introduction
Minimalism is a way of life that promotes simplicity, a reduction in clutter, and a focus on “what’s really important to you.” The goal of creating a simplified mental and emotional state by simplifying your home and/or workspace, in addition to clearing away any unnecessary distractions, creates mental focus and emotionally peaceful thinking.
Your simplified home or workspace allows you to be more focused on your other priorities and reduces your stress level while also (improving/decreasing) how easily you make decisions. Eliminating, therefore, overwhelming sensory stimuli for yourself by implementing minimalism.
Not only will practicing minimalism increase your overall focus and productivity, but it will also create a calmer mind and body, ultimately resulting in greater overall well-being. Understanding how minimalism will impact your state of mind can serve as an inspiration for small and practical lifestyle changes to live a calmer, more intentional life.
Mental Clutter Explained
Digital overload is a state of overwhelm caused by the gazillion notifications, messages, statuses, and pieces of information being sent and received constantly through all forms of technology—the smartphones, tablets, and computers; they are ALL over the place! It’s hard enough when you’re trying to concentrate or relax as you’re being bombarded by so many distractions.
All of this information creates a constant stream of information and connectedness to the outside world, leading to feelings of fatigue, stress, decreased ability to concentrate, decreased ability to produce high-quality work, and overall decreased productivity.
Digital overload also causes decision fatigue. When we are inundated with too many choices and options, our brains become tired and are thus unable to process the information presented to us efficiently. As a result, digital overload affects our ability to sleep, receive emotional support, and obtain our overall mental well-being. Minimalism encourages intentionality in our use of technology. Eliminating unnecessary clutter from our digital lives and implementing a mindfulness approach to using technology will help eliminate digital overload.
Implementing one or more of the following strategies will reduce the digital clutter in your digital environment: Turn off your non-essential notifications; Limit your time on social media, and Organize your Digital Files in a way that works for you; Schedule a device-free period each day! Controlling the amount of time spent “plugged in” to digital technology will result in clearing space in your brain for the things/tasks/events that are most important to you, which will result in less stress when trying to work/complete a task, more focus on completing important tasks/being productive, more time for creativity, and improved overall mental health.
Understanding the Impact of Digital Overload and Implementing a Minimalistic Lifestyle will help Improve Focus/Balance and Improve Quality of Your Life in Today’s Highly Connected World.
Simplifying Environment
There are many benefits to having simpler living and working spaces, including a reduction in stress and an increase in your ability to focus. Clutter in your living or working environment creates stress and confusion while also being overwhelming to people’s minds.
Supporters of minimalism believe that simplifying the physical aspects of your life (e.g., removing unnecessary belongings or decluttering your living/working environment) should be done so that you can create more space for things that are of value or are meaningful to you. Creating a simplified physical living/working environment allows the individual to process information more efficiently. Additionally, a simplified environment creates a more focused environment.
A cleaner, more organized, and distraction-free environment creates an atmosphere that will be conducive to mental clarity. Decluttering your desk(s), storing or getting rid of items that you don’t use or need, and arranging things in an intentional way can all greatly affect how efficiently your mind processes information. Simplifying your living/working environment can also develop a sense of mindfulness, as individuals start to recognize what they need and want in their lives.
Over time, a simplified living/working environment will create less stress, greater productivity, and an overall enhanced state of being. By intentionally designing your physical space to promote functionality and peace of mind, people using a minimalistic lifestyle can create a physical environment conducive to focus, mental peace, and living an intentional lifestyle.
Psychological Benefits
Psychology has psychological benefits that will positively affect your mental health. You can experience these benefits through a variety of activities, including exercise, kind acts towards others, and therapy.
The psychological benefits of these types of activities include reduced stress, anxiety, and depression; improved moods; increased self-esteem; and higher levels of cognitive functioning (memory and attention). Additionally, regular physical activity can help you to get better sleep and create stronger connections with family and friends, ultimately contributing to increased life satisfaction and resilience by helping you gain perspective on how to deal with your feelings and emotions.
Key Psychological Benefits of Psychological Exercise
Improving Mood: Exercise produces pleasurable feelings because of the endorphins released into the bloodstream, while kind acts of kindness activate reward centers in the brain.
Reducing Stress & Anxiety: Establishing routines and engaging in physical exercise lowers levels of stress and gives individuals more control over their anxious thoughts by helping them understand and accept their feelings.
Increasing Self-Esteem & Confidence: Setting and achieving fitness goals helps build your sense of value and body image, which can be important for developing self-esteem.
Improving Cognition: Engaging in physical activity increases your brain function, while psychological programs improve critical-thinking skills, develop memory abilities, and provide a source of exercise for your body and mind.
Improving Sleep Quality: Creating routine patterns for sleeping and exercising creates healthier sleep habits.
Creating Strong Connections: Participating in activities with others and performing acts of kindness leads to building positive relationships, which lowers levels of depression.
Controlling Emotions: Utilizing therapy and being self-aware of your feelings allows you to recognize and respond positively to challenging emotions and habits of behavior and helps provide new insights into your challenges.
Starting Minimalism
To begin, minimalism is to have a clear purpose of downsizing everything in your life, from your possessions to your habits, and decreasing the amount of things you buy because you do not need them. Defining your purpose (e.g., why you want to be a minimalist, like less stress, more money, or freedom/focus) and reminding yourself regularly will help you stay on track.
Start Small and Simple: You don’t have to go from complete clutter to total minimalism overnight. Pick one small space in your home that you use daily (like your closet, desk, or kitchen cabinets) and start there.
Then, work your way through your entire home until everything is decluttered.
Value: Ask yourself this question when you are decluttering:
“Does this item give me (or anyone) value or joy?”
If it does not, then get rid of it. Taking this approach to decluttering will ensure that you only keep items that add true value or joy to your life.
Conclusion
Minimalism provides clarity and the ability to think clearly, as well as a greater ability to concentrate (or focus). By eliminating or creating less clutter in physical space, as well as reducing commitments and distractions, people can create an atmosphere of calmness and productivity in their lives.
Minimalism reduces levels of stress and anxiety; this frees cognitive resources for use when pursuing meaningful tasks and priorities. Psychologically, minimalism supports greater emotional well-being, better decision-making (because we have fewer distractions), enhanced mindfulness about the present moment, and ultimately provides business owners (and everyone) with increased control over daily activities and the times that we spend on activities.
Minimalism can begin with relatively small, yet intentional actions such as decluttering, organizing, breaking down the chaotic nature of our day-to-day plans, and managing social media (in terms of digital distractions).
When you start to consciously pursue a minimalist lifestyle, it gives you the ability to live intentionally and to concentrate on what is truly important for you: your goals and relationships. Because of this, with consistency, the cumulative positive impact of adopting a minimalist lifestyle will lead to an overall balanced lifestyle, improved clarity of mind, and the potential for improved overall productivity.
By using minimalism, it is possible to successfully eliminate distractions, focus on what is truly important, and gain a greater sense of calmness and purposefulness in everything we do. Embracing minimalism not only frees up space in our home or office environment, but it also promotes greater health, clearer thinking, and more focused minds in the people who practice or adopt it.
