Over 30 years ago, a bestselling author wrote 'Simplify Your Life'. Her advice for living with less remains relevant today.

In the early 90s, Elaine St. James, who was decades ahead of the Marie Kondo era, wrote a bestseller about simplifying her life.

In her book "Simplify Your Life," St. James offers 100 ways to live simply and focus on what truly matters. Her advice includes living on half of your income, saving the rest, and simplifying your wardrobe. Despite being published in 1994, her ideas are still relevant today and have been recommended for wellness by experts.

St. James and her husband's approach to living simply involved reducing the level of comfort, eliminating the complexity, and minimizing the time demands of their lifestyle in the 1980s, as she described in her writing.

St. James offered four pieces of advice that align with current recommendations for a simpler way of life.

4 ways to simplify your life and 'enjoy the things that really matter'

1. Downsize where you can

St. James' book contains numerous suggestions for minimizing expenses and making the most of limited space. The first piece of advice she offers is to declutter your home by conducting a thorough search and disposing of any items that have not been used for a year or more.

"Disposing of it can involve various options: donating it to a friend, donating it to Goodwill, selling it at a consignment shop, selling it at a garage sale, or throwing it away in the dumpster," she wrote.

Her advice for downsizing didn't stop there; she also recommended moving to a smaller house that would be easily manageable to keep tidy but also comfortable and convenient for your needs. Similarly, St. James suggested considering driving a simpler car to lower insurance fees and car note payments.

2. Have a staycation

Taking a staycation can be a great idea even for avid travelers, as St. James encouraged people to try, stating that "some of the most fun and relaxing vacations my husband and I ever had we've taken at home."

You can either spend time in your actual home and start a hobby or deep clean your space, or you can follow St. James' example and explore different places within your local community.

St. James and her family spent a day exploring the art galleries and museums in their town, had picnics on the beach and in local parks, and felt a new sense of pride and familiarity with their surroundings.

3. Get a side hustle

St. James' advice #53 is to turn your hobby into your job, as exemplified by her friend Sandra who balanced her side hustle with her day job for years.

Sandra, after returning home from a trip to Italy, became passionate about sculpting and enrolled in classes. She continued her legal practice during the day but spent her evenings and weekends working with stone. Soon, she began selling her sculptures at local art shows.

4. Practice mindfulness

While the wellness industry has popularized mindfulness in recent years, St. James was advocating mindful practices as early as 1994.

Encouraging everyone to spend one day a month in solitude can help alleviate the tensions of everyday life and get us back in touch with what is real, as St. James wrote.

St. James encouraged people to concentrate on doing one task at a time instead of multitasking and doing nothing when they could. One of the easiest yet beneficial habits he recommended was taking time to observe the sunset.

""Every day, sunset and sunrise occur, providing an opportunity to pause and observe," she wrote."

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