Minimalism: Reshaping My Life in 3 Key Ways

In this world of abundance where there is an overload of pretty much anything that we human beings need for a sustainable life, one tough challenge we face is sorting through the mess and figuring out what we actually need for a happy, healthy life. There’s so much noise around us that it’s tough to focus on what really matters. As time goes on, we gather a bunch of extra baggage that weighs us down, often without us even realizing it. But something feels off. We don’t feel light anymore. There’s always a worry in the background, a heaviness we all carry but hardly ever get a chance to let go of.

So, when can we actually make time to remove some of the extra stuff we’ve piled onto our lives that really isn’t helping us? How do we start letting go of those emotions that are making us feel tired? Well, the response varies from person to person, but here are three key areas in my life where I’ve attempted to simplify things. This way, I can figure out what truly matters and easily get rid of anything that’s better off not being a part of my life.

Before we dive in any further, I want to quickly point out that my first step in my minimalistic journey was getting rid of materialistic possessions. Because like many of us, when I started to utilise minimalism, I was tempted to determine my worth based off how little I own.

However, it was only later that I came to understand that this is just the beginning. There are other aspects of our lives that also need consideration and occasional simplification. That’s what I want to talk about here.

RELATIONSHIPS

Are relationships truly a case of “the more, the merrier”? Well, not according to my perspective. As I’ve matured, I’ve noticed that fewer individuals make a genuine effort to maintain connections, while an increasing number of “friends” have become nothing more than social media acquaintances.

One day, I took the time to review my entire social media list (this was before I deleted my Facebook account, but that’s a story for another time). As I looked through my extensive list of over 1000 contacts, I realised that the people who really counted, the ones I could rely on, were the ones who directly stayed in touch with me. Even if we didn’t chat often, I understood that if I ever needed something from any of them, using Facebook was definitely not the way I would reach out.

I “unfriended” more than 800 accounts as I had never exchanged a single word with them all these years, and I couldn’t find a reason to maintain that connection. The few hundreds left were definitely not all super close friends but they were still people I might want to connect with at some point in the future, each for their own reasons.

This exercise felt liberating in ways I had not imagined. Logging into FB since then felt more enjoyable and my feed felt more meaningful.

And for the ones that I truly care about – I make it a point to talk to each one them regularly and stay in touch as best as I can.

DIGITAL CONTENT AND CONSUMPTION

Pictures are great to take a screenshot of a particular moment and preserve it forever .Whenever I’m home, one of my favorite things to do is to go through our childhood photo album and reminisce about old times. What adds to its charm is that these are just a handful of treasured moments that have been frozen in time. Some are etched in my memory, while many have faded away.

However, nowadays, we find ourselves taking pictures of every little thing we do, every moment of the day. The problem is, when there’s an excess of something, even the special moments start to lose their significance because abundance tends to diminish value.

Every month, I make it a point to review my phone and Google account, deleting the majority of pictures that have fulfilled their purpose. The selected ones are meticulously organized and stored in my private storage, leaving my phone nearly as fresh as when I first got it. I can’t say if this approach suits everyone, but for me, it brings about a feeling of renewal.

I am also very conscious of how I spend the majority of my time when it comes to watching things. Naturally, I’m only human, so there are days when I engage in some aimless scrolling. Nevertheless, I put in a conscious effort and attempt to avoid content that doesn’t serve a purpose. I often ask myself whether there’s any value being added by what I’m viewing and if any aspect of my life is benefiting from it. If the answer happens to be NO, I immediately stop watching anything from that particular channel or account, and before I know it, such content no longer appears in my feed.

EVER TICKING THOUGHTS

This is a tricky one. Unlike the first two, I can’t just take a day to clear out all the extra thoughts and feel free in an instant (I really wish I could though!). This has been a gradual process for me. It’s something I’ve had to work on little by little every day, being intentional and patient. I can’t claim I’ve reached the ideal point yet, but I’m definitely making progress.

I think of myself as someone who tends to overthink, and I’ve always been that way. I get overly concerned about things that I can’t actually influence. One way I manage to calm myself when I catch myself getting lost in a storm of negative thoughts is by changing my focus. I deliberately stop the chain of thoughts and shift my attention to something entirely different. And usually, I don’t end up going back to those same thoughts.

Another technique I use involves being more aware of my thoughts, especially the negative ones. Before bed, I think back on the day and consider which thoughts dominated my mind. This simple review helps me realize how I’m using my valuable time on thoughts that don’t really matter. It’s like a way of understanding where I’m putting unnecessary energy.

As I mentioned, I haven’t completely perfected this approach, but I can already notice a big change in how I reflect on my days. I experience fewer days where negative thoughts dominate, because somehow, this practice is also shifting my mind towards more positive thoughts.

So there you go! Hopefully, I’ve caught you as you’re starting your journey into minimalism, and I’ve helped you realize that minimalism goes beyond just material things. It’s a continuous journey of reassessing what truly adds value to your life.

I would be delighted to read about any similar experiences or stories you would like to share.