Minimalism, Maximalism, and anxiety: A connection explored
Minimalism has gained sort of a bad rep, especially in recent times.
There’s a renaissance of quite the opposite; maximalism, or in this context, the pursuit of more, has always been a primal thing for us humans, ever since our “hunting and gathering” days. It doesn't help that with the increased ease of acquisition (online shopping, loans, credit cards, social media, etc.), people are finding it more convenient than ever to give in to these desires.
Economists have repeatedly warned — and been blissfully ignored — that people have become addicted to spending and shopping, while at the same time, being burdened by debt, all in an attempt to attain and maintain lifestyles beyond their means.
It’s kind of a capitalist daydream; the more you can be convinced you need that special winter coat with fur trim, a new phone with processing speeds that rival a computer, or a car with seat warmers and a wireless charger, the more money they make. Because minimalism stands on principles against excessive consumerism, it is harmful to the current economy. People are being tricked into buying more than they need and as a result, industries are encouraged to produce more.
You see the pattern here?
Minimalism, on the other hand, is shaving things down to necessity.
This can be uncomfortable, and even scary in a world of excess, with most people construing the word “less” to mean “lack.”
Minimalism is an art movement that began in post–World War II Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. It has evolved to include almost every facet of life, from design to cuisine — yes, there’s minimalist food too. The defining principle of the concept is a conscious focus on necessity and intention, less on whim and desire.
In 2011, fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) and other physiological data were used by neuroscience researchers to determine how clutter in the home and workplace affects productivity and the ability to concentrate and process information. An excess of things can cause stress, anxiety, and worsen depression. For instance, a study conducted in the United States in 2009 discovered that women with messy homes had higher cortisol levels — as if women don’t already have enough to deal with.
As weird as it sounds, it seems like with the growing prevalence of Maximalism (not only in fashion and design but also food, social media, and the mindset of “more”) in the past decade is proportional to the number of people increasingly diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. According to this 2018 study, anxiety is increasing among adults under age 50 in the US, with a more rapid increase among young adults. The results from the study suggested poorer mental health in the US in terms of increasing anxiety overall and among most sociodemographic subgroups over the past 11 years.
How minimalism can help with anxiety
By now, it’s obvious there is a connection between visual cues and anxiety. Imagine trying to get work done in a messy, cluttered room, how do you think you’d feel? and then imagine that same scenario, but the room without the mess and clutter. You’d prefer the cleaner, “calmer” room, right?
By this, one can see that having less actually enables you to do more.
Who wouldn’t like to live a more productive and full-filling life?
Minimalism allows you the space to focus on what’s important to you
Anxiety can make it difficult to narrow focus because anxious people are too busy worrying about the future (or the past) to be fully present. Then with the constant pressure to own many different things, it’s easy to get distracted from what matters. Having ten pairs of similar shoes isn’t going to help protect your feet more, in fact all it does is give you a headache when you have to organize them, and make you feel guilty when you see that pair you don't really like shoved in the back of your closet. But investing in two (or three, depending on your lifestyle, I won’t judge too much) different, sturdy and high-quality shoes that you really like allows you to focus on footwear that matters to you, and also meets your needs.
Having less and being intentional about what you decide to acquire allows you to appreciate and value the things you have more, while inspiring mindfulness. Since you’re only investing in necessities, you’re obviously going to go for the things you like the most, prioritizing yourself, while also being as intentional as possible.
Isn’t that what life should be about?
It makes decision-making -a lot - easier
If you’re like me and the endless potential combinations of a full, diverse wardrobe stress you out more than you think it should, then simply having fewer options might be a lot more beneficial than you think. There's something reassuring about having a consistent “template” to fill in when you pick outfits. Read this article from Gildshire magazine about how having too many choices can stress us out.
Its Monday and you’ve spent the whole weekend partying, you’d even managed to forget till that very morning that you actually have a job. You throw open your closet door hurriedly and are met with a barrage of choices, now you’re wasting even more time (you’re already late) looking for the best tie that would complement the trousers you want to wear, but also not clash with the shoes you’ve picked out and now, you’re just tired.
Sound familiar?
When you own less, and in a wider range of applications, making choices is automatically easier. You have less to agonize over, and if you really want to simplify things, have a similar color palette across your whole wardrobe, so you can mix and match anything you pick.
Tell me that isn’t heaven.
Digital minimalism in a tech-obsessed world
Being thoughtful about what technology you use, for what purposes, and under what conditions can do wonders for your anxiety. Rethinking your relationship with social media (why am I here? Does this fulfill me? At what point does this inspire joy the most in my life?), rediscovering the pleasures of the offline world (meditation, yoga, etc., and most importantly, touching grass) and reconnecting with your inner self can help you take a step back from your anxieties, and evaluate what matters, and what does not.
Social media is fun and all, but it can also be very toxic, and in ways that are subtle too. Understanding this and being intentional about it can change your life.
No, that is not an exaggeration.
If you want to learn more about this, I recommend reading Cal Newport’s Digital minimalism: Choosing a focused life in a noisy world.
Buying less stuff saves you money (shocker, right?)
Almost everyone has anxiety about money.
Maybe we should cut costs?
Now, I’m not saying everyone should tear off all the pictures on their walls, paint them gray, sell their car and own only one spoon (I would be a hypocrite because I myself own three spoons) but applying minimalist strategy to your spending habits is a great way to save some coins.
Because you’re only spending on the things that matter to you, the excess is cut out; the money you’d have spent on another pair of sunglasses is still tucked away in your bank account, and you can spend that on something of actual meaning to you or put it away as savings.
Also, when you decide to declutter your home of stuff you don’t need, selling them is a good way to earn a decent sum as a reward for simply living a more intentional life. I love how this article summarized the benefits of minimalism in personal finances, you can check it out.
Essentially, minimalism is like any other practice — it has a central concept; the minimalists define it as “a tool that can assist you in finding freedom.” Joshua Becker understands it as “intentionally living with only the things I really need — those Items that support my purpose.” And just like any other practice, it doesn’t need to be completely adapted to the letter for you to see its effects in your life. Just the littlest application of minimalism in your life can be hugely transformative.
You’ve read all of this article, so I’d say you’re at least interested.
Small steps are okay too. I mean, its minimalism, right?
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