Still, this speed of transformation is not a good idea. It is like eating a lot of food after severe hunger for a long time. That is, we risk overworking our systems and reducing our happiness and sense of satisfaction. Therefore, setting restrictions that regulate our enthusiasm and activities is the best approach. Few sometimes give us a lot.
For example, the rarer activities, the longer the time to think, and the fewer purposes, the wider our home spaces are, and having fewer friends helps build deeper relationships.
Wanting more
It's natural to want to do a lot of things. According to research at the University of Virginia, our brains tend to take an "add-ons" approach. For example, we seek to solve problems by adding another element to the solution, and we want to improve the recipe by adding spices, as we learned that for creativity; quantity is better than quality because a foolish idea usually leads to a great result.
But science shows that the “more is better” culture is counterproductive and may limit our happiness and ability to achieve. Studies at Baylor University have concluded that the more materialistic people are, the less happy and satisfied they become. Research at Northwestern University has found that when people focus more on wealth and acquiring possessions, they are more depressed and anxious, and their relationships are less affirmative.
Popular culture has confronted this tendency by saying that less is better, making the minimalism movement at its peak. Interestingly, the first to mention the idea that little gives us much is Robert Browning in a poem he published in 1855. So, the minimization concept is not new at all, but it does not necessarily make this easy.
So, how can you achieve more happiness, achievement, and satisfaction through reducing skills rather than adding? Here are six tips to help you:
1. Rethink your interests
Your personality and interests are the most important things to consider when following the minimization movement, so draw three circles, and put one inside the other.
In the inner circle, write down the things you see as essential and the values or activities without them will not appear in your real personalities, such as family values and the time you spend driving your children to school, health or yoga you practice, and in the second circle, put important things but not essential, and in the third circle, put matters you enjoy but are not critical to you, and then use this division as a guide to what you may remove from your list of activities over time, and try to reduce things that are not essential and not vice versa.
2. Create a priority list
When making decisions, the list of tried-and-true priorities is always functional, so make a list of your most essential things in terms of your values and the actions that support those values. Then, list the matters you spend time on daily, weekly, or monthly.
After completing the list, cross out the least important parts, and focus on the critical things so that you can work on them with full energy. That is because when you accept everything, whether a new project at work, an opportunity, an invitation from friends, or a fun activity, you will not be able to focus your energy on the things that matter. Cross out some elements from your list to work on the most important things.
3. Think about how influential you are
We all want to be influential; everyone wants to be a great parent, a great friend, or a distinctive team member, but if your focus is too distracting and you have to carry out a lot of tasks, you can improve the way you can perform each role by creating a map of where you influence while identifying your points of influence in it.
For example, you can make an impact by helping your neighbor, helping a colleague who is a stranger to the country, or helping a relative who lives far away. Then, think about all the areas you affect, evaluate which ones are more important and which ones you can spend less time on, and try to identify options that have more impact in fewer places.
4. Pay attention to relationships
Relationships are the lifeblood of our societies and our mental health, but cannot be available to everyone, so you must organize this by writing the names of the people or groups that affect them, and pay attention to both the close relationships, that is, the people you see and interact with constantly, and the less close relationships, that is, the people with whom you interact less.
Identify the people with whom you must maintain strong relationships, and then allow yourself to reduce the energy you invest in relationships that may be less important.
5. Create a timeline
You should think about how your choices affect you in the short, medium, and long term. Researchers at the University of Connecticut found that people who make decisions based on short-term requirements meet their needs and make them feel satisfied were more likely to make rapid impulsive decisions, unlike those who think about long-term outcomes and make decisions and choices that will make them happy over time.
Then, you should schedule actions that benefit you and others in the short and long term and identify activities that you will continue to work on in each of these areas; For example, you want to go to the vegetable market to buy healthy food for the week (short-term impact), you must study for the mid-year exam (medium-term impact), or you want to plan to maintain communication activities that contribute to the long-term success of your career.
6. Control your mindset
By nature, we hate emptiness, so it is challenging to follow the movement of reduction or simplification, but you must go beyond your tendencies to add and increase intelligently, especially concerning lifestyle changes.
You can also try to put the cuts you want into terms that suggest additionality; For example: If you need to reduce the number of unhealthy carbohydrates you eat, tell yourself instead you need to fill your plate with fruit, or if you want to stop eating during certain hours (intermittent fasting), tell yourself that you want to focus on starting to drink plenty of water during those hours, and if you like to reduce your negative thinking pattern, suggest that you start thinking of something positive instead.
Similarly, if you are solving problems at work and are in the brainstorming phase, try to think of all possible solutions that break the current pattern, and the idea is to minimize by tricking the mind into adding or filling in so that it does not resist.
In conclusion
You don't have to apply all of these tips; Decide which ones work for you, and think about how you can apply them to reduce for the sake of profit. Don't forget that little gives you a lot. Now, enjoy returning to the world and freedom, but don't immerse yourself in many activities to be happier and more satisfied.
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