How to Simplify Your Life: Reduce Mental Load and Make Space for What Matters

Have you ever had one of those days where nothing particularly dramatic has happened, yet by the end of it you feel completely exhausted?

You've answered messages, remembered an appointment, organised dinner, put the washing on, thought about tomorrow, remembered something you forgot yesterday, checked your emails and made a mental note to book something.

And suddenly your brain feels like it has 47 tabs open.

Many of us have become incredibly good at managing full lives.

But sometimes the answer isn't to become better at managing everything.

Perhaps we need less to manage.

What is mental load?

Mental load is the ongoing cognitive effort involved in planning, remembering, organising and keeping track of everyday life.

It's not necessarily one big stressful event.

It can be the accumulation of hundreds of small things:

• What am I making for dinner?

• Did I put the washing on?

• When do the sheets need changing?

• Have I packed lunch?

• I need to reply to that email.

• I must remember to make that appointment.

• What time do I need to leave tomorrow?

None of these tasks are particularly difficult.

But collectively, they take up mental space.

And when your brain is constantly occupied with small decisions and reminders, there can be less capacity left for rest, creativity, connection and simply being present.

Simplifying your life can reduce decision fatigue

One of the simplest ways to reduce mental load is to remove unnecessary decisions.

This is where routines can be incredibly helpful.

I love routines — not because I want every minute of my life scheduled, but because routines allow some decisions to be made once rather than repeatedly.

In my own life, for example:

• Saturday is towel-washing day.

• Sunday is sheet-changing day.

• Sunday is when I prepare lunches for the week.

• Walking every day is non-negotiable.

I don't have to wake up each Saturday and decide when I'm going to wash the towels.

The decision has already been made.

And while each individual decision seems insignificant, reducing dozens of these little decisions throughout the week can make everyday life feel lighter.

The goal isn't to make your life rigid.

It's to make the things that don't need your attention require less of it.

Where can you make space?

Simplifying your life doesn't mean throwing everything away or completely changing your lifestyle.

Start small.

1. Make space in your home

Decluttering your physical environment can be a surprisingly powerful place to begin.

Look at one cupboard, drawer, wardrobe or shelf.

Ask yourself these questions:

Do I use this?

Do I need this?

Does this add something positive to my life?

If the answer is no, perhaps it is time to let it go.

The goal isn't a perfectly minimalist home.

It's creating an environment that feels easier to live in.

2. Make space in your calendar

Take a look at your commitments.

Is there something you've agreed to that you don't actually want to do?

Something you could do less frequently?

Something you could say no to?

Our time is finite.

You don't have to fill every available space in your calendar.

An empty afternoon isn't wasted time.

Sometimes it is exactly what your nervous system needs.

3. Make space in your mind

Our minds are constantly exposed to information.

Emails.

Notifications.

Social media.

News.

Podcasts.

Messages.

To-do lists.

Other people's opinions.

Even when our bodies are resting, our minds may still be processing information.

Creating periods of quiet can therefore be an important part of stress management and mental wellbeing.

You might try:

• five minutes of meditation

• a walk without your phone

• drinking your morning coffee without scrolling

• turning off unnecessary notifications

• a screen-free period before bed

• journaling

• a few minutes of slow, conscious breathing

You don't need to empty your mind.

The goal is simply to give your mind moments when it isn't constantly reacting to the next thing.

4. Make space through simple routines

Think about the recurring tasks that create friction in your week.

Could you:

• prepare lunches in advance?

• batch cook a few meals?

• have a regular grocery shopping day?

• create set laundry days?

• establish a simple morning routine?

• establish an evening wind-down routine?

• put frequently used items in the same place?

A routine doesn't have to be complicated.

In fact, the best routines are often the simplest ones.

When something becomes habitual, you don't have to continually use mental energy deciding when and how to do it.

Don't turn simplifying into another productivity project

This is important.

Making space isn't about becoming more productive.

I don't want you to create more space so that you can immediately fill it with more things.

That's the trap.

We clear the calendar and then book something else.

We create a spare hour and fill it with emails.

We declutter the cupboard and then go shopping.

We make our lives more efficient so we can fit even more into them.

Instead, what if some of that space was allowed to stay empty?

What if an empty afternoon didn't need to become productive?

What if sitting quietly was enough?

What if ten minutes in the garden, a cup of tea or a slow walk didn't need to have an outcome?

Sometimes rest is the point.

Making space for your wellbeing

Yoga can be one way of creating this kind of space.

When we step onto the mat, we are temporarily stepping away from the demands of everyday life.

We move.

We breathe.

We notice.

We create a little distance from the constant stream of information and responsibilities.

Meditation and breathwork can offer another opportunity to pause and reconnect with ourselves.

And sometimes a yoga practice doesn't need to be vigorous or long.

A few minutes of mindful movement, breathing or stillness can be enough to interrupt the momentum of a busy day.

The aim isn't to add another task to your already-full schedule.

It's to create a moment where you don't have to do anything except be present.

What could you take off your plate?

This week, rather than trying to simplify your entire life, choose one thing.

One drawer.

One commitment.

One recurring decision.

One digital distraction.

One part of your week that always feels chaotic.

Then ask yourself:

Can I simplify this?

Can I remove it?

Can I automate it?

Can I delegate it?

Can I create a routine around it?

Or perhaps it doesn't need to be done at all.

Because sometimes the most powerful form of self-care isn't adding another wellness practice to your life.

It's taking something away.

Less clutter.

Less deciding.

Less rushing.

Less remembering.

Less carrying.

And perhaps, in that space, we find a little more room to breathe.

A little more room to rest.

A little more room to be present.

And a little more room for the things that really matter.

A final thought

I believe yoga is one of the most underrated tools we have to support individual and community wellbeing.

Not because yoga is another thing we should add to an already-full life.

But because it can give us something we are increasingly short of: space.

Space to move.

Space to breathe.

Space to notice.

Space to reconnect.

And space to simply be.

What could you take off your plate this week?

This article is part of the Sparkling Soul Yoga “Make Space” series - exploring simple ways to create more space in your home, mind, body and everyday life.