Things I've tried quitting in the last three months

To make life better,
To like myself more than I do now,
Adopting new habits,
Or challenging myself to things I've never done before.

Those things are also very important.

Adding something from the current point.
That is surprisingly easy to start.

However, isn't it just as important
to quit things, to let things go?

Reducing something from the current point.
That is something you don't really notice unless you are conscious of it.

Since entering April,
in order to create some breathing room in my heart and life,
I've reflected on my life, and little by little,
I've started to "try quitting!" things.

I would like to introduce
my "tried quitting!" list.

I hope it serves as some kind of reference.
It will be a bit long, but I would be happy if you could
take a look at even just the items that interest you.

1. Quit using body soap

I love bath time.
I also really enjoy enjoying my favorite scents, like bath salts and shampoo.

In the midst of that, while looking to update my favorite body soap, I started to think that "soap" might be good too.

I found a favorite soap and started using it, and it feels very good to use. It's gentle and pleasant, and the scent is calming rather than artificial. I realized for the first time just how strong the scent of the body soap I had been using until now was.

By quitting body soap, I have fewer things.

"Body soap" and "facial cleanser"
→ Can be covered with just one soap.

There is less trash, and it doesn't take up space.
That is also a part I like.
It makes me feel refreshed.

I've written in detail about what kind of soap I bought in this article♪

2. Tried reducing basic skincare products

Skincare time is relaxation time.
It's also a fun time to think, "What kind of makeup should I do today?" using my favorite makeup tools.

That's how I am, but my care and makeup have changed to be simpler.


When that happens, I think my consciousness has naturally shifted from
"trying to eliminate"
"trying to hide"
my negative parts through skincare and makeup, to

"loving" myself as I am
"making the most of" the parts I like
through skincare and makeup.

✏️Items utilized
① Sunscreen emulsion
② Foundation that can be removed with soap

⇨ Things I was able to reduce
　✔︎ Makeup base
　✔︎ Emulsion (I do use it at night)
　✔︎ Cleansing (I do use it when I wear point makeup)

By the way, the sunscreen emulsion is from
"Elixir".

The foundation I use that can be washed off with soap is from naturaglace.

Both are comfortable to use and I like them.
So far, they suit my skin, so I hope to buy them again.

3. Stopped using a sink strainer

Ever since it started getting hot and humid, the smell of food waste and fruit flies have become noticeable. If you keep a sink strainer out, it inevitably starts to smell.
I had been worried about it for a long time and thinking of ways to deal with it, but I decided,
why not just get rid of it!

Once I stopped using a sink strainer, the sink became much tidier. It also became easier to wash dishes.

I drain the food waste, wrap it in a bag, and throw it away each time. It takes a little extra effort, but once you get used to it, it's no big deal.

The smell has also decreased significantly, making it much more pleasant.

4. Stopped using bath towels

Large bath towels.
Since I had been using them ever since I was a child, I used them as a matter of course, but they increase the amount of laundry and take time to dry.

I took the plunge and stopped using bath towels, switching to face towels instead.
As a result, it's stress-free and convenient.

As for what I did with the bath towels I was using, I thought it would be a waste to throw them away, so I cut them in two, sewed the edges with a sewing machine, and used them as face towels.
I don't want to be wasteful. I want to use what I can.

5. Stopped looking at recipes on my smartphone while cooking

When I tried a digital detox, I realized that I could actually cook without looking at recipes on my smartphone, so this is one of the things I stopped doing.

While cooking, my hands are often dirty, so looking things up on my smartphone is a hassle, and I also feel that looking up everything doesn't seem to help me learn, which I don't like.

When I try a new dish, I sometimes search for the recipe and memorize it beforehand, but basically, I have stopped looking at recipes while cooking.

I feel like my range of cooking has expanded, as I arrange the seasoning myself and come up with ways to use the ingredients I have in the fridge.

I wrote about my digital detox experience in detail in this article.

6. Stopped watching TV while eating

I have stopped watching TV during breakfast and lunch.

The reason I stopped is quite simple.

“Because I want to savor my meals carefully.”

When the TV is on, my attention inevitably focuses on it. I feel uncomfortable eating while having the TV on in the background, even when there is nothing I particularly want to watch.

When I focus only on eating without the TV on, I can truly taste the food. Each ingredient stands out. I have come to love the time spent chewing and savoring my meals.

However, as an exception, I sometimes watch baseball or the dramas my husband has recorded during dinner.

7. I stopped looking at my smartphone before going to sleep at night

On nights when I cannot fall asleep, I inevitably reach for my smartphone.
Even though I know full well that once I start looking at my phone, my brain will wake up and make it even harder to fall asleep.

On nights when I really cannot sleep, I have started getting out of bed to change my mood, sitting or lying on the sofa and reading a book for a while. As a result, my thoughts clear up, and I have been able to fall asleep more easily.

8. I stopped buying books

It used to be normal for me to click and buy books on Amazon without a second thought whenever I was interested in them.
I never hesitated to spend money on books and felt no guilt, so they just kept piling up.

When I look over my bookshelf, I see many books I only read once or cannot even remember the contents of. It feels like I was just satisfied with the act of buying them, and I feel like I have been unfair to the books.

What I decided:

Only books that truly leave an impression on my heart and
that I want to keep on hand“I will buy!”

Therefore, the books on my shelf are
all books that I want to cherish from now on.

I think that is a wonderful thing.

Now, I have started borrowing books from the library first
to carefully select the ones I like.

9. I stopped making task lists

I used to write down what I needed to do in a bulleted list in the morning, but it felt like a chore of “getting things done,” and I felt like the joy of enjoying each task was fading.

What do I want to do at that moment?

What do I want to do right now, in this moment?

I am currently pregnant, and this is a precious period where I am fortunate enough to have free time.
While facing my own heart, I am trying to cherish and act on what I feel like doing at that time.

—Reflection—

What I gained by quitting

First, by thinking, "What kind of things can I quit?"
I think it became an opportunity to re-examine my life.

Things I had been doing as a matter of course,
and things that had become unconscious habits,
were actually not necessary for me now,
or were sometimes the cause of my stress.
Even just realizing that was a big deal.

Just realizing that was significant in itself.

Also, by trying to quit things,
I was able to like my life more.
I was able to like the things around me more.

A simple and comfortable life.

A clear and serene mind.

To get even a little closer to that,
I try to focus on "trying to quit things."

Then, more than before,
I felt like I was able to like myself more.

I would like to post this article as an extra edition of "Trying out 50 things I want to do!"

I am doing more and more of the things I want to do here ❃