Today is National Relaxation Day and if any lifestyle helps you to relax- it’s minimalism. Here’s why…
And relax...
You have more time for relaxing: It’s a simple equation- the less time you spend on buying, tidying and thinking about acquiring stuff- the more headspace you have to explore the things that truly relax you. This could be reading a good book, taking a walk or going for a picnic with your kids.
You can relax in your home: When you enter your space, you no longer see a long list of to-dos. Cleaning is simple, there is nothing to declutter and take to the charity shop and you don’t feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things you own. Your home is exactly the way you want it to be and therefore you can come back from wherever you have been and just relax into it.
You can relax in other people’s company: Before, you might have felt uneasy if you couldn’t keep up with others and their purchases- but now- those things don’t matter to you anymore. You can drown out the competitive conversation altogether or listen and it won’t affect you the way it once did.
You can relax during typical times of stress: When the sales start, in the lead up to Christmas or birthdays and when new and improved ‘must-have’ gadgets hit the market. There is no reason to panic buy now because you think long and hard about your purchases and don’t get sucked into the pressure of buying something before it sells out.
You can relax your rules: You may have had self-imposed rules like ‘I must have a new outfit for every new function I go to’ or ‘I must have a new phone when I am due for an upgrade’, or ‘I need to buy a piece of jewellery to match every outfit I own’. You don’t need to do any of these things and minimalism teaches you to let go of the rules you’ve obeyed for years.
You can relax in your relationships: Guess what? You don’t need to buy things to show your loved ones that you care. Your company, your kindness and your thoughtfulness goes much further than wrapping up a gift that has a 50/50 success rate. You show your love in other ways- usually by sharing an experience rather than a thing.
You adopt a more relaxed attitude overall: When adding new things to your home no longer has a hold on you, you feel more relaxed in everything you do. You see things and people through a new lens and have a renewed sense of purpose. With this, comes a more relaxed outlook in mind, body, spirit and life.
Happy National Relaxation Day to all the long-standing minimalists and aspiring ones too!
MORE: Seven easy ways to simplify your life
Tagged in Minimalism