HOW YOU THINK ABOUT STRESS MATTERS

It is believed that stress causes many illnesses like cardiovascular disease, weakens our immune system and so on...

But it is more to do with the belief about the stress that causes harm.

Studies say that 43 % of the people die due to the tremendous amount of stress faced during the previous year.

Chronic stress causes the blood vessels to contract to increase the risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases.

But this doesn't happen when one faces the least stress or is at moments of joy

The surprising finding is that the blood vessel contraction is low for people who face a lot of stress but consider it as the body's mechanism to prepare them to fight against a demanding work or a challenging task. ( i.e they consider their pounding heart as a means to supply more oxygen which they require.)

The health of these people is not affected and is in bar with people experiencing the least stress.

Cortisol also known as the stress hormone improves attention and is beneficial when produced in lower quantities, it causes damage to the body only when it is secreted continuously in large quantities.

oxytocin also fondly known as cuddle hormone (is released when people hug) also serves an important function during times of stress.

It pushes one experiencing stress to go, reach out to people and seek support, mostly family and close relationships.

Thus it is nudging the person to open up what they are feeling instead of bottling it up.

This helps to recover from stress sooner.

One of the main roles of oxytocin in the body is to protect the cardiovascular system from the effects of stress.

Now, its time to rethink, is stress all that bad or can it be made our friend by changing our belief about stress?

You should not get rid of stress but get better at it by trusting yourself to handle life challenges and remembering that you don't need to face them alone.

MINIMALISM AND MENTAL HEALTH

Minimalism doesn’t mean giving up most of your worldly possessions and living out of a backpack. 

Minimalists look at each possession and ask, “Do I really need this? Really?” 

They consider each item in the present context, not whether it might be needed in the future.

It is a path to learn the difference between the things you want and the things you really need

HAPPINESS

Money really doesn’t buy happiness. Experiences leads to long-lasting happiness. 

Enjoyment begins when people plan and anticipate experiences such as trips, concerts and outings. Satisfaction continues during the event, as well as through later reminiscing.

SELF ESTEEM

Poor self-esteem is linked to materialism.

The connection appears as early as adolescence. As kids become teens, self-esteem tends to drop. At the same time, materialism is on the rise. Toward the end of high school, adolescents typically feel better about themselves as their desire for possessions is fading.

Adults who unconsciously have low levels of self-esteem tend to be more materialistic. 

STRESS

It’s all connected. Materialistic people tend to have low self-esteem. In addition, they often respond to high stress by shopping more, hoping to feel better, but the opposite occurs. Impulsive spending leads to more stress.

DECLUTTERING MIND

By decluttering your living or office space, you are doing the same for your mind. 

Although getting rid of a huge amount of your material possessions will seem like you’re losing a part of you, it’s just a step in finding yourself.

What is more, by tuning out the noise and focusing on what is important, you will soon realize what truly matters and what does not.

OPEN SPACES

The things that surround you are triggering thoughts, even when they aren’t immediately conscious. 

This is why you’ll feel more relaxed in open, clean spaces. 

There is some evidence to suggest that the human mind is influenced by the distance between objects.

So, making your home feel more spacious is likely to be beneficial for your mental health.

GAINING CONTROL

Owning a lot of material goods is incredibly tempting, which is why most of us fall into consumerism so easily.

By owning less you will not only be more at peace, but also more in control of your own life.

A huge part of mental illness is comprised of feeling a loss of control over various, if not all aspects of your life.

Living with less makes you finally feel like you have enough.