How Can Minimalism Cure Anxiety?
Many believe that minimalism is only associated with deprivation, selling items and living bare minimum. Little do they know the beneficial impact on our mental health!
Anxiety is unfortunately a serious and extremely common mental condition that many suffer with in their everyday life. It is mainly characterised as extreme worry and fear that frequently occurs and appears for no discernible reason. It never comes with warning signs – in just a snap you’ll find yourself in a swirling storm of confusion and fear. It’s hard to control it when you are already in the middle of it. I myself have suffered from this and it can be incredibly scary!
Here are the common triggers of anxiety and how minimalism can help you cope:
Space
When your space is full of clutter and things that you don’t need, you are surrounding yourself with uninspiring things which can the invite anxiety in. Going minimal helps you bring back joy around your home or office by throwing away all the things that have a negative impact on you when in your presence.
For example think of your office desk – are your things organised enough for you to know that you can get to it whenever you need to? Or does it let anxiety in knowing you have no order?
Mental Clutter
Mental clutter are the things that keep running in your head and make you lose focus. Imagine our brain as a rubbish bin….. everything that has happened in the past, present and our future concerns are dumped inside it. Once it is full, it will overflow. Thoughts will be a bit hazy, you will struggle to remember things and the anxiety will creep in through the clutter and devour you. It will not let you eat, be productive or even sleep.
“A distracted mind is a powerless mind”`
One simple trick is to do a brain dump and put everything that is in your mind on paper.
Re-read each one and deal with it there and then. Strike-through the words that bring no value to you and focus on things that are important and urgent. Or simply just the things that will nourish your being and will make you happier!
Here are other tips that you might like:
20 One-Minute Tasks that Will Make You Instantly Happier
Financial Concern
Believe it or not, money is the number one cause of broken homes, broken relationships, and broken dreams.
It’s one of the major things that keeps us up at night scratching our heads. Debts, bills, and scarcity are the ladder of stress and anxiety in our life. It seems to be a never-ending struggle.
As you practice the minimalism lifestyle your focus is not on wants but only on the necessary – this helps you cut down the unnecessary expenses.
Here are two powerful questions you can ask yourself when shopping “Do I really need this?”; “Can I live without this?”
Social Life (Toxic Friends)
There are people in your life whom you usually hang out with but will always make you feel down, useless and corrupt your well-being. It affects not just your social life but your whole perspective towards life. These unhealthy relationships make you prone to anxiety and depression.
Minimalism helps you focus on things that will nourish your being. Don’t be afraid to lose long time people in your life that keep you from becoming the best version of yourself.
“Don’t let negative, toxic people rent space inside your head. Raise the rent and kick them out.”
Anxiety Habits
Anxiousness leads a person to sleep deprivation. Shifting sleeping schedules leads to unhappier mornings and unproductive days. By creating routines you will be able to form a habit that beats every trigger of anxiety.
Make your mornings more simplified by eliminating overwhelming decision. Anxiety is triggered when you think too much. Always plan the night before, your clothes, food, exercises and tasks to do. Break the bondage of unproductiveness and overwhelming thoughts by starting your day right.
When your vision is on the possessions that you do not have, you will see life in a negative motion. Don’t let material things steal your happiness and sap your energy to do important things. Hoarding will never satisfy you. It will only make you insecure and discontent. We can still live extravagantly by appreciating the fullness of life with less things.
Simplifying means decluttering all physical, mental, emotional, financial and spiritual baggages in our lives that leads to anxiety.
