From Sorrow to Soaring: How Minimalism Can Heal Hurt

Would you believe me if I told you that adding minimalism to my life has helped me with anxiety, hurt, loss, and depression? 

While these feelings and actions don't define me, the reality is that we all go through periods of pain, depression, and severe loss.

This is part of the life we've been given as a human being. We live in an imperfect world with imperfect people. There is joy as there is much pain; happiness as much as sadness. Great gifts are given as much as great things are taken away. We know gain as much as we know loss.

But when the pain hits especially hard, I've found that focusing on my minimalism not only helps my mental state at the moment but keeps me in a good place. 

Which is remarkable. 

And I began to wonder, Why is this so? Why does keeping minimalism at the forefront of my life help me when things are particularly troublesome?

I know the bad will give way to good, as all things fluctuate. So, it isn't that I couldn't just "wait out the storm." 

But, I began to see that minimalism is a verb. It's something I have control over.

When trauma erupts, I've still got control at home with my house and my possessions. When the storms feel like they're coming one after the other - without a break in the skies - I know that my emotional state remains a little more stable because the things in my life - the things around me - aren't chaotic, uncontrolled, or random.

I have a choice in what surrounds me.

Here's how minimalism heals my hurt.

1. I can focus on this rather than that. - When everything looks bleak, that's when I turn to cleaning out a closet or minimizing an area I've been ignoring. It allows me to take my eyes off what I can't control (which is everything, truthfully) onto something I can. 

This is a superpower. I'm telling you, when you shift your focus to something that keeps you busy and also improves your space, minimalism is where it's at. When I put my attention onto something that brings me joy - keeping only what I love and getting rid of the rest - it reminds me that not everything is bad. 

2. I can do something worthwhile. - If you're like me, there's always one area (small or large) that hasn't quite gotten the cleaning out it deserves. Or, which is also like me, an area I once had minimal has turned into a maximal - i.e. I let my spending go a little more than I anticipated and now I have a bunch of stuff I don't need. 

If you're going through a particularly trying time, this is the moment to dig into that space. Organize, let go of things, and allow yourself to heal from pain by putting your time into helping improve the space around you. 

3. I can give to others. - This might be the biggest bonus of working on minimalism while healing from my hurt. When we take our eyes off of ourselves - off of our problems - regardless of their size, we're able to shift our eyes onto others who need help too. By donating our goods, by giving away items meant for other people, there's a miraculous turning of events. When we're at a low spot - in deep pain - we're instead finding our own well of giving, drawing from it, and handing it over to others.

When we give out of our loss, when we give even though we may feel we should be the ones getting, we turn our situation upside down. We see the world through new eyes... perhaps even realizing that though we're in a tough spot, others are in a tough spot too.

Minimalism may not be the cure for everything, but having been a minimalist for many years now, I'm seeing it for what it can do: it alleviates my pain, grounds me, shows me truths about myself, and lets me give to others.

In short, it makes me a better person while I heal and simultaneously creates the authentic life I want to live. 

And when the clouds part and that sun comes shining into my house, home, heart, and life, I'm there - in full - ready to embrace every good thing in my life and all that will be coming into my life.

Amidst the pain or pleasure, I am a better person because of minimalism. 

Life will never be perfect. But if I can surround myself with the lifestyle I want to have, regardless of what comes my way, then no matter what happens or what pain takes place, I win.

-Heather

Book pairing for this post: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry - A fantastic spiritual (Christian) approach to "staying emotionally healthy and spiritually alive in the chaos of the modern world."