3528: How Minimalism Can Improve Your Mental Health by Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist on Mental Wellbeing

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[00:01:22] Why wait? Ask your doctor. Visit Botoxchronicmigraine.com or call 1-800-44-BOTOX to learn more. This is Optimal Health Daily. How Minimalism can improve your mental health. By Joshua Becker of BecomingMinimalist.com and I'm Dr. Neil, your host and narrator. Hey there, happy Monday. Thank you so much for being here and welcome back to a new week of Optimal Health Daily.

[00:01:48] This is where I read to you from some of the best health and fitness blogs on the web. Kind of like an ongoing audiobook. Alright and with that, let's get right to today's post as we optimize your life. How Minimalism Can Improve Your Mental Health. By Joshua Becker of BecomingMinimalist.com Mental health is an important topic of conversation and rightly so.

[00:02:15] Mental health diagnoses in the U.S. increased by nearly 40% between 2019 and 2023. It's probably true that more attention to the topic in years past would have helped many, but we can't change the past. We can only choose how to move forward. And I'm glad to see mental health becoming a greater priority in our lives and conversations. Because it matters. It affects how we think, how we feel, how we relate to others, and how we live our lives.

[00:02:45] And for many of us, life can feel like we're just trying to keep our heads above water. Like managing stress, overwhelm, discouragement, or burnout. I've written previously about the mental health benefits of minimalism. And I'm certainly not the only one highlighting the connection. Researchers and psychologists are increasingly pointing to the correlation between clutter and anxiety. Between too many choices and decision fatigue. Between too much stuff and stress.

[00:03:13] There are studies showing that clutter increases stress levels. Clutter limits our ability to focus. Clutter affects our sleep. Clutter lowers our mood and raises our cortisol. Clutter can even lead to unhealthy eating, poor habits, and more conflict in the home. The data are clear. Too many physical possessions in our homes and lives negatively impacts our mental and emotional well-being. But what's often missing from the conversation is why.

[00:03:42] Why does owning fewer possessions lead to a clearer mind? How exactly does minimalism improve our mental health? I'd like to explain why. And do it in a way especially for anyone who might be skeptical. Minimalism will improve your mental health. And here's why. 1. Minimalism helps us feel in control again. Minimalism allows us to take back control. And I don't just mean that we take control of our physical surroundings by removing the clutter.

[00:04:13] Minimalism forces us to live a more intentional life. It helps us live a life that's not just drifting with the masses, society, or influenced by other voices. Minimalism requires us to take control of our resources, our passions, our attitudes, our worldview, and our choices. When we start living life intentionally focused on what's important to us, we find more pride and joy in it. 2. Minimalism helps us focus on what matters most.

[00:04:43] When we stop chasing physical possessions, we start asking better questions. Starting with, what do I really value? What do I want my days to be about? What's important to me? Minimalism forces questions of values upon us. And those questions help us get more clear on what matters and what doesn't. And how we want to live our lives and how we don't.

[00:05:06] But even more than that, minimalism removes the distractions so we can begin actually pursuing those values. Purpose, contribution, and meaning. And when our lives align with our values, when we start living for something bigger than ourselves, our view of ourselves begins to change too. We begin to see that we're both capable and actively living lives that matter. 3. Minimalism. Minimalism creates space, both around us and within us.

[00:05:36] Minimalism clears clutter and creates space, in our homes and in our minds. And both are important. Every physical possession carries weight and takes up space, both physical and mental. We can see the physical. Every object on a shelf or box in the garage makes our living space smaller. The mental space our possessions require is harder to see and measure, which makes it even more dangerous.

[00:06:01] Most of us have no idea how great a mental burden our possessions have become until we begin to remove them. Every pile, every mess, every undone task is a subtle reminder of what still needs to be handled and serves as a visual reminder of money and time wasted. But when we clear the clutter, something shifts. The house feels lighter and so do we. 4. Minimalism leads to generosity.

[00:06:29] One of the most life-changing shifts that happens when we start owning less is this. We find the margin to give more. We stop thinking about what we lack and start noticing what we have. And when we see our excess more clearly, we naturally want to share it with people we love, with those in need, and with causes that matter. And here's what's beautiful about generosity. It's not just good for others. It's good for us.

[00:06:55] Studies consistently show that generous people experience lower levels of stress, stronger relationships, and more overall life satisfaction. Minimalism opens the door to that kind of life, which is another reason it helps improve our mental health. 5. Minimalism helps us focus on people. When we're constantly managing stuff, it's hard to make room for connection. Our time is spent cleaning, organizing, shopping, and maintaining.

[00:07:24] Some studies estimate we spend two hours each day managing our possessions. So, when we remove that excess, we make space for people. And relationships are one of the greatest protectors of mental health. In fact, according to the longest-running study on human happiness, 85 years and counting, The most consistent finding we've learned through 85 years of study is, positive relationships keep us happier, healthier, and help us live longer.

[00:07:54] End quote. We were created for community. Minimalism helps us find it. 6. Minimalism reduces fatigue. We don't always notice how much energy our possessions demand from us until they're gone. Every item in our home requires attention. It must be cleaned, maintained, organized, repaired, stored, moved, and eventually removed. And when we're surrounded by too much, we start to feel it in our minds and in our bodies.

[00:08:23] But minimalism doesn't just alleviate physical fatigue, it alleviates decision fatigue too. A simple home leads to a simpler day with fewer unimportant decisions to make, which means we're able to make better decisions on things that matter, and better decisions make for better living. And 7. Minimalism quiets comparison. One of the most damaging habits to our mental health is constant comparison.

[00:08:51] Social media, advertising, even our neighbors' driveways can subtly whisper, you're not measuring up. But minimalism invites a different message. You already have enough. When we stop chasing what others have, we begin to see the beauty of our own lives more clearly. Gratitude replaces envy. Peace replaces anxiety. Calm replaces turmoil. And we begin to feel comfortable in our own skin again.

[00:09:19] The mental health benefits of minimalism are real, and they're available to all of us. The most beautiful thing about this list of mental health benefits is that any of us can begin to experience them right away. Not because life becomes perfect, but because minimalism prepares for them. Minimalism won't solve every problem, but it will give us the space to breathe, the clarity to focus, and the freedom to build something better. One step at a time. One drawer. One room at a time.

[00:09:49] One day at a time. You just listened to the post titled, How Minimalism Can Improve Your Mental Health, by Joshua Becker of becomingminimalist.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. Now, it's just me and a small team behind this show, so I get how much the right hire matters. When you need the right person, this is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. Stop struggling to get your job post even seen on other sites.

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[00:10:47] at Indeed.com slash podcast. Just go to Indeed.com slash podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? This is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. This episode is brought to you by Palmolive. Family time isn't just the big moments. It's weeknight dinners.

[00:11:14] Sitting around the table, everyone talking all at once. So when the plates are empty and the sink is full, use Palmolive Ultra. Palmolive's most powerful formula removes up to 99.9% of grease, leaving your dishes sparkling clean. And the new convenient pump makes cleaning even easier, so you can spend less time tackling dishes and more time together. Shop now at palmolive.com. Dr. Neal Malik here with my commentary. Today's article reminded me that I need to clear out my closet.

[00:11:44] I've got a bunch of clothes that I've been wanting to donate. I just haven't taken the time to declutter and actually do it. So as soon as I'm done with my commentary, I'm going to do that today. Anywho, I actually looked to see if there were any published meta-analyses looking at whether minimalism improves mental health. I like looking for published meta-analyses because they're considered one of the strongest research designs. What makes a meta-analysis such a strong research design is that it's basically a study

[00:12:14] of already published studies. Authors of a meta-analysis very carefully examine already published studies on a specific topic. They then review each study's methods and conclusions, and then come up with a summary of what these studies tell us. And sure enough, I found a meta-analysis published in the Journal of Positive Psychology that looked at the mental health effects of minimalism. And they found that minimalism consistently led to improved well-being.

[00:12:43] Now, there are some caveats. The authors of this meta-analysis found a couple of interesting patterns. First, younger individuals didn't seem to benefit from following a more minimalist lifestyle. Now, before we say minimalism is useless for younger individuals, hear me out. Younger people are likely still thinking about how to become independent and build a life for themselves. That requires possessions and money, which doesn't clearly align with minimalism.

[00:13:12] That's not to say that younger people can't benefit from minimalism. It just means it may not be their first priority. On the other hand, middle-aged and older adults who followed a minimalist lifestyle tended to have higher well-being scores. Again, this may be because in these life stages, a life has already been built. And after reflecting on their lives, middle-aged and older adults reflect and realize that money and possessions didn't lead to increased happiness after all.

[00:13:42] And then they found forcing people to get rid of their possessions or forcing minimalism on others isn't helpful either. The decision to follow a minimalist lifestyle has to come from the individual. But if and when someone decides for themselves that they want to follow a more minimalist lifestyle, they will likely experience improved mental health. All right, that'll do it for another edition of Optimal Health Daily. Thank you so much for being here. I hope you have a great rest of your day.

[00:14:13] I'm going to go declutter my closet and then I'll see you back here tomorrow with another post and where your optimal life awaits. I'm going to go declutter my closet. I'm going to go declutter my closet. I'm going to go declutter my closet. I'm going to go declutter my closet. Thank you.