望大家也能从中学到对自己生活有用的东西吧。

1. Use a minimalistic workspace.
保持办公室简洁。

My work space is just a laptop on a small black desk made out of wood. I use a comfy chair and there is room for my glass of water beside the computer. That’s it. There are no distractions here. This makes it easier to write and to keep a clear mind.
我的办公室只有一张小小的黑色木头桌子、一张舒服的椅子和一台笔记本电脑,电脑边上有一杯水。仅此而已。这让我心无旁骛,更容易保持清醒进行创作。

2. Cook more food than you’ll eat.
一次多烧几个菜。

We usually make 4-6 servings of what we are about to eat. This cuts down on time that you spend on cooking and you’ll have to do less washing up in general. Plus, you’ll have lunch for the day after. And sometimes a portion or two to put in the freezer. And that really comes in handy on those evenings when you don’t feel like cooking.
通常我们一次会做4-6个菜,这能同时节省做菜和洗碗的时间。而且,吃不完的放进冰箱,第二天还可以继续吃。要是某个晚上你不想做饭,这真是再方便不过了。

3. Write shorter emails.
邮件简洁精炼。

I tend to write emails containing only a few sentences, usually between one and five. In some cases I write more of course. But keeping this guideline in mind cuts down on the time and energy is spend on processing emails.
我写的邮件话都不多,一般不超过五句。当然,偶尔也会发封长邮件,但我一直谨记这个原则,尽量缩短处理邮件的时间和精力。

4. Be 10 or 5 minutes early for meetings and appointments.
开会或约会时早到5-10分钟。

This will help you to make your time of travel into a sort of break and a time of relaxation. Instead of it being another thing that ramps up the stress. And you will not be late.
这能为你争取一点休息和放松的时间,而且你不会紧张兮兮或迟到。

5. Spend only 20% of your time on dwelling on a problem.
花20%时间思考问题。

And 80% of your time focusing on a solution. Instead of the other way around. It is not always easy to do but keeping this thought in mind makes it easier to not fall into the trap of feeling like a victim or going down a spiral of perceived powerlessness.
再花80%时间解决问题,而不是反道而行。做到这一点并不容易,但只要记住这一点,就不太会陷入无所适从的境地。

6. Stop trying to do things perfectly.
告别做事完美主义风格。

Go for good enough instead and when you are there you are done. Get things all the way to done this way and then move on to the next thing. Setting this more human bar for yourself not only leads to more things actually being finished but also helps with keeping your self-esteem on a healthy level. Perfectionism makes it pretty impossible to find or maintain high self-esteem.
凡事尽力就行,以这种心态一件一件处理事情。对自己的要求略微合理一些,不仅更易于完成任务,也能保持自尊心的健康状态。如果追求完美,反倒难以获得或维持较好的自尊心态。

7. Eat slower.
慢嚼细咽。

Make your lunch time a time of relaxation rather than a time to just add to the stress of your morning. One thing that works well to slow down when eating is to put down the fork between bites.
学着享受午餐时间,而不要去想接下来又是压力重重、同上午没两样的工作。想要细嚼慢咽的话,咀嚼时放下刀叉是个不错的方法。

8. Enjoy the simple pleasures.
享受简单的快乐。

A pear. Fresh and clean bed sheets. A hug and kiss. Holding hands. A laugh with friends. The sun and blossoming nature after a long and cold winter.
一个梨,清新干净的床单,一个拥抱和亲吻,一次牵手,与朋友一起开怀大笑,或者漫长寒冬后的暖阳与花朵。

9. Write everything down.
记下琐事。

Pretty much everyone’s memory is leaky. So help yourself. Write down what you need to do or shop for today. Write down your ideas before they fly away. Write down the one habit or area you are focusing on right now in your life and put that note where you can see it every day. Like on your bedside table or bathroom mirror.
很多人都容易忘事儿。所以,何不自己动手记下今天要做的事或要买的东西呢?记下一闪而过的灵感,记下当下生活中你正专注的习惯或领域,然后将便条贴在自己每天都能看到的地方,比如床头柜或浴室镜子上。

10. Breathe.
呼吸。

When you are stressed, lost in a problem or the past or future in your mind breathe with your belly for a minute or two and just focus on the air going in and out. This will calm your body down and bring your mind back into the present moment again. And it is actually sometimes enough to just do this for a 20-30 seconds to create remarkable effect inside of yourself.
当你紧张焦躁、为某个问题或过去及将来纠结不已时,请做一两分钟腹式呼吸吧。让思绪停留在呼气与吸气之间。这能让你的身体放松下来,让你的思绪重新回到此时此刻。有时候,哪怕只是20-30秒的时间,也能使你焕然一新呢。