How Minimalism Reduces Stress

or as long as it’s been around, minimalism has been widely misinterpreted as sacrificing the good things in life simply for the sake of it. But this is far from true. Minimalism is better described as valuing yourself over material objects, allowing you to enjoy what you have and not worry about what you don’t.

One of the great things about minimalism is that you can decide just how much you want to incorporate it into your life. Sure, you can go live in the woods and wear the same shirt every day, but it’s far from necessary. Simply being mindful of the fundamentals of minimalism can go a long way in reducing stress – something we all need in this day and age.

Less Clutter

One of the first things that anyone does when getting into minimalism is decluttering. In other words, getting rid of what doesn’t add value to your life. Having a living space filled with unnecessary stuff leads to a great deal of stress and anxiety. Start with a simple clean-up job and take some time to think about what you really need and what’s just lying around collecting dust.

Less Wardrobe Decisions

With the fast-fashion industry giving us more clothing than we can ever wear, our wardrobes are quickly becoming filled with unnecessary amounts of stuff. This has lead to the rise of decision fatigue; the theory that having more decisions to make in the morning impacts our ability to make wise decisions throughout the rest of the day.

By taking a minimalist approach to what you wear, choosing your outfit for the day is no longer a time and effort-draining decision. A good way to start would be to invest in clothing that is versatile, functional and made to last.

For example, a $500 jacket that lasts forever and matches more outfits has way more value than an obscure $100 jacket that wears out in a year. This also applies to your accessories.

Why have a pair of glasses that you’re embarrassed to wear in public or don’t provide UV ray protection, when you can invest in a pair such as these Calvin Klein eyeglasses that serve all the necessary functions in one package?

In the end, a simple and effective wardrobe that doesn’t need to be replaced all the time can go a long way in reducing stress in your life.

More Money and Time

Fast food, yearly smartphone upgrades, designer jewelry, alcohol, lottery tickets… we buy a lot of stuff that we don’t need to and more often, shouldn’t buy. Once you develop the habit of not relying on these luxuries for their short-term benefits, you’ll stop taking an interest in them altogether. This leaves you with more money, which directly correlates to less stress.

Conclusion

It’s not only money, time and effort that you’ll be saving. In fact, minimalism does a lot more for you than most people think. Once you no longer have a layer of material objects distracting you, finding yourself becomes easier, allowing you to focus on what really matters in life. And there’s no telling just how great this can be for you, so give it a shot.

To read more on topics like this, check out the life style category.