H
ow often have you come
back from holiday feeling
recharged, only to lose the
benefit the moment you
return to reality? Do you
find yourself sighing “I need a break”
or “I want time to myself”? We live in
complex times and we can’t change
the world, only the way we live in it.
You don’t need to be a hermit to feel
Zen-like – tiny shifts in your routine
can lead to a more carefree existence.2
Chuck out what
you don’t need
Imagine no possessions, I wonder
if you can, John Lennon sang in his
iconic song Imagine. It’s easy to fall into
the trap of believing material thingsenrich our lives when really, the opposite
is true. When you declutter your home,
you free yourself up, so search your
house for anything you no longer need
to bin, sell or give away. Start with your
desk, then take it a room at a time.
DO IT Find a home for everything that
makes the cut. Clutter comes when
items don’t have a sensible place to be
stored. This will take time at first, but
will save hours of tidying and cleaning
in the long run.3
Focus on your footwear
And no, we’re not telling you
to go shopping for shoes! Zen
Buddhists advise “to look carefully at
what is under your own feet”. You can
tell a lot about a household by its
hallway, especially in Japan, where
it’s the custom to take shoes off when
arriving at a home. If you chuck yours
off and leave them in a heap, it’s a sign
of a jumbled-up mind that doesn’t know
what its next steps will be.
DO IT Line your shoes up neatly by the
front door. It only takes seconds, but ifOur ExpErts
ShunmYo maSuno,
author of Zen: The Art of
Simple Living, is a garden
designer, professor of
environmental design and priest
of a Buddhist temple in Japan.
BrIan GarDner’S
email newsletter no
Sidebar helps people
design a less cluttered
life at home and work.We all crave peace amid the hurly-burly of daily life, and our gurus tell
Christabel Smith how small changes can create the space you need
Ho w a
simple life
makes you happy
PhoToGraPh
getty ImageS
1
Start the day with
a clear mind
Imagine you’re in the middle of
vacuuming or ploughing through a long
to-do list on the computer when your
friend calls to suggest a walk in the park.
Your instant response may be to say
“I’m too busy”, but every time we declare
“I don’t have time”, our minds become
even more hectic and, deep down, we
get dispirited because we’re closing our
hearts to opportunity.
DO IT Set your alarm for 15 minutes
earlier than usual. Stand by a window
so you can see the sky. Lengthen your
spine, picturing a cord gently pulling
you upwards. Take slow breaths and
notice how your mind empties, making
it open for possibilities.