I’m Hector, a Brazilian psychology student who’s passionate about life—and more and more into minimalism. My life has been intense, and I’ve struggled with anxiety ever since I was a kid.
As time passed, I started to learn and practice the minimalist lifestyle. My anxiety was a big reason I started questioning whether having more stuff means having more peace, whether having more stuff means you’ll be complete. Well, now I know it doesn’t.
When I’m facing a messy space, I feel like it reflects a messy mind, and it makes me anxious. When I watched The Minimalists: Less Is Now by Joshua Fields and Ryan Nicodemus on Netflix, and they suggested the audience remove one thing from their lives a day for thirty days, I thought that was brilliant. I did it myself: I got rid of a bunch of stuff in a single day instead of thirty. It did wonders for my organization. And I felt less anxious right away.
When I graduate, I want to apply minimalism to my job. I believe psychology and minimalism work well together. I want to have a clean room so that my patient and I can focus on what’s essential. I want to guide them into a peaceful, meaningful life. I want to help people appreciate the simple moments, just like I already do.
I believe minimalism is a good tool to help me with my anxiety. I’m still in the process of reducing, and I’m feeling a lot better already. I find beauty and calm in clear spaces. Focusing on the essential makes room for more focus. I definitely made the right decision, and that’s the lifestyle I want to live.