Real Simple - Real Simple The Power of Less

The Power of Less

Contents

Give yourself a time-out

Tips for turning down requests tactfully

Build a healthy relationship with your devices

Tame your email

Get your point across gracefully, on any platform

Simple moves for big impact

The definitive guide to taking care of your stuff

Smart strategies for reducing waste

Say I do to a sustainable celebration

These recipes prove that less really is more

How to throw less away and save money

A neater home in less time

Help your kids find joy with fewer things

Curateand discardwithout hurting anyones feelings

Which products you can keep and which to pitch

Get your home in tip-top shape with a daily to-do

The art of letting go of emotionally charged stuff

How the organizing trend helped a family find calm

Marie Kondos method

Vice President, Editor in Chief Liz Vaccariello

Creative Director Emily Kehe

Executive Editor Rory Evans

Executive Managing Editor Lavinel Savu

Photo Director Muzam Agha

Deputy Editor Anna Maltby

Deputy Photo Editor Lawrence J. Whritenour Jr.

The Power of Less

Editorial Director Kostya Kennedy

Editor Rich Sands

Art Director Lan Yin Bachelis

Photo Editor Robert Conway

Writers Ingela Ratledge Amundson, Lisa Armstrong, Sarah Cottrell, Grace Elkus, Catherine Ryan Gregory, Petra Guglielmetti, Gerrad Hall, Caylin Harris, Marjorie Ingall, Cady Lang, Charlotte Lieberman, Pam LeBlanc, Jennifer King Lindley, Anna Maltby, Melanie Mannarino, Dawn Perry, Maggie Puniewska, Kate Rockwood, S. Jhoanna Robledo, Stephanie Sisco, Ariana Speyer, Rachel Sylvester

Copy Editor Ben Ake

Reporter Stephanie Abramson

Premedia Trafficking Supervisor Jacqueline Beard

Color Quality Analyst Jill M. Hundahl

MEREDITH SPECIAL INTEREST MEDIA

Vice President & Group Publisher Scott Mortimer

Vice President, Group Editorial Director Stephen Orr

Vice President, Marketing Jeremy Biloon

Executive Account Director Doug Stark

Director, Brand Marketing Jean Kennedy

Associate Director, Brand Marketing Bryan Christian

Senior Brand Manager Katherine Barnet

Editorial Director Kostya Kennedy

Creative Director Gary Stewart

Director of Photography Christina Lieberman

Editorial Operations Director Jamie Roth Major

Manager, Editorial Operations Gina Scauzillo

Special thanks: Brad Beatson, Melissa Frankenberry, Samantha Lebofsky, Joseph McCombs, Kate Roncinske, Laura Villano

MEREDITH NATIONAL MEDIA GROUP

President, Meredith Magazines Doug Olson

President, Consumer Products Tom Witschi

President, Chief Digital Officer Catherine Levene

Chief Revenue Officer Michael Brownstein

Chief Marketing & Data Officer Alysia Borsa

Marketing & Integrated Communications Nancy Weber

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS

Consumer Revenue Andy Wilson

Corporate Sales Brian Kightlinger

Direct Media Patti Follo

Research Solutions Britta Cleveland

Strategic Sourcing, Newsstand, Production Chuck Howell

Digital Sales Marla Newman

The Foundry Matt Petersen

Product & Technology Justin Law

VICE PRESIDENTS

Finance Chris Susil

Business Planning & Analysis Rob Silverstone

Consumer Marketing Steve Crowe

Brand Licensing Steve Grune

Corporate Communications Jill Davison

Vice President, Group Editorial Director Stephen Orr

Director, Editorial Operations & Finance Greg Kayko

MEREDITH CORPORATION

President & Chief Executive Officer Tom Harty

Chief Financial Officer Joseph Ceryanec

Chief Development Officer John Zieser

Chief Strategy Officer Daphne Kwon

President, Meredith Local Media Group Patrick McCreery

Senior Vice President, Human Resources Dina Nathanson

Chairman Stephen M. Lacy

Vice Chairman Mell Meredith Frazier

e-ISBN: 978-0-84870-157-4

Copyright 2019 Meredith Corporation

Published by Meredith Corporation

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Chapter 1

STRESS LESS AND FIND FREE TIME

CLEARING OUT SPACE IN YOUR HEAD CAN TRULY LEAD TO A MORE BALANCED, ORDERLY, AND PRODUCTIVE LIFE.

Chapter 2

USE LESS,WASTE LESS

FEEL THE BENEFITS OF LIVING WITH AN ECO-FRIENDLIER FOOTPRINT.

Chapter 3

HAVE LESS CLUTTER

LEARN TO LET GO OF UNNECESSARY POSSESSIONSAND VALUE THE THINGS YOU KEEP.

Find More Alone Time (Without Being Lonely)

THERE ARE PROVEN BENEFITS TO SPENDING TIME BY YOURSELF. LEARN TO GIVE YOURSELF A TIME-OUT THAT FEELS LIKE A RESTORATIVE TREAT, NOT A SACRIFICE.

By Melanie Mannarino

If YOURE ONE OF THE RARE PEOPLE who like spending time by themselves, enjoy this article as validation of your natural instincts. If, on the other hand, youre among those who would rather endure physical pain than spend time alone with your thoughts (true story: in a 2014 study published in Science , many of the participants preferred to give themselves electric shocks rather than spend 6 to 15 minutes by themselves with nothing to do), wed like to change your mind about solitude.

People who value their alone time are often accused of being antisocial, aloof, or just plain weird. But recent research has uncovered positive benefits of solo time. Studies show people feel rejuvenated when they are alone, says Julie Bowker, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at the University at Buffalo in New York whose 2017 study revealed that unsociabilitydefined as deliberately withdrawing from social situations and choosing to be alonewas linked to an increase in creativity.