Has the global pandemic created a desire to decrease daily stress? Where have things changed in your day-to-day routine?
Recently, I have noticed a change in the approach to how a lot of things are communicated, created, and cared for right now. At times, it can be overwhelming to see an increase in misinformation in the media. The cycle of stress can be hard to break without intention.
However, the best way to begin to live simpler is by evaluating what you already have right now. Regardless of your stressors, there are many ways to achieve minimalism in the day-to-day (even in a global pandemic) which in turn, may help reduce stress.
Simple changes can make a big impact.
For example, within the field of corporate advertising, many of the ‘rigid rules’ for creative or branding have been temporarily modified. There’s almost a sense of creativity in the simplicity of these actions. If you stop by a local branch of a corporate chain, you may notice the exterior decorated with homemade ‘open’ signs. Simple or minimal doesn’t have to mean less valuable. A shop window spelled out ‘open’ using only 8.5″ x 11″ blank sheets of paper stacked in the window frames. Message received.
Similarly, if you walk into a strip mall of stores, chances are you are seeing simple signage with instructions on how the business has changed in the global pandemic with a floor marker displayed for spacing people. (In my hometown, I have personally seen this everywhere from coffee shops to the local gas station.) The pandemic has taken a toll on everyone. But, there are some ways that it has changed things that maybe for the better.
How can you create minimalism in your life, today? The following tips are three ways to declutter and eliminate stress:
- Take time to write out lists. It may be harder to remember things when you are feeling overwhelmed.
- Move even over a lunch break or to get a cup of coffee. Moving even a little bit each day helps physically to increase blood flow and oxygen in the body. Furthermore, it also does wonders for mental health as well.
- Evaluate where you can eliminate. Whether this is screen time, subscriptions, or the old t-shirt you think you’ll wear again someday…eliminate what you no longer need.
Over the course of 2020, there have been many new waves. It’s now almost the ninth month of this unpredictable cycle of a year; how are you feeling? What ways are you changing to minimize stress during the pandemic? How do you achieve minimalism in the day-to-day?