Minimalists recognize what is truly valuable.
When you get rid of 80 percent of your belongings in a year, you acquire insight into what is truly valuable and what is just fluff. In a time like this, we need to be able to rapidly separate the things that will add value to our lives from the things that will add noise. The news and social media can be full of junk and information that adds to your anxiety and panic, but social media is also an amazing place for connection and exposure to new ideas for instilling hope and positivity that may uplift you or provide you with the exact tool you need at the exact moment you need it.
The adversary isn't social media per se; it's your incapacity to figure out how to use what you've been given. Minimalism assists you in sorting and sifting until you've pared it down to simply what provides you value and letting go of anything else.
Minimalists understand how to live with less.
Minimalists are already used to living with less or waiting for something, so the panic that others experience when they are without doesn't hit us as hard. The stress of not having enough toilet paper or supplies is something that minimalists can handle well because there is generally a method to get what you genuinely require. When particular types of food run out or are completely out of stock at the grocery store, minimalists can be confident that they will be able to cobble together alternative meals or get inventive.
Knowing you won't go hungry and fully trusting in that can be reassuring in times of dread, and having fewer options isn't frightening to minimalists. There is beauty in learning how to use what you have and inventing new ways to get things done.
Minimalists are more aware of discomfort and how to manage it.
In actuality, adopting simplicity is uncomfortably uncomfortable. Not having things to occupy your thoughts and time, not buying items to alleviate stress or dissatisfaction, and not relying on consumption to fill holes are challenging decisions that are far from the norm. Minimalists are quick to notice when something is painful, and we have practiced sitting with those feelings and managing them rather than seeking the most satisfying object to alleviate our misery. This pandemic is excruciatingly unpleasant. Minimalism allows you to find the quickest path to identifying, accepting, and getting past your fear and sadness.
Minimalists are aware of how to reduce analysis paralysis.
One of the most difficult aspects of transitioning to our new normal has been having to make a million decisions. Running our contemporary lives and participating/connecting with others while getting our work done entails a plethora of choices. Minimalists excel at reducing the number of options available since the brain can only manage so many decisions in a given day before becoming weary. The easiest method to deal with this issue is to let go until you are no longer overwhelmed with options.
Minimalists have less FOMO.
It is an abbreviation for the fear of missing out, and it is used to describe the feelings of anxiety, grief, or discomfort that people have when they are unable to do something that others are doing. It's that feeling you get when something is out of reach or isn't quite right for some reason. FOMO typically occurs when the event or endeavor is something that would temporarily make you feel good or that works for someone else's life but not necessarily yours.
Minimalists understand how to say no and have practiced missing out. There is grief during this pandemic for all of the things we are missing, such as vacations, weddings, and graduations; this cannot be disputed. Allow that loss to be seen and felt, but be aware that those experiences and celebrations can still be enjoyed and will occur at some point. It's a bummer to miss out for the time being, but that doesn't have to overshadow the joy you're able to have now and in the future.
Minimalists can extend their creativity
If there's one thing that's been tested, it's been ingenuity. We're all making significant changes to how we live this thing called life, and it's going to necessitate some ingenuity. Therapists are transitioning to teletherapy, churches are streaming online, teachers are converting all of their lessons for the next few weeks so parents can assist their children in staying on track, and locating ingredients is becoming more intriguing. Working as a minimalist and with less helps your creativity to soar. Our creative muscles are already flexed, which makes dealing with the pandemic easier. We're used to thinking beyond the box, and it's already came in useful a million times!
Minimalists have a sense of security
In my first piece on minimalism, I defined minimalism as "the art of knowing you're enough without your stuff." I'll add to my comments that minimalism is about understanding that you are enough, that you will have enough, and that everything will be well. Fear warns us to the presence of risks, but our minds might interpret this as concern over worst-case scenarios. I can't lie, my thoughts have wandered there as well. But I'm peaceful and serene because I know I'll be fine at the end of this, even if something bad happens.
Minimalism brings stability and awareness; there is an understanding that all we thought we needed to be full and happy didn't actually work. It was all a ruse, and the things and thoughts people are clinging to now will not aid them in reality. Focusing on what is valuable, managing yourself, being okay with having less or missing out, minimizing options and decreasing worry, and opening up your creativity are some of the procedures that will bring you through this more resilient and having evolved as a person. Minimalism is the ideal mode of transportation for getting there.
