Relieve Worry And Stress By Living A Simpler Life
Are you feeling burdened or stressed? Try these simple ideas to create a happier and more carefree life.
As we walked through our home for the final time, empty now of all our furniture and decorations, I felt excitement stirring in me. I expected to feel sadness or mild melancholy, so the enthusiasm surprised me. Don’t get me wrong, I loved our home and enjoyed the time we’d spent building it and making it exactly what we wanted. But now, I was longing for freedom, and we were about to embark on a journey that would give us just that. Our new adventure was nothing short of counter-cultural, and the reactions we received ranged from sheer disbelief to deep envy when we told our friends and family what we were doing.
At the beginning of 2021, we decided to retire early and move into a 21-foot travel trailer, and then took the next eight months to bring our plans to fruition. While this lifestyle is not without its challenges, it’s been exactly what we were longing for. For those who live a more minimalistic lifestyle, it is no secret that accumulating things and keeping up with the neighbors comes with its own unique burdens.
It was indeed lovely to have a nice home in a nice neighborhood with a large yard. But we found maintaining it all took a lot of time and energy and created a measure of stress. We finally reached a point where it was no longer enjoyable, and we decided to make a significant change. Because I tend to take on more responsibility than belongs to me, the thought of being unencumbered became addictive.
To get ready for our life shift, we began paring our life down little by little over a period of six months. I didn’t realize the clothing I no longer wore, but was still hanging in my closet, created emotional stress for me. Wondering if I would ever be a size six again, wondering if I’d ever be physically able to hike or do a triathlon again, wondering if I’d want to wear the beautiful dress I’d purchased for my mother’s memorial service again seemed to weigh heavy on my emotions.
I found unexpected freedom in coming to terms with the areas of my life that were clearly in the past. Choosing to let go of things I knew I would never wear meant I could bring myself into the present rather than being burdened by representations of my past. This type of transition isn’t for everyone, and I’m not advocating that it should be. I am advocating, however, that we all take a realistic look at the surpluses in our lives and give ourselves space to let go of things that have become emotionally burdensome.
This type of life change is perhaps not practical for the majority of people, but the concept of living a more simplistic, unencumbered life is doable for anyone. The hard part is walking against the current of a society that applauds extravagance and excess. Whenever I walk through a neighborhood, I am always shocked by how much stuff people have in their garages. Often, there is so much in the garage that their cars cannot fit. Why do we need so much stuff? What joy or satisfaction do we get from owning things we rarely, if ever, use?
If you find yourself stressed out or bogged down, I suggest you experiment with a plan to simplify your life and see if it doesn’t make a difference. Pick one room, or even one closet, to go through each weekend and get rid of the items you haven’t used for the last year or two. When you come across something you’re not ready to part with yet, put it in a box, store it for six months, and then revisit it.
If you’re feeling wildly energetic, go through your garage and see what you can sell at a garage sale and plan to use the money for something fun. My partner is an avid hiker and found that she’d accumulated numerous backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, and other outdoor paraphernalia that were taking up space.
There are also a couple of easy steps you can take to simplify. Do an inventory of your clothing each spring and fall to see what might be donated or sold. Or, when you buy your kids a new toy, think about donating one of their older toys rather than amassing more than your children will ever consistently use.
Based on what we and others we know have experienced, paring down and simplifying your life by cleaning out your home will bring a sense of relief and reduce the stress that you weren’t even aware you were feeling. Don’t believe me? Just try it and see.
Another area of stress for many people is finances. I could write a separate article about how to reduce your financial stress! But know this, once you start simplifying your life, limiting your spending on extra items you don’t need gets easier. When you thin out your possessions, it helps us be more mindful about our purchasing habits. When you’ve just donated a pile of clothes, you are much less likely to impulse buy a new pair of jeans!
We all feel stressed at times. There is so much going on in the world right now, and we can’t control any of it. We can, however, control our home environment and what we spend money on. There are also lower levels of stress that resonate inside us just below our conscious thoughts. This type of stress accumulates over time and circumstances and creates agitation and an overall lack of well-being. Why not work to reduce stress by simplifying our lives to the degree we can tolerate it? You just might be surprised how good it feels!
As we completed our tour through our now-empty home, we stopped to speak a few words of thanks for all the great memories we’d experienced there. When we shut the door for the last time, we were grateful for the opportunity to start a new journey into a life that was simple and unencumbered.
