September 10, 2025 • 21 mins
"Happiness is an inside job," declare the English Sisters in this refreshing exploration of how simplifying our complicated lives leads directly to greater joy. Rather than proposing grand lifestyle overhauls, they focus on practical, accessible adjustments anyone can implement today.
The conversation begins with our most fundamental life process – breathing. Through simple techniques like the 6-6-6 method (inhale for six, hold for six, exhale for six), we can reset our nervous systems and create islands of calm throughout hectic days. This serves as a powerful metaphor for the entire simplification journey: sometimes the most transformative changes come from returning to basics.
Financial peace emerges as a cornerstone of the simplified life. The sisters candidly discuss how social obligations often trigger unnecessary spending that compounds stress rather than relieving it. From automation of bills to honest conversations about financial boundaries, they offer practical strategies to eliminate the background anxiety that money worries create. A particularly vivid anecdote about an ill-fated restaurant meal perfectly illustrates how skipping simple preparations can lead to both financial waste and unnecessary frustration.
Perhaps most valuably, the conversation tackles the delicate art of relationship curation. The sisters propose a thoughtful approach to evaluating which connections consistently enhance your life versus those that consistently drain it. Their recommendation? Reflect on how you've felt after your last ten interactions with someone to identify patterns rather than making impulsive decisions about important relationships.
Throughout the episode, the underlying philosophy remains clear: while we cannot control life's inherent uncertainties, we can create systems and habits that provide stability amid chaos. By intentionally simplifying what's within our control, we create mental and emotional space to navigate complexity with greater resilience and joy.
What simple pleasure brings you the most happiness? Share your thoughts in the comments or join the conversation on our growing YouTube channel!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
How to simplify life and be happy.
Yay, that's what we all reallywant, isn't it?
I think so.
Well, I do.
I like a simple life.
I like a happy life.
Well, I think we all do, don'twe?
We really don't want anover-complicated, chaotic
existence, unless it's perhapsjust for a very short period of
(00:22):
time.
Yeah, so that's what we'regoing to be chatting about in
this week's episode of get realwith the english sisters.
And, of course, a simple lifeand a happy life relieves
anxiety and stress, doesn't it?
Absolutely, absolutely deepbreath.
(00:44):
I think one of the ways tosimplify life is just to breathe
breathe properly.
How many of us don't breatheproperly?
Yeah, how many of us.
It sounds ridiculous, doesn'tit?
But it's a shallow breathingthat can sort of, you know,
really make you feel anxious,can't it?
(01:08):
And and it's it's because whenyou are anxious, you will tend
to have that kind of shallowbreath that's sort of like very
superficial, isn't it?
Yeah, and I think the shallowbreathing does just make
everything seem so much morecomplicated than it really is,
because I don't think we getenough oxygen to our, to our
(01:29):
brain and our body, right?
Yeah, so, but if we want tothink about it, so, apart from
being able to, you know, sort oflike, take a deep breath every
every hour or so, I wouldrecommend, you know, throughout
the day, becoming a bit moremindful about your breathing and
, yeah, just stopping a minutejust to take three deep breaths.
(01:50):
You know they've got thosebreathing apps now and
everything with a little ballthat you can follow it.
They're actually quite good,you know, they're useful.
If you're going to be lookingat your screen anyway, you might
as well look at that and andand do a few exercises.
Literally takes about 60seconds, 90 seconds, and you
(02:11):
know, follow that little balland or follow what you know the,
the whole routine through ofthe deep breath in and then
holding and then releasing it.
You know it's like when youtake your blood pressure, they
do tell you hang on a second,take it, and then do it.
You know it's like when youtake your blood pressure, they
do tell you hang on a second,take it, and then do the three
deep breaths.
Whenever I do that, that alwaysmakes my blood pressure go
(02:31):
higher.
You know I'm thinking aboutthat's weird because my husband
last night I said take the threedeep breaths and it made it
higher.
So I don't know about that.
I just know that if you justclose your eyes and you breathe
in and count to seven, then holdfor seven or six, and then
breathe out and count to six,you'll feel a lot better and
(02:54):
just close your eyes and thinkabout something that makes you
feel good, whether it's theocean waves or the smell of
freshly cut grass, whatever itis, yeah, it's a cup of hot
coffee and watching the steamcome off it, or your favorite
drink, having a laugh with yourfriends.
Just do that while you'rethinking about the breathing
(03:16):
breathing for six, out, hold forsix and out for six.
You'll feel a lot better.
You will.
So I think that's because I dothink that, uh, happiness is an
inside job.
You can't get happiness from anyany one thing in particular.
It's, uh, it's, it's, it's a,it's a feeling, isn't it?
It's how you, how serene andcomfortable.
(03:38):
And you are right, yeah, it is.
It's definitely an inside job.
Yeah, because you could be inthe best place.
You know it's supposed to bethe happiest place in the world,
where everyone else is havinggreat fun, and you know it's
supposed to be, but you're justnot.
You're not feeling it.
Yeah, so it is.
It definitely is inside.
(04:00):
Yeah, it's, you're right aboutthat.
I think also another thing thatto simplify, how to simplify
your life is learn to say no,that's, I mean, it's so, it's
such a given, isn't it?
It is, but how many of usactually do it?
How many of us say no to thosetoxic relationships, as toxic
(04:20):
colleagues or friendships thatwe have that just make us feel
worse?
Oh gosh, all right, yeah,definitely.
You've got to say no.
I mean like, do you want tocome out in the evening and have
a drink with me, and you knowyou're going to be finishing
work, and then you're in a bitof a rush and then you want to
get home because you want to dothings that are going to make
(04:41):
you feel good, but then you feelsorry for that person.
You think, yeah, sure, allright, and you end up going to
make you feel good, but then youfeel sorry for that person.
You think, yeah, sure, right,and you end up going with them,
you know, for a drink or for acoffee, whatever it is, and then
you're like you probably didn'teven want, you didn't want to
do it in the first place, so itdoesn't make you feel good and
you might have even had to payfor something you didn't want to
(05:03):
pay for.
You know you might have evenhad to pay for something you
didn't want to pay for.
You know you might be drinkingsomething you did not want to
drink and you do all of this.
Why, why, why, why, why, why doyou do it?
Obligations, social obligations.
You think it's the right thingto do.
You can get out of these things.
You can be really nice and givethem a really lovely smile, say
(05:26):
you know what I really can't dothis.
You know, at this moment,because I've got to get back, I
want to spend time with myfamily, because it makes me feel
, you know, calm and whatever.
You can invent something youcan't.
You don't need to invent, don'tthey?
They say you should just beable to say no, but it is very
difficult sometimes.
So if you have like a politeexcuse, you don't need to invent
, don't they?
They say you should just beable to say no, but it is very
difficult sometimes.
So if you have like a politeexcuse, I don't think there's
(05:49):
anything wrong with it.
No, you can't just say no.
Come on, people are alwayssaying that you have to be
assertive and say no.
I really need time for myselftoday.
Yeah, that takes courage,though, saying that I just
really want to go home and putmy PJs on.
You know some people I've saidthat before and people really
appreciate it and they may say,yeah, I want to do the same
actually.
Yeah, yeah, I have said that,but obviously it depends what
(06:12):
context.
We know, you know, we knowsometimes it can appear rude or
sometimes you can't, you can't.
It's like somebody that's aboveyou in your job or whatever.
You know and you think.
But what you were just sayingbefore about you know,
financially as well, you mightnot want you to go out, of
course, on health reasons,financially, it might be a
(06:34):
financial burden on you and whenyou're simplifying your life,
that's what you also have tothink about is simplifying your
finances.
So, because finances, ifthey're very complex or you're
spending too much, can cause somuch stress and anxiety to you.
Yeah, but if you simplify andyou just say, no, okay, I've got
enough money to go out, sayonce a week or zero a week,
(06:57):
whatever it is, you have tothink, um, prioritize that and
no, actually I don't want to goout and spend all this money
with you because I want to beable to spend that, whatever
amount it is, at the weekendwith my partner or my family,
exactly if I'm going to bespending, like, simplify, yeah,
50 euros, 50 pounds or whatevernow with you at the pub, yeah,
(07:18):
because, like in england, youknow, it's quite traditional to
do those kind of things or goout for an aperitif, or here in
Italy where in the end, you'regoing to be spending 35, 40
euros, you know, whatever thecurrency is, that might have
been your, you know, savedamount that you were planning to
(07:38):
spend this weekend and thenthat's going to make you feel
bad as well.
So you're not simplifying yourlife in that way.
Complicating you arecomplicating your financial life
as well, and finances are, likewhat you say, gigantic part of
being able to simplify life andbeing happy and being happy.
Yes, because if you have afinancial burden, it's it's
(08:00):
actually quite difficult to behappy.
Yeah, you know it's much moreof a struggle if you feel that
you haven't got your financesunder control and that you're
not.
You know you may have debt, butif you've got that debt under
control and you're paying it offevery month, you can feel
serene.
Yes, because we all have somekind of debt anyway.
Yeah, but if you know it'sunder control, you're going to
(08:21):
be feeling a lot calmer and it'sgoing to make your life a lot
more simple.
But if you are overspending ordoing things that you really
don't get pleasure from and justdoing it because it's like the
social or they're reallyacceptable yes, exactly, they're
impulsive you might actuallyget pleasure from.
You think, sure, I'd love to goout for a drink with you.
Hey, come on, I'll go out for adrink, but then afterwards
(08:42):
that's that's going to cause youanxiety or might cause, you
know, a situation at home thatmight lead into like some kind
of a fight.
So you know that yourrelationship's not going to
suffer from that.
Yeah, because you might havesomeone at home that was waiting
for you and thinking why areyou overspending?
Yeah, why did you just that forthe weekend?
(09:03):
Exactly, you know, and why dothat?
You know there are things youcan do to simplify your life.
You know you can carry a waterbottle around instead of having
to buy water all the time andalways thinking you're thirsty.
For example, bring your packedlunch.
Yeah, you can take that insteadof, you know, getting to the
(09:25):
last moment when you're starvingand buying.
Now that you're saying aboutpacked lunch.
I mean, I've had things likethat.
Sometimes, when you have a verycomplicated life, you you feel
as if you can't make a packedlunch.
I know because you've got somuch on and your mental load is
so, you know, so strong and so,so heavy that you can't say oh,
(09:49):
no, no, that you know, I didthat the other day.
That would kill me to be ableto make my patelage.
I can't, I just can't do thatnow, I can't handle it.
So you did it the other day, Idid it the other day, but it
made it even worse because whathappened is that we didn't I
didn't have any food.
I I got really hungry.
I had to.
I went to this coffee shop, Ihad a pastry and then that was
(10:11):
okay for a couple of hours, butthen the day was long, until it
was like till 7pm and I gotstarving again.
So I went to this other placeto try and find some food and I,
we ordered this food, me and myhusband, and it was disgusting.
There was a hair in it.
I know it was disgusting, therewas a hair in it.
(10:31):
I know it was horrible.
It was one of those, like youknow, those restaurants where
you just get the tray and youwalk along.
Yeah, there was a hair in it.
So it was the whole experience.
I thought, god, I never, neveragain will I do that.
No one thing is if it's yourown hair when you're preparing
your own look.
My husband was trying tojustify, saying it's your hair.
(10:52):
I go, look, it's long and it'sblack.
My hair is curly and it's brown.
It's a different.
I'm sorry, darling, that's notmy hair, you know.
So, anyway, he was trying tobecause he wanted to eat it.
Poor thing, in the end we hadto leave it.
We ended up spending all that.
You know it wasn't much money,but hey, it was like 30 euros.
(11:15):
There was for somethingdisgusting and I thought, god, I
should have.
Just, you know, I should havejust grabbed a can of tuna, yeah
, tuna, or all that.
What's that other fish that welike?
Now, that's healthy for you, um, mackerel, mackerel or
something.
I just I didn't.
(11:36):
I didn't feel as if I wanted todo that, no, because.
So that's another point.
If you have got a clutteredlife and you want to simplify,
another thing is to like stockup, so buy things like cans of
tuna or mackerel in stuff thatyou like, yeah, stuff that you
know is healthy and good for you, and have it, that you can just
take it.
So you can always just pop oneof those in your, in your, in
(11:59):
your bag when you're leaving forwork, yeah, and then you know
you've, you've got that that youcan eat afterwards.
So it's not much fun, becausethe reason why I didn't take it
is because I didn't have anysalad or anything.
So I thought where am I gonnaeat this?
You can still pour that on aplate and eat it as a little
snack.
And if you had a little bit ofbread to go with it, yeah, no,
(12:21):
no, I didn't.
No, I didn't have the plate.
I would.
I would have had to open it athome, stuff it in a little
tupperware.
No, you have the thing, forthere is because you have a
place at work where you can dothat.
You have to take little platesand that and keep them there.
No, yeah, I know.
Yeah, exactly the place of work.
I couldn't do it because we hadthe workers up there.
That's the only reason.
(12:43):
Unusual situation, but ingeneral you can do things, you
can get organized, even if youfeel as if you can't.
It's a tip to simplifying yourlife three deep breaths and meal
prep.
So you've got the stuff thatyou're going to need for your
lunches.
And even sometimes it doesn'thave to be awkward stuff that's
really difficult to make on theday or whatever.
(13:03):
It's easy, simple stuff canjust be your leftovers you had
from the day.
Honestly, it would have beenbetter if we just gone to a
supermarket and bought one ofthose salads that you, that you
know, those ready-made saladsthat you can just open and eat.
That would have been better,and you would have probably got
your toilet paper and otherstuff that you would have been
able to have for exactly.
Yeah, but the thing is that whenyou're tired, you don't feel
(13:25):
like going to the supermarketand looking for stuff.
I know, I know.
I thought, no, I'm too tired.
Yeah, you want to sit down andget served.
It's yeah, that's a problem,but that is a key to simplifying
your life and being happier.
Sometimes it's, yeah, doingthings In advance.
In advance.
It's like you put the washingmachine on at night so that in
(13:50):
the morning you can hang yourclothes out, so that the next
day they'll be dry and clean andyou've got them for work.
Otherwise, yeah.
Another tip is to you know,prepare what you need for work,
what you're going to wear theday before, and just hang it out
so that you've got it ready, soyou don't have to be rushing
around looking for your clothesand well, especially if it's
something important, like youknow you're gonna you've got
(14:10):
something that you want, even ifit isn't anything.
Well, I agree, even if it'sjust jeans, it's not.
You've got them, they're cleanand they're ready.
You have to put them on and youknow where they are.
You don't have to be fumblingaround.
I know that makes it so mucheasier.
Uh, I was also thinking aboutthings like bills as well.
Simplify your bills.
Put them on auto so they paystraight off, things like that
(14:36):
and also reduce your bills,because we have so much
clattering bills.
We've got so many subscriptionswe're not even using half of us
.
Oh right, oh, I see what youmean by that.
Yeah, things that are just likeyeah, you know what you've got
your your.
You've forgotten to cancelsomething.
You're paying for it.
You're you're not watching aservice, a tv service, or
(14:57):
something you're using.
So simplifying that as well.
That'll make you a lot happier.
Well, that's definitely made mylife easier now, ever since I
take my meals with me to workmost of the time, except for one
day, and sort of gettingorganized there taking my own
water.
I know that might sound silly.
No, it's not silly, because I'mthirsty all the time.
(15:18):
I'm having to go off and buywater.
I find that you know it could.
It's not silly, yeah, buy water.
I find that you know it couldnot silly, yeah, and you know,
and making sure that the washingis always done in the evening,
I put that on in, you know it's.
There are simple tips like that,yeah, and then I think as well
is like enjoying those simplepleasures.
So like, if you enjoy having acup of coffee at your favorite
(15:39):
coffee shop, definitely, youknow, go for it and enjoy it.
I love it, and you know, payfor that, whatever it is, and
it's going to cost you more thanmaking it yourself or putting
it in a flask.
But if that's what's giving yougreat pleasure in that moment,
do it.
You know, yeah, definitely,definitely that will make you,
but you budget for that, don'tyou?
(16:00):
Yeah, yeah, your life a lothappier and simpler as well.
Well, yeah, I don't know aboutsimpler, but definitely you
don't you, yeah, yeah, your lifea lot happier and simpler as
well.
Well, yeah, I don't know aboutsimpler, but definitely you
don't have to go and prepare thecoffee in the morning.
But if you're one of thosepeople that takes great pleasure
in preparing your flask, youknow, go for it and take it.
Take it with you, definitely.
(16:20):
So you want to simplify things.
You want to, you know, simplifyyour finances, simplify your
meals, your friends, and makesure that you're getting good,
healthy food into your body.
Friendships as well, you know.
You know prioritize, yeah, youknow you've got one life and and
(16:43):
you're thinking do I want tospend two hours with this person
?
But, but, you know, sometimesyou think you don't and then you
enjoy it.
Yeah, so what?
You know, we don't want carefulwith that one.
You have to be careful, yeah,you're right, but I think you
have to do otherwise.
You have to do a little surveyand say the last 10 times I saw
that person, did it make me feelgood?
(17:03):
Did I get something?
Yes, that's correct.
You know if it's always no, no,no, and I felt terrible and
awful afterwards.
Well, yeah, just start weaning,weaning yourself off.
Bravo, yeah, that's so true.
Yeah, the last time, give it.
Give it like a proper, do alittle study on it.
You know a proper thing, notjust say no, I can't be bothered
(17:24):
.
Well, they're there or not.
If the poor person is goingthrough a rough time and they're
, you know they're reallyoverburdened and you're like
their support, you know, don'tjust abandon them.
No, no, no, definitely.
You can also compromise if theywant to go out and chat over
coffee say, and not coffee say,over drinks in the evening, and
it's going to cost you 50 quidsaying, look, why don't you come
(17:47):
over to mine?
And while you're, while you'rethere, you know we'll have a cup
of tea and then I, and then,and then at the same time, you
can start putting your dinner onor whatever for the evening.
Yes, yes, and you can stilloffer comfort.
But then but it's not likeweighing you down yes, yeah,
yeah, yeah, totally, becauseyou're still getting your stuff
that you wanted to do done,you're not spending any extra
(18:09):
money.
And you're, you know, you'resimple, or like you know like
what you do with your daughter,like she's in London, you're in
Italy, you both walk on thetreadmill together, so you're
getting your exercise in.
She's getting her ex, I thinkshe walks home from work, home.
Yeah, but you're like that'sthe kind of a way of simplifying
your life, because otherwiseyou would have to just be
sitting down and chatting withher, because you know, sometimes
(18:31):
you know you would you lovechatting to her but I could be
doing other things as well.
But I mean I could be likemaking my dinner if I wanted to.
Yeah, yeah, I mean it's a goodway of me getting my exercise in
, where I would maybe be lazyabout it, but I know that she's
walking and I, so I think, oh,yeah, I'll walk as well.
Yeah, so you're kind ofsimplifying that part of your.
(18:53):
You know your gym routine,aren't you?
Yeah, definitely killing twobirds with one stone, as they
say in england.
Yeah, because I'm getting mygym done and life is already
complicated enough as it is.
That's the thing, isn't it?
There are things that happen tous that are unexpected.
There's so many you know it's,so you don't really know, do you
(19:16):
?
We're in a constant state ofreally not knowing what's going
to occur to us and what's goingto occur to us and what's going
to happen, and there isuncertainty.
So that if we can simplify thosekind of easy basic things, yeah
, I think it can be really,really helpful, I think.
So to simplify them into youknow, and remember to breathe.
(19:42):
Yeah, yeah, remember to breathe.
Sounds ridiculous, but I knowit's one of those things that
you tend to forget how easy itis.
Yeah, definitely, just take awalk as well.
That's a good one always tohelp you think.
Go outside for a few moments.
(20:03):
Yeah, they actually say thatbeing in large spaces outside
sort of opens up your thoughts.
That's why it's actually goodto be outdoors, because it like,
yeah, and I think that's whyit's good to declutter your home
as well, so you haven't got toomuch stuff around, gosh, yeah,
look at the stuff I've got inhere.
This is the room where we work.
(20:24):
It's not my stuff, no, no, no,I'm good about decluttering my
stuff.
He's like a hoarder with hisstamps and stuff.
Goodness me, if you saw whatwas in here, you'd be like
thinking, gosh, it's like packedon the shelves, but at least
it's all on the shelves, most ofit.
Most of it, yeah, because Idon't let him have boxes,
(20:45):
otherwise he would have it onthe floor.
You just stock them up, gosh.
Anyway, let us know what youthink.
Do you find if you live a moresimple life with simple
pleasures, it's easier.
I think most of us would.
Yeah, if you've got any tips onhow to you simplify your life
and that could be from you knowanything, basic things, just
(21:09):
really simple things we'd loveto know.
We would.
So let us know in the commentsor send us a text.
And come and see the video onyoutube too.
Subscribe to our youtubechannel, which is growing lots
of love and smiles from theenglish sisters.
How to simplify life and be happy.
Yay, that's what we all reallywant, isn't it?
I think so.
Well, I do.
I like a simple life.
I like a happy life.
Well, I think we all do, don'twe?
We really don't want anover-complicated, chaotic
existence, unless it's perhapsjust for a very short period of
(00:22):
time.
Yeah, so that's what we'regoing to be chatting about in
this week's episode of get realwith the english sisters.
And, of course, a simple lifeand a happy life relieves
anxiety and stress, doesn't it?
Absolutely, absolutely deepbreath.
(00:44):
I think one of the ways tosimplify life is just to breathe
breathe properly.
How many of us don't breatheproperly?
Yeah, how many of us.
It sounds ridiculous, doesn'tit?
But it's a shallow breathingthat can sort of, you know,
really make you feel anxious,can't it?
(01:08):
And and it's it's because whenyou are anxious, you will tend
to have that kind of shallowbreath that's sort of like very
superficial, isn't it?
Yeah, and I think the shallowbreathing does just make
everything seem so much morecomplicated than it really is,
because I don't think we getenough oxygen to our, to our
(01:29):
brain and our body, right?
Yeah, so, but if we want tothink about it, so, apart from
being able to, you know, sort oflike, take a deep breath every
every hour or so, I wouldrecommend, you know, throughout
the day, becoming a bit moremindful about your breathing and
, yeah, just stopping a minutejust to take three deep breaths.
(01:50):
You know they've got thosebreathing apps now and
everything with a little ballthat you can follow it.
They're actually quite good,you know, they're useful.
If you're going to be lookingat your screen anyway, you might
as well look at that and andand do a few exercises.
Literally takes about 60seconds, 90 seconds, and you
(02:11):
know, follow that little balland or follow what you know the,
the whole routine through ofthe deep breath in and then
holding and then releasing it.
You know it's like when youtake your blood pressure, they
do tell you hang on a second,take it, and then do it.
You know it's like when youtake your blood pressure, they
do tell you hang on a second,take it, and then do the three
deep breaths.
Whenever I do that, that alwaysmakes my blood pressure go
(02:31):
higher.
You know I'm thinking aboutthat's weird because my husband
last night I said take the threedeep breaths and it made it
higher.
So I don't know about that.
I just know that if you justclose your eyes and you breathe
in and count to seven, then holdfor seven or six, and then
breathe out and count to six,you'll feel a lot better and
(02:54):
just close your eyes and thinkabout something that makes you
feel good, whether it's theocean waves or the smell of
freshly cut grass, whatever itis, yeah, it's a cup of hot
coffee and watching the steamcome off it, or your favorite
drink, having a laugh with yourfriends.
Just do that while you'rethinking about the breathing
(03:16):
breathing for six, out, hold forsix and out for six.
You'll feel a lot better.
You will.
So I think that's because I dothink that, uh, happiness is an
inside job.
You can't get happiness from anyany one thing in particular.
It's, uh, it's, it's, it's a,it's a feeling, isn't it?
It's how you, how serene andcomfortable.
(03:38):
And you are right, yeah, it is.
It's definitely an inside job.
Yeah, because you could be inthe best place.
You know it's supposed to bethe happiest place in the world,
where everyone else is havinggreat fun, and you know it's
supposed to be, but you're justnot.
You're not feeling it.
Yeah, so it is.
It definitely is inside.
(04:00):
Yeah, it's, you're right aboutthat.
I think also another thing thatto simplify, how to simplify
your life is learn to say no,that's, I mean, it's so, it's
such a given, isn't it?
It is, but how many of usactually do it?
How many of us say no to thosetoxic relationships, as toxic
(04:20):
colleagues or friendships thatwe have that just make us feel
worse?
Oh gosh, all right, yeah,definitely.
You've got to say no.
I mean like, do you want tocome out in the evening and have
a drink with me, and you knowyou're going to be finishing
work, and then you're in a bitof a rush and then you want to
get home because you want to dothings that are going to make
(04:41):
you feel good, but then you feelsorry for that person.
You think, yeah, sure, allright, and you end up going to
make you feel good, but then youfeel sorry for that person.
You think, yeah, sure, right,and you end up going with them,
you know, for a drink or for acoffee, whatever it is, and then
you're like you probably didn'teven want, you didn't want to
do it in the first place, so itdoesn't make you feel good and
you might have even had to payfor something you didn't want to
(05:03):
pay for.
You know you might have evenhad to pay for something you
didn't want to pay for.
You know you might be drinkingsomething you did not want to
drink and you do all of this.
Why, why, why, why, why, why doyou do it?
Obligations, social obligations.
You think it's the right thingto do.
You can get out of these things.
You can be really nice and givethem a really lovely smile, say
(05:26):
you know what I really can't dothis.
You know, at this moment,because I've got to get back, I
want to spend time with myfamily, because it makes me feel
, you know, calm and whatever.
You can invent something youcan't.
You don't need to invent, don'tthey?
They say you should just beable to say no, but it is very
difficult sometimes.
So if you have like a politeexcuse, you don't need to invent
, don't they?
They say you should just beable to say no, but it is very
difficult sometimes.
So if you have like a politeexcuse, I don't think there's
(05:49):
anything wrong with it.
No, you can't just say no.
Come on, people are alwayssaying that you have to be
assertive and say no.
I really need time for myselftoday.
Yeah, that takes courage,though, saying that I just
really want to go home and putmy PJs on.
You know some people I've saidthat before and people really
appreciate it and they may say,yeah, I want to do the same
actually.
Yeah, yeah, I have said that,but obviously it depends what
(06:12):
context.
We know, you know, we knowsometimes it can appear rude or
sometimes you can't, you can't.
It's like somebody that's aboveyou in your job or whatever.
You know and you think.
But what you were just sayingbefore about you know,
financially as well, you mightnot want you to go out, of
course, on health reasons,financially, it might be a
(06:34):
financial burden on you and whenyou're simplifying your life,
that's what you also have tothink about is simplifying your
finances.
So, because finances, ifthey're very complex or you're
spending too much, can cause somuch stress and anxiety to you.
Yeah, but if you simplify andyou just say, no, okay, I've got
enough money to go out, sayonce a week or zero a week,
(06:57):
whatever it is, you have tothink, um, prioritize that and
no, actually I don't want to goout and spend all this money
with you because I want to beable to spend that, whatever
amount it is, at the weekendwith my partner or my family,
exactly if I'm going to bespending, like, simplify, yeah,
50 euros, 50 pounds or whatevernow with you at the pub, yeah,
(07:18):
because, like in england, youknow, it's quite traditional to
do those kind of things or goout for an aperitif, or here in
Italy where in the end, you'regoing to be spending 35, 40
euros, you know, whatever thecurrency is, that might have
been your, you know, savedamount that you were planning to
(07:38):
spend this weekend and thenthat's going to make you feel
bad as well.
So you're not simplifying yourlife in that way.
Complicating you arecomplicating your financial life
as well, and finances are, likewhat you say, gigantic part of
being able to simplify life andbeing happy and being happy.
Yes, because if you have afinancial burden, it's it's
(08:00):
actually quite difficult to behappy.
Yeah, you know it's much moreof a struggle if you feel that
you haven't got your financesunder control and that you're
not.
You know you may have debt, butif you've got that debt under
control and you're paying it offevery month, you can feel
serene.
Yes, because we all have somekind of debt anyway.
Yeah, but if you know it'sunder control, you're going to
(08:21):
be feeling a lot calmer and it'sgoing to make your life a lot
more simple.
But if you are overspending ordoing things that you really
don't get pleasure from and justdoing it because it's like the
social or they're reallyacceptable yes, exactly, they're
impulsive you might actuallyget pleasure from.
You think, sure, I'd love to goout for a drink with you.
Hey, come on, I'll go out for adrink, but then afterwards
(08:42):
that's that's going to cause youanxiety or might cause, you
know, a situation at home thatmight lead into like some kind
of a fight.
So you know that yourrelationship's not going to
suffer from that.
Yeah, because you might havesomeone at home that was waiting
for you and thinking why areyou overspending?
Yeah, why did you just that forthe weekend?
(09:03):
Exactly, you know, and why dothat?
You know there are things youcan do to simplify your life.
You know you can carry a waterbottle around instead of having
to buy water all the time andalways thinking you're thirsty.
For example, bring your packedlunch.
Yeah, you can take that insteadof, you know, getting to the
(09:25):
last moment when you're starvingand buying.
Now that you're saying aboutpacked lunch.
I mean, I've had things likethat.
Sometimes, when you have a verycomplicated life, you you feel
as if you can't make a packedlunch.
I know because you've got somuch on and your mental load is
so, you know, so strong and so,so heavy that you can't say oh,
(09:49):
no, no, that you know, I didthat the other day.
That would kill me to be ableto make my patelage.
I can't, I just can't do thatnow, I can't handle it.
So you did it the other day, Idid it the other day, but it
made it even worse because whathappened is that we didn't I
didn't have any food.
I I got really hungry.
I had to.
I went to this coffee shop, Ihad a pastry and then that was
(10:11):
okay for a couple of hours, butthen the day was long, until it
was like till 7pm and I gotstarving again.
So I went to this other placeto try and find some food and I,
we ordered this food, me and myhusband, and it was disgusting.
There was a hair in it.
I know it was disgusting, therewas a hair in it.
(10:31):
I know it was horrible.
It was one of those, like youknow, those restaurants where
you just get the tray and youwalk along.
Yeah, there was a hair in it.
So it was the whole experience.
I thought, god, I never, neveragain will I do that.
No one thing is if it's yourown hair when you're preparing
your own look.
My husband was trying tojustify, saying it's your hair.
(10:52):
I go, look, it's long and it'sblack.
My hair is curly and it's brown.
It's a different.
I'm sorry, darling, that's notmy hair, you know.
So, anyway, he was trying tobecause he wanted to eat it.
Poor thing, in the end we hadto leave it.
We ended up spending all that.
You know it wasn't much money,but hey, it was like 30 euros.
(11:15):
There was for somethingdisgusting and I thought, god, I
should have.
Just, you know, I should havejust grabbed a can of tuna, yeah
, tuna, or all that.
What's that other fish that welike?
Now, that's healthy for you, um, mackerel, mackerel or
something.
I just I didn't.
(11:36):
I didn't feel as if I wanted todo that, no, because.
So that's another point.
If you have got a clutteredlife and you want to simplify,
another thing is to like stockup, so buy things like cans of
tuna or mackerel in stuff thatyou like, yeah, stuff that you
know is healthy and good for you, and have it, that you can just
take it.
So you can always just pop oneof those in your, in your, in
(11:59):
your bag when you're leaving forwork, yeah, and then you know
you've, you've got that that youcan eat afterwards.
So it's not much fun, becausethe reason why I didn't take it
is because I didn't have anysalad or anything.
So I thought where am I gonnaeat this?
You can still pour that on aplate and eat it as a little
snack.
And if you had a little bit ofbread to go with it, yeah, no,
(12:21):
no, I didn't.
No, I didn't have the plate.
I would.
I would have had to open it athome, stuff it in a little
tupperware.
No, you have the thing, forthere is because you have a
place at work where you can dothat.
You have to take little platesand that and keep them there.
No, yeah, I know.
Yeah, exactly the place of work.
I couldn't do it because we hadthe workers up there.
That's the only reason.
(12:43):
Unusual situation, but ingeneral you can do things, you
can get organized, even if youfeel as if you can't.
It's a tip to simplifying yourlife three deep breaths and meal
prep.
So you've got the stuff thatyou're going to need for your
lunches.
And even sometimes it doesn'thave to be awkward stuff that's
really difficult to make on theday or whatever.
(13:03):
It's easy, simple stuff canjust be your leftovers you had
from the day.
Honestly, it would have beenbetter if we just gone to a
supermarket and bought one ofthose salads that you, that you
know, those ready-made saladsthat you can just open and eat.
That would have been better,and you would have probably got
your toilet paper and otherstuff that you would have been
able to have for exactly.
Yeah, but the thing is that whenyou're tired, you don't feel
(13:25):
like going to the supermarketand looking for stuff.
I know, I know.
I thought, no, I'm too tired.
Yeah, you want to sit down andget served.
It's yeah, that's a problem,but that is a key to simplifying
your life and being happier.
Sometimes it's, yeah, doingthings In advance.
In advance.
It's like you put the washingmachine on at night so that in
(13:50):
the morning you can hang yourclothes out, so that the next
day they'll be dry and clean andyou've got them for work.
Otherwise, yeah.
Another tip is to you know,prepare what you need for work,
what you're going to wear theday before, and just hang it out
so that you've got it ready, soyou don't have to be rushing
around looking for your clothesand well, especially if it's
something important, like youknow you're gonna you've got
(14:10):
something that you want, even ifit isn't anything.
Well, I agree, even if it'sjust jeans, it's not.
You've got them, they're cleanand they're ready.
You have to put them on and youknow where they are.
You don't have to be fumblingaround.
I know that makes it so mucheasier.
Uh, I was also thinking aboutthings like bills as well.
Simplify your bills.
Put them on auto so they paystraight off, things like that
(14:36):
and also reduce your bills,because we have so much
clattering bills.
We've got so many subscriptionswe're not even using half of us
.
Oh right, oh, I see what youmean by that.
Yeah, things that are just likeyeah, you know what you've got
your your.
You've forgotten to cancelsomething.
You're paying for it.
You're you're not watching aservice, a tv service, or
(14:57):
something you're using.
So simplifying that as well.
That'll make you a lot happier.
Well, that's definitely made mylife easier now, ever since I
take my meals with me to workmost of the time, except for one
day, and sort of gettingorganized there taking my own
water.
I know that might sound silly.
No, it's not silly, because I'mthirsty all the time.
(15:18):
I'm having to go off and buywater.
I find that you know it could.
It's not silly, yeah, buy water.
I find that you know it couldnot silly, yeah, and you know,
and making sure that the washingis always done in the evening,
I put that on in, you know it's.
There are simple tips like that,yeah, and then I think as well
is like enjoying those simplepleasures.
So like, if you enjoy having acup of coffee at your favorite
(15:39):
coffee shop, definitely, youknow, go for it and enjoy it.
I love it, and you know, payfor that, whatever it is, and
it's going to cost you more thanmaking it yourself or putting
it in a flask.
But if that's what's giving yougreat pleasure in that moment,
do it.
You know, yeah, definitely,definitely that will make you,
but you budget for that, don'tyou?
(16:00):
Yeah, yeah, your life a lothappier and simpler as well.
Well, yeah, I don't know aboutsimpler, but definitely you
don't you, yeah, yeah, your lifea lot happier and simpler as
well.
Well, yeah, I don't know aboutsimpler, but definitely you
don't have to go and prepare thecoffee in the morning.
But if you're one of thosepeople that takes great pleasure
in preparing your flask, youknow, go for it and take it.
Take it with you, definitely.
(16:20):
So you want to simplify things.
You want to, you know, simplifyyour finances, simplify your
meals, your friends, and makesure that you're getting good,
healthy food into your body.
Friendships as well, you know.
You know prioritize, yeah, youknow you've got one life and and
(16:43):
you're thinking do I want tospend two hours with this person
?
But, but, you know, sometimesyou think you don't and then you
enjoy it.
Yeah, so what?
You know, we don't want carefulwith that one.
You have to be careful, yeah,you're right, but I think you
have to do otherwise.
You have to do a little surveyand say the last 10 times I saw
that person, did it make me feelgood?
(17:03):
Did I get something?
Yes, that's correct.
You know if it's always no, no,no, and I felt terrible and
awful afterwards.
Well, yeah, just start weaning,weaning yourself off.
Bravo, yeah, that's so true.
Yeah, the last time, give it.
Give it like a proper, do alittle study on it.
You know a proper thing, notjust say no, I can't be bothered
(17:24):
.
Well, they're there or not.
If the poor person is goingthrough a rough time and they're
, you know they're reallyoverburdened and you're like
their support, you know, don'tjust abandon them.
No, no, no, definitely.
You can also compromise if theywant to go out and chat over
coffee say, and not coffee say,over drinks in the evening, and
it's going to cost you 50 quidsaying, look, why don't you come
(17:47):
over to mine?
And while you're, while you'rethere, you know we'll have a cup
of tea and then I, and then,and then at the same time, you
can start putting your dinner onor whatever for the evening.
Yes, yes, and you can stilloffer comfort.
But then but it's not likeweighing you down yes, yeah,
yeah, yeah, totally, becauseyou're still getting your stuff
that you wanted to do done,you're not spending any extra
(18:09):
money.
And you're, you know, you'resimple, or like you know like
what you do with your daughter,like she's in London, you're in
Italy, you both walk on thetreadmill together, so you're
getting your exercise in.
She's getting her ex, I thinkshe walks home from work, home.
Yeah, but you're like that'sthe kind of a way of simplifying
your life, because otherwiseyou would have to just be
sitting down and chatting withher, because you know, sometimes
(18:31):
you know you would you lovechatting to her but I could be
doing other things as well.
But I mean I could be likemaking my dinner if I wanted to.
Yeah, yeah, I mean it's a goodway of me getting my exercise in
, where I would maybe be lazyabout it, but I know that she's
walking and I, so I think, oh,yeah, I'll walk as well.
Yeah, so you're kind ofsimplifying that part of your.
(18:53):
You know your gym routine,aren't you?
Yeah, definitely killing twobirds with one stone, as they
say in england.
Yeah, because I'm getting mygym done and life is already
complicated enough as it is.
That's the thing, isn't it?
There are things that happen tous that are unexpected.
There's so many you know it's,so you don't really know, do you
(19:16):
?
We're in a constant state ofreally not knowing what's going
to occur to us and what's goingto occur to us and what's going
to happen, and there isuncertainty.
So that if we can simplify thosekind of easy basic things, yeah
, I think it can be really,really helpful, I think.
So to simplify them into youknow, and remember to breathe.
(19:42):
Yeah, yeah, remember to breathe.
Sounds ridiculous, but I knowit's one of those things that
you tend to forget how easy itis.
Yeah, definitely, just take awalk as well.
That's a good one always tohelp you think.
Go outside for a few moments.
(20:03):
Yeah, they actually say thatbeing in large spaces outside
sort of opens up your thoughts.
That's why it's actually goodto be outdoors, because it like,
yeah, and I think that's whyit's good to declutter your home
as well, so you haven't got toomuch stuff around, gosh, yeah,
look at the stuff I've got inhere.
This is the room where we work.
(20:24):
It's not my stuff, no, no, no,I'm good about decluttering my
stuff.
He's like a hoarder with hisstamps and stuff.
Goodness me, if you saw whatwas in here, you'd be like
thinking, gosh, it's like packedon the shelves, but at least
it's all on the shelves, most ofit.
Most of it, yeah, because Idon't let him have boxes,
(20:45):
otherwise he would have it onthe floor.
You just stock them up, gosh.
Anyway, let us know what youthink.
Do you find if you live a moresimple life with simple
pleasures, it's easier.
I think most of us would.
Yeah, if you've got any tips onhow to you simplify your life
and that could be from you knowanything, basic things, just
(21:09):
really simple things we'd loveto know.
We would.
So let us know in the commentsor send us a text.
And come and see the video onyoutube too.
Subscribe to our youtubechannel, which is growing lots
of love and smiles from theenglish sisters.
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