“Simple pleasures are the last healthy refuge in a complex world.”
– Oscar Wilde
There is a beauty and freedom in the act of letting go. When we let go of material possessions, a space opens up within you. You are cleaning up the chaos to produce more order into your life. The less junk you own, the lighter you feel. Also, the emotional attachment that you had over the item dissipates. Here are a few points discussed in this podcast episode:
- I had a strong fascination with true story survival movies. Movies like Into the Wild, 127 Hours, On the Road, all spoke to me on a deep emotional level. I wanted to be like these people who broke out of their comfort zone. They did not buy expensive cars, Tv’s, and consume like the average person. They were seeking meaning and knew it was not in consumerism.
- Why does reducing clutter improve stress and anxiety? What is going on internally? Well, when we are moving from point A to point B and an obstacle presents itself, we immediately experience negative emotion. Something is obstructing our goal directed behaviour. A messy room is filled with obstacles. It requires more energy from our brains to navigate through that mess. The state of our home is a direct reflection of the state of our mind.
- 2 RULES to follow when beginning minimalism: 1) Is the item essential, nonessential, or junk? 2) Ask yourself: have you used this in the last 90 days? If not, will you use it in the next 90? If not, let it go.
- Start by picking ONE area of your room. Lay out all the things in that area onto your bed. Then ask yourself those questions I mentioned above.
- So many of believe that these things add value to our lives without realizing that when we let them go, we value the space and the lighter feelings that follow even more. Less is more.