Finding peace in the simple things.

It wasn’t until depression had me in chokehold that I understood the great importance of a decluttered headspace and simplicity in life... Really dark times.

I was an undergraduate student approaching her finals, and I knew exactly what I was stepping into. The financial requirement, the physical and mental stress of being a final year student, plus the thought of what awaits me outside the four walls of school dominated most of my thoughts. It was a complex cycle that crept in on me and made my life so complicated.

I was just stepping into the world of entrepreneurship and trying to graduate with the best possible result while making sure I stayed in the healthiest physical state as much as possible were the concerns. But I completely ignored my mental wellness.

All these thoughts and many other things sent me into depression, and I didn’t realize it until it was almost late. Thanks to one friend I had who discovered what was wrong without me talking about it. He is a psychologist and has handled similar cases, so it was easy for him to find the hidden feelings in my smile.

Decluttered mind is not only a root of everything good, but also a ticket to living healthy, socializing well, eating well, and overall living a good life.

I always have a decluttered physical space. As a minimalist, I hate jampacked spaces. I let go of items that are not needed as soon as I set eyes on them, and I make sure I have a lot of free space in my room. However, what if I had paid attention to my headspace as much as I did with my physical space? Then, I wouldn’t have been a victim of the mental torture of depression at the time I suffered it.

I used to be a loner until I met the friend that walked me through overcoming depression, then, I decided to give more quality people chances to be my friend.

After finally overcoming depression, I knew it was a route I didn’t want to ply again, so I researched simple ways to have a decluttered headspace, and the first thing I learned is, get out of your head, and to do that, I use my pen.

If the thoughts cluttering up my mind is something I could write, I write them in a journal. By the time I’m done, my head will be free from the burdening troubles of to-dos and what-ifs.

Many times, when all the noises in my head start with their various suggestions, they tend to clutter my head so much that trying to pick just one of the many voices become impossible. Thanks to the sitting pose in yoga plus adequate breathing exercise for about five to ten minutes. Sometimes, that’s all I need to gather my thoughts together into one and know exactly what I should do. That way, I’ll have well-arranged thoughts with enough free space to start the process of execution.

As someone who stays more indoors than stepping out, I realized that exploring simple things such as nature helps me get out of my head so much that it feels like all the cluttered voices are laid bare the moment I set my eyes on nature. Sitting under a tree, feeling the cool breeze on my skin, and admiring the flowers helps me get out of my mind and have my head cleared.

Visiting friends is one other way I free my mind. We talk about everything, from food, games, we laugh out loud, and we play around. By the time we are done, my cluttered head would’ve quiet down, and I’ll be mentally ready to start again, but this time, with a well-thought-out plan, and not a cluttered mind.

All images are mine.

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