Our modern culture is demanding and busy. We’re expected to always be “on”, hustling and chasing goals to create our dream life. But if like me, you’re looking for something more, a way to slow down and make space to appreciate the simple things, it may be time to examine your self care routine.
Minimalist living isn’t only about having an uncluttered and organized home. The concept embraces your way of thinking and approach to life around you. Wouldn’t it be incredible to have a mind as clutter-free as your home! (Which, if yours is still a work in progress, you can easily declutter and organize in just a few weeks with my free resource here.)
It’s so important to nurture your inner self and create healthy ways of relating to the world around you. How would you maintain your lifestyle without motivation? Can you make healthy choices without a clear vision? How do you live slowly and meaningfully unless you feed your soul and allow your intuition to guide you?
If you’re looking for minimalist self care habits that will help you maintain a clear perspective of your life so that you don’t get off track (or at least know how to find your way back if you do!), here are 5 areas to focus on.
Practice Being Present
When life is busy, it’s easy to get carried away by the tidal wave of appointments, deadlines and obligations. Have you ever taken the time to wonder where you are in all the chaos?
Where are your intentions, your desire for peace, calm and simple things? Where are your thoughts? Racing into the future? Dwelling on the past?
Even if you’ve already simplified your life or are still taking steps to do so, practicing being present in this .. single… moment is an amazing way to care for yourself.
When you practice being present, it becomes more natural and easy to make intuitive and wise decisions in your life. You’re able to focus on what steps you’re taking and make choices that are in keeping with your life philosophy and goals.
Choose from the many mindfulness practices available and implement them into your daily life. A body scan meditation is an excellent way to reconnect with yourself and regain your focus.
Spend Time Alone
Spending time with yourself is an incredibly valuable practice. And science agrees! By creating time to be alone, you’ll have an opportunity to:
- Experience a blossoming of creativity
- Get to know yourself
- Recharge
- Reflect
All of these benefits will enhance and accelerate the process of creating a life you love.
The reality is it can be hard to carve out time to spend alone. Realising its importance was a motivating factor for me in deciding the wake up early. I established an early morning routine to write, spend time in nature and do meaningful things. I encourage you to do the same!
Pursue Your Purpose
“The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but life without purpose.” Myles Munroe
It’s all about purpose. Purpose is what drives us, motivates us, inspires us.
Foster in yourself and in your daily routine a habit of checking your alignment with your purpose. What better way to care for yourself than to ensure that your actions satisfy your innate desire to live out your life purpose?
Try these tips to help you stay focused:
- Maintain a clutter free home so you have time to concentrate on truly important things
- Focus on experiences and not gathering things
- Allow time in your routine for soul searching
- Avoid time wasters (like watching too much TV)
- Practice meditation and mindfulness techniques to maintain a clear mind
- Focus on what your goals and dreams are, not on what others are doing (or saying about you).
If you still need to discover your purpose in life, try this 7-step approach to help you get aligned with your truth.
Say Yes
Didn’t I mean, say no? It depends how you look at it!
If you’re starting out on your journey, it may be easier to first learn how to say no to things that aren’t healthy for you. Initially, practice saying no to being around toxic people, no to spending too much time on social media, no to that ninth cup of coffee (or at least wonder what you’re doing that needs you to drink so much coffee!) Saying no will help you identify areas of your life you’re allowing unhelpful and unhealthy habits to flourish.
But as you become more practiced in identifying what you don’t want, I think it can be even more helpful (and enlightening) to focus on what you DO want. Start asking, “What do I want to say yes to?”
You’ll notice that you’ve immediately gone from stopping things you don’t want from entering your life to becoming a creator of the life you want.
- I’m saying no to going out at night … becomes ….I’m saying yes to a healthy sleep routine so I can wake up early and spend time on my hobby in the morning. (Read more about the benefits of waking up early here.)
- I’m saying no to toxic relationships … becomes …Yes, I choose to invite healthy, interesting people into my life who inspire, encourage and motivate me.
Minimalist self care is truly a way of life. It involves not only simple routines and meaningful habits, but also personal development as self care. By growing the qualities of focus, creativity, mindfulness and mental strength, we become strong and resilient and more capable of creating and living a meaningful and joyful life.
Leave a Reply