MINIMALISM & HEALTH
Minimalism is a powerful tool used to help individuals reflect on the importance of living a complete and meaningful life based on personal values. These values can be work or family life, or hobbies like disc golf and cricket.
One universal value that is positively impacted by the incorporation of the minimalist lifestyle is our health. Having less of the tangible, and less unnecessary and stressful responsibilities, clarity and intention can be more directed towards what we most value. By having fewer things to distract or trigger ourselves, our mental and physical health will be much less compromised.
When we clear away the noise and debris of distractions we can “listen” to our bodies and know how or what to do to make ourselves healthier, faster, stronger, and more immune to the natural world. The path to a healthier more meaningful life can come with obstacles, for instance, costly organic or natural foods versus the more synthetic substances, or adding bills like a gym membership, is time that is lost due to prioritizing health.
While this is a viable excuse to be less health conscious, what about those expensive medical bills down the road? The constant visits to the doctor for blood work to figure out why you are fatigued? The awareness and stress that comes with asking yourself “why do I feel like this?”. These symptoms can come and go, or they can manifest into something much more hostile and fatal.
As a minimalist, the individual prioritizes healthy, lasting, and joyful values, aware that life is meant for knowledge and experiences. Moderation and Minimalism go together, a balance between our ethical needs and wants like drinking alcohol, consuming plant-based or carnivorous diets, and engaging in extreme sports. All these things make life exciting and purposeful! There is no perfect formula to optimal health, but balance in our choices can leave us satisfied both mentally and physically, because a healthy mind is a healthy body.
Arturo Rojas is a graduate from UNF, currently working on his masters in public health. Arturo believes that consumerism and the negative effects materialism has on the environment, our physical and mental health, and relationships is a public health crisis. He is passionate about the social movement to live with more intention and meaning.
