Minimalistic lifestyle can save you from the messy, disorganised, fast paced thing we nowadays call Life
Words: Vandana Devi Images: Various Sources
People are stuck in the rat race because every six months a new iPhone or a new Samsung Galaxy releases, car models get updated, the laptop you own becomes outdated and what not. Technology keeps us wanting more and more and that rat race you thought you escaped from when you landed that high salary job, is the now the new normal that you never really do get out from. Branded clothes become your prison, and your apartments and houses are stacked with things you don’t even need anymore. And one day you might end up sitting in the middle while it all collapses around you and when that metaphorical collapse does happen, you’re buried under the huge amount of things you own.
All is not lost however, there are ways to avoid this and we decided to see how. People around the world are turning to a minimalistic lifestyle that helps to declutter lives, and destress minds. So how do you go about this?
First prepare your mind for this task. You need to get rid of things you don’t need and this really does take a lot of commitment and mental strength. Through the years you might have accumulated things that you have absolutely no use for anymore; give them away. Maybe someone will benefit out of them and this will you an enhanced sense of satisfaction. The important thing is to start right away. If you feel stressed out, frustrated with how things are so disorganised, don’t put it away for another day; do it right away. This comes with the added advantage that you won’t give yourself too much time to doubt yourself. Declutter first your house, then your life and then eventually your mind.
Sell or give away physical things you don’t need and you will find more space for yourself. Don’t fill it up again with unnecessary things, give a lot of thought before you go shopping; ask yourself if you really need the thing you want to buy. Eventually this habit will become a part of you, you’ll learn to forgive and forget things so that it no longer bothers you and you will have enough space and energy to focus your attention on things that actually mean something to you.
Around the world, people are adopting minimalism. But don’t let the millennials fool you by saying it is something they came up with – even in 2nd century AD, Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius believed in the philosophy that supported living in minimalism. You will find many successful people have adopted this to focus more on their work – Christopher Nolan doesn’t own a mobile because he believes that it distracts him, Steve Jobs used to live in a house that had bare minimum furniture, Einstein owned very few pieces of clothing and gave away most of his money. In India too, many people who have adopted the minimalistic lifestyle and many have also begun to blog about it to spread their stories. Even Bollywood directors like Mansoor Khan who made the super hit film ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’ gave up everything from his life in Bollywood to move to Coonoor, in Nilgiri Hills to live an idyllic and simple life on the farm making cheese. Nana Patekar is yet another person from Bollywood who prefers leading a simple life with minimal material pleasures.
‘Less is More’ will be the mantra to live by if you choose to adopt this lifestyle. And the important thing to remember is that these are not rules you must follow. Adapt them to your own convenience but keep in mind that if you follow Aristotle’s idea of Eudaemonia, of doing and living well, then a minimalistic lifestyle will definitely help you in this fast paced world.