When life feels out of balance and chaotic, it’s easy to see work as a major contributor to the overwhelm you feel. After all we spend a large part of our weekly lives at work, on the way to work, thinking about work, etc… To add to our frustration is the limitations on what we can change at work. Though we can influence things, we typically don’t have direct control over other people’s bad behavior and dysfunctional tendencies. Bottom line we can’t force other people to change, but we can change our own thoughts, behaviors and actions in order to create better life balance.

One of the changes that can decrease the overall amount of overwhelm you feel is finding ways to simplify things at home and at work.

Admittedly, simplification can feel like an overwhelming task within itself. The amount of stuff we accumulate at work and at home can look like too much to tackle. But the payoff to simplifying can be huge – saving time and or money. And just creating a more peaceful and practical workspace all together.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to simplify all at once. You can take it one-step and one day at a time until you’ve conquered the mountain. You’ll get there eventually, and you may even enjoy yourself along the way. In the end, you’ll discover that less is actually more.

Try these strategies to help simplify your life at work and at home:

1. List your top priorities. Create a small list of the most important four or five things that you want to accomplish at home or work. What are your priorities? Where do you most want to devote your attention? Keep this small list in a place where you can see it often to keep your goals top of mind.

2. Drop one of your commitments. Find a commitment that takes up your time without giving you much value. Perhaps it’s a work task you volunteered to do but has limited potential to help your career. Or maybe it’s a group or activity outside of work that you something you dread being a part of or simply no longer enjoy. Take action today by dropping that commitment from your load.

3. Start with a single drawer. Choose a single drawer or shelf in your home or work space to begin your purge with. Empty everything out of the area into a single pile; then select only the important stuff you really want to keep. Get rid of everything else, either by throwing it away or donating it.

* Clean out the drawer, simplify it, and organize it, and then you have your foundation for a simpler and more organized life. Ensure that everything remaining is put back in an orderly manner. From here, you can try another drawer or shelf.

4. Simplify daily routines. Take a look at your daily routines and to-do list. If you’re trying to fit more than 10 tasks into your list for a day, chances are it’s to much. What can you eliminate, delegate, outsource, or even ignore? Shorten your list as often as you can by focusing on what really matters.

5. Free up time for you. Simply put: Find at least 20 minutes each day when you can focus on self-care. Can you take a walk, listen to music, take a cat-nap. Without the space needed to take care of your self, you will bump into burn out sooner than you think.

6. Clean up your desk. A less cluttered desk and work space can completely change how you’re feeling. Here’s a simple process you can use: Clean everything off your desk, creating a pile. Process your pile from the top down, one object at a time. Deal with each item individually. File it, route it to somewhere else, note it on a list of to-do items, or trash it.

* Repeat the process until your desk is clear and your pile is empty. Complete this process at the end of every day so that your desk is always clean, organized, tidy, and most of all, simple. If you do this daily, it will take you only a few minutes each time.

7. Slow down. Stop rushing through the day and start living at a slower pace. Walk, drive, eat, and even work more slowly. Practice being in the present and living in the moment. Not only will you find there’s more to appreciate around you- you will also find more opportunities to get what you want out of life and work.

8. Avoid multi-tasking. Research has shown that multi-tasking is not as efficient as many of us think. Rather than multi-tasking, strive to do one thing at a time. Remove any distractions, resist the urge to check your email, and do just one task at a time until you complete it. This will increase your focus, boost your productivity and reduce stress.

By working on simplifying your life at work and home, you are proactively creating more balance. Even small steps toward consciously simplifying at work and at home can have a big impact on the amount of overwhelm lurking over your shoulder.