How Simplifying Can Help You De-Stress
Once you get the hang of minimalist principles and begin incorporating them into your life, you’ll discover you experience far less stress than you once did. That’s because you’ve discovered what matters most to you and have put your principles into practice. There are a number of ways that simplifying can help you de-stress. Take a look at just a few of my favorites.
Less Visual Clutter
When there are items cluttering your space and strewn all over the room, the mess can have a negative impact on your state of mind. Seeing these things clutters your mind, as well as your physical environment. This can lead to stress. On the other hand, a room that’s free of visual clutter allows you to feel calm and concentrate on the important tasks you have at hand.
Increased Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a buzzword in personal development circles these days. It’s the state of being present in the moment and accepting what you’re feeling and experiencing without question or criticism. Once you begin to embrace minimalism and prioritize the things you allow into your life, you’ll notice that you’re more mindful and more at peace. You’re accepting of yourself and your circumstances, without second guessing or worrying that you should be doing something different. There’s less competition or fear of missing out.
Understanding of What Matters
By learning to prioritize, you’ll soon begin to really get a sense of what you need, what brings you joy, and what you can live without. This is a very liberating feeling, and it frees you from a lot of stress. You gain confidence when you know what you want in life, so you no longer worry quite as much about what others are doing. You also learn self-control and that you can turn down what doesn’t serve you. And when you understand that what you have is enough, you also develop a genuine sense of peace. There’s nothing more stress relieving than that.
Self-Discovery
Finally, you get to know yourself quite well once you start to figure out what matters most to you. Deciding what to hold onto and what to let go of is difficult. You really have to examine your values. This self-examination continues with each decision regarding what to buy, how to spend your time, and other such daily dilemmas. Your newfound self-discovery also increases your self-esteem. You’ll worry about far less when you know yourself and feel confident in your choices.
Minimalism really can contribute to lessening the stress in your life. See what kinds of changes you notice in your mental state and attitude as you pursue this journey.
