Minimalism in heath
Will you cut your arm if someone offered you a million dollars for it? Will you trade a disease for a beach villa?
Hell, no.
If not health, what’s the most important thing in life? Another cliché that is true is: health is wealth!
Yet how often do we take our health for granted. We procrastinate exercising, eat mindlessly and forget that our body is our most important asset, one that we will need till our last breath.
Our minimalistic lifestyle can lend itself to our minimalistic health routine too. We often start out with a big bang; spend on that gym membership, yoga mat, exercise ball, exercise bike, or those new sports shoes. But then fizzle out soon enough in a few weeks because we set lofty goals that seem unattainable, can’t keep up with it or because we are too busy (Does this sound like you?).
You don’t necessarily need to spend money to get fit. To get healthy the minimalistic way, we just need three things:
- A willingness and a right mind set (that’s half the battle won right there)
- 20-30 minutes of time 4-5 times a week (not a great feat, if the busiest people in the world can find time, so can we)
- A habit of mindful eating
Start small, for free. Set out 20-30 minutes for brisk walking. Free floor exercises, yoga, running, playing a sport you enjoy are some ways in which you can get your exercise, it doesn’t have to be complicated.
And diet doesn’t have to be expensive either. Just cut down all the sugary soda drinks, and replace them with more water, green juices, or teas. Reduce eating processed food and eat more whole foods. Be more mindful of the things you eat when you are stressed. What are you reaching for? Cakes, cookies, or that bag of chips? Replace them with healthier alternatives like whole grain slice of toast with any nut butter of your choice, whole fruits, nuts and seeds.
But most importantly, enjoy the process and have fun with it all. Don’t be too strict on yourself either. Let yourself enjoy all the things you love once in a while. Form sustainable habits.
What are some of the long-term health benefits of minimalist health care routine?
- Less anxiety
- Less stress
- More calm and peace
- Clarity of mind
- More time to enjoy and do things at your pace
- Self-confidence
- You’ll keep your weight consistent depending on your exercise and diet
- And, more money in your bank (all that saving)
Minimalists Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, who have helped over 20 million people live meaningful lives with less say, “That’s the point of this entire [minimalistic lifestyle] journey [was to] to strip away the superfluous so we can focus on what’s important: our health.”