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Minimalism for A Life Less Medicated

Disclaimer: Elise Ho, aka “Dr. Ho” is a Holistic Health & Life Coach. Dr. Ho is NOT a medical doctor, licensed therapist, lawyer, or a bevy of other things. Products or services that Dr. Ho believes in are the only ones that she recommends. Dr. Ho may receive compensation, product, or an affiliate commission on anything you see on this site. This is a personal Website solely reflecting Dr. Ho’s personal opinions. Statements on this site do not represent the views or policies of any organization with which I may be affiliated.

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Minimalism for A Life Less Medicated

 

Please welcome guest blogger, Leah of Skin & Satori. Leah is a multifaceted blogger who is an advocate for Minimalism, Mental Health Awareness, and Zero Waste.

The Importance of Minimalism for A Life Less Medicated

 

Go to the gym.  Walk the dog.  After-school activities.  Catching up with friends.  Take the kids to school/daycare.  Pick the kids up from school/daycare.  Doctor’s appointments.  Social media notifications going off every few minutes.  BBQs with the family.  Retail therapy.  Renovating the house.  Birthday Parties.  Cleaning the house 5 times a week.  Making breakfast.  Lunch.  Dinner.  Work, work, work.

On the go.

All the time.

“Work harder than you think you did yesterday.”

“Work Hard and become a leader, be lazy and become a slave.”

“Busy is the new happy!”

Affirmations like these are making people believe that being run off their feet is what is expected of them to be seen as normal by society.  Society is glorifying busy and is turning us into stressed-out zombies with no time to just stop and take a breath.  Then if you have the unfortunately added disadvantage of a mental illness like depression, you struggle to keep up. You also may feel like a failure when you can’t do everything that you feel is expected of you.

I am no super-mum, and I sometimes fail to even get the most menial of tasks done, like make dinner or give the kids a bath, when I am having a down day.  Then add on top of all the duties of being a wife, a blogger and a person with my own hopes and dream it just isn’t possible for me to juggle all those balls at once.  But I feel I need to, with a great big smile on my face, my hair perfectly coiffed and picture-perfect appearance. 

So it was this feeling of failing to do EVERYTHING expected of me as a mum, a wife and a person which is what made me go in search of a better alternative. Surely I didn’t need to be superwoman to make it ahead in life and be seen as a normal functioning human being.

That’s when I heard about Minimalism.  A movement that is gaining momentum because of the appeal of the freedom it offers.

I was telling my mother about this new thing I was into.

“Minimalism!”  she scoffed.

“That is just how I used to live when I was young!”

And it’s true.  People of the Baby Boomer generation, and earlier, have experienced this all before. It was their normal everyday life.

They didn’t have the distractions of constantly being “connected” to social media and work.

They lead simpler more carefree lives.

That is what I crave.  That is what I crave for my children.  A simple life with no distractions.  Just the things that make us happy.

[ctt template=”8″ link=”Opw6C” via=”yes” ]Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important—so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom. –  The Minimalists[/ctt]

So how can Minimalism help us?

  • Eliminate our discontent
  • Reclaim our time
  • Live in the moment
  • Pursue our passions
  • Discover our missions
  • Experience real freedom
  • Create more, consume less
  • Focus on our health
  • Grow as individuals
  • Contribute beyond ourselves
  • Rid ourselves of excess stuff
  • Discover purpose in our lives

The First Steps to Becoming a Minimalist

Declutter your Home. 

Everyone has seen all the tips to de-clutter your house, as a mum I feel like I spend most of my day cleaning so I am all for decluttering.  It is a good place to start your journey.  I love looking at a clean house, plus with less clutter, it means less time to clean up and more time to focus on the important things in your life.  These are a couple of sites with information on how and where to start declutteringThe Ultimate Guide to Conquering your Clutter and 7 Simple Habits for your Home.

[ctt template=”8″ link=”4v7O5″ via=”yes” ]Clutter has been linked to emotional heaviness and depression. But more than anything, it’s really just one more thing to spend time on.[/ctt]

Reduce your commitments.

Often times, our lives are too cluttered with all the things that we need to do at home, work, school, in our religious or civic lives, with friends and family, with hobbies, and so on.  Take a look at each area of your life and write down all of your commitments.  Seeing it all written down can be an eye-opening experience, as well as overwhelming.  From here, look at each one and decide whether it really brings you joy and value and if it is worth the amount of time that you invest in it.  Another way to cut your commitments is to find a few that you truly love, and get rid of the rest.  Learn how to say no and decline offers. If you drop the things that don’t bring you joy or value, you’ll have more time for the things that you love.

Reconsider your routines.

Many of us do not have any set routines in our daily lives, and simply tackle our obligations, chores, and daily tasks haphazardly.  Without structure, it can lead to chaotic days and a drop in productivity.  Instead, batch tasks together.  Instead of doing your laundry several times throughout the week, do it all on one day.  It’s helpful to write all of your weekly and daily obligations, chores, and tasks, and then plan out daily and weekly routines.  Hang it up where you can see it and try to follow it.  You might find that having a routine brings a new sense of calm and order to your life.

Be Present.

Being more conscious of life as it happens—may seem contradictory to those who are used to sacrificing living for pursuing their goals, but cultivating mindfulness will help you achieve your goals and enjoy life more. In fact, you’re more productive when you’re mindful, among other science-backed benefits.

But more importantly, being present is undoubtedly the only way to enjoy life to the fullest. By being mindful, you enjoy your food more, you enjoy friends and family more, you enjoy anything you’re doing more. Anything. When you are truly present things you might think are drudgery or boring, such as housework, can be amazing.

Try it: Wash dishes or sweep or cook, and remain fully present. It takes practice, however, it’s incredible when you do it.

All these tips have helped me lower my stress levels and appreciate living a slower, quieter lifestyle.  For some people who may be of no interest or they are not ready for that style of living.  But for people struggling to keep all their balls in the air or for people like me who suffer from a mental illness than this can be a worthwhile way of living. 

And for those not ready for this kind of lifestyle, just remember…  Never get too busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

This has been a guest post by Leah at Skin & Satori, please check out her website and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Do you live a minimalist life? Do you wish you did? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Please use the comment section below to share your tips, questions, and/or thoughts about this post.

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Naturally Yours,
Elise Ho
Ph.D., D.N. Psych.
Behavioral & Mental Health Specialist

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21 thoughts on “Minimalism for A Life Less Medicated”

  1. We should have an idea about this minimalism for life less medicated. This article would be a huge help. Thanks for sharing this one out.

  2. The Minimalists have made such a big difference in my life! They changed my outlook on bringing things into my life.

  3. The Minimalists have made such a
    Big difference in my life. They really taught me how to not take in anything “extra” for no reason. Saves money too!

  4. I am a minimalist and have been since I could remember. Clutter always confused me. Also having too many to do’s made me tired and overwhelmed me until I found a way to stop that one. I wrote my to do’s down. When I checked them off a wonderful feeling came to me.

    Being present was something I recently learned over the past few years. Now it became habitual. Every day….even when it is cold out I spend some me time at the beach. 5 minutes or hours…it doesn’t matter – It helps me be present with every task I need to take…yes even sweeping the floor every day.

    -Donna

  5. I’m really trying to live my life like this and have slowly been making changes. It isn’t easy, especially when I’ve been living my life thinking busy equals success. But I love the idea of minimalism and think it’s important for a truly happy life.

    1. I just read another post last night on the fact that being busy does not equal being productive. As entrepreneurial parents it is not easy to keep track to allow , at least some, minimalism to come through.

  6. Thank you for your thoughtful post about minimalism. It’s easier said than done. I try to concentrate on most important things in my life but then I realize that I’ve been hustling around and everything just feels like a big mess. 🙂 Thank you for sharing this!

  7. For a long time I was one of those people that was always busy. I didn’t know what to do if I had 30 minutes that wasn’t filled with activity. It was a huge stressor in my life and I realized how much that stress was affecting my life. I make way more time just to chill and do nothing and I feel so much better. I make more time to do the things I love!

  8. I wish I’d read this when my children were young. I took on so many extra commitments, that despite only working from home very part time, I was run off my feet. I eventually got exhausted, stressed out and anxious. I learned my lesson the hard way.

  9. Would love to move more in this direction. I just seem to accumulate more and more tasks and responsibilities at a time in life when it would be good to shed some.

    Every so often I just hide from everyone to de-stress, but it’s all still there when I get back.

    Joy – Blogging After Dark

  10. Yes, we have so much all the time now. I was quite disturbed by your opening about ‘busy is the new happy’ and was already thinking along the lines of your next paragraph where you talk about people who already feel less than adequate in that department.

    Enjoy the journey!

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About The Author

Dr. Elise Ho

Dr. Elise Ho

Dr. Elise Ho is a Holistic Health & Life Coach with a special interest in emotional health, life alignment, and energy flow.

Elise will partner with you to align your mindset, your energy, your home and your career so that you can live your life's desire with freedom and love.

Elise offers 30 years of experience and multiple certifications and degrees including a Ph.D. in Natural Health and a doctoral degree in Naturopathic Psychology.