Day in and out we are overloaded, hell overwhelmed with rapidly changing timelines. Every second a picture of a fancy beach vacation, a baby in a turban or a lit girls night out is shared.
Have you ever saw a post or picture that sparked your interest and just like that the page refreshes and poof you lost it? You try to scroll like a maniac trying to find it but, the post got lost in the large black whole of the internets.
In 2018 information moves at the speed of light. The positives include being able to witness events, natural/human caused disasters or even protests as they unfold. We have the ability to keep track of world events that could affect loved ones on different parts of the globe (world cup, attacks, political actions) or simply catch the musical performances you missed from an award show from the night before.
Too Much of A Good Thing
The negatives equal being overly stimulated by news stories of death, destruction, [as person of color or marginalized people] recorded discrimination, folks flossin’ (not talking about teeth) and the latest effery of the current administration.
Our screen time is insane. I’m guilty of it too between Google rabbit holes & Youtube videos my mind is always going. Honestly sometimes it’s anxiety inducing. It feels like a fast-moving train and I just want to get off. The addiction is REAL deal Holyfield (I’m dating myself idc idc). A few months ago I had to make a decision that involved taking control of not only the content that i’m exposed to but how I react to it. I decided to begin my “My Mental Minimalism” journey.
Yes it is what you think it is. In recent years we have seen an uptick in people performing deep purges of clothes, books, hair bundles. These folks opted to declutter their lives and rid themselves from the anchors that hold them back. Have any of you found yourself obsessed with watching that show “Tiny Houses”? That is a great example of Minimalism. We go from luxurious 7 room mansions for a party of 1 and dog to a few square feet and eternal bliss and focus. For many, it was a liberating experience as brave souls dared to change the direction of their lives to embrace a less is more approach. Daily we are hit over the head with materialism and we accumulate so much crap that we don’t need and basically drown in it.
What Is Mental Minimalism?
The writers over at Becomingminimalist.com believe that MINIMALISM = INTENTIONALITY.
“It is marked by clarity, purpose, and intentionality. At its core, minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it. It is a life that forces intentionality. And as a result, it forces improvements in almost all aspects of your life.”
Basically you’re purging anything that clogs or clutter your mind, raise your blood pressure, cripples your productivity, heightens stress and blocks your blessings!
Unfortunately this is a point that I arrived at for my own well being as a result of the over abundance of injustice to people who look like me. Back to back stories of deaths, discrimination, threats etc played out on my timelines. I just could not take it any longer!
There is not much info on the subject matter however the concept is simple and can be applied to many areas of our lives. Just apply the foundations of minimalism which encourages people to live more with less for to your mind. I don’t know about you but when I have a bunch of things going on in my head I begin to feel anxious. Treat that beautiful mind of yours like a closet where you have thoughts & memories whether good or bad on hangers. Like any closet we have items that we absolutely love and on the flip there are some things that either have holes in it or are too damn small for size. We hold on to those thoughts/memories for dear life until it’s time we are brave enough to get those trash bags! We keep absorbing information to our mental closets until you can no longer close the door.
What are you holding on to? what have you absorbed? was it worth adding to your mental closet? Will you actually use the item?
How I Practice Mental Minimalism
My method includes:
- Deciding if I want to deep dive into the article, news story, video or post.
- Understanding that backs and forths online is really not worth it.
- Not always read comments hell sometimes I don’t even feed the beast by leaving a comment.
- Notice “group think” and the toxicology that lives there.
- Remember that what glitters is not gold when you see an abundance of “perfect” bodies, romances and fashion shows.
- Curating my timelines. I don’t absorb doom and gloom.
- Not taking on every issue. Some issues are nearer to my heart than others not to say that the “others” are not as important. These days folks want to label you “trash” if you aren’t vocal about every damn thing. It’s impossible!
“One Last Thing…Adulting”
I couldn’t leave without making a small request. That whole “adulting” thing, you know the anxieties associated with the dissatisfied performance of being a “real adult” needs to seriously go in the TRASH!
We are not our parents. We will never be our parents. The times are different and the economy is much different from when our parents were our age. The comparisons are detrimental to our glow up!
Young people are so great at applying huge amounts of pressure on themselves. All it boils down to is just try really really hard to be the best human you can be. Adding self imposed stressors could lead to serious health problems later on if left unchecked It takes a bit of work but it will all be worth it. Your journey is yours alone!
Until next time,
-Lish
A Girl From The X 