My Brain Feels Better When Things Are Simple
I’ve noticed something about myself recently, especially after getting a super small 550 sq. ft. apartment, lol!
The more complicated my life feels, the worse I usually feel mentally.
Too many things on my mind. Spending too much time on my phone. And too much information that I forget 30 seconds after I read it. I know people can relate.
I know my brain functions better when things are simple.
I Don’t Need That Much
I catch myself overcomplicating things all the time.
I’ll spend forever researching the “perfect” way to do something when the obvious answer was probably good enough from the start. Sometimes I think I enjoy optimizing things a little too much. And maybe that’s just a little way for me to procrastinate doing the things I need to do…
When it comes to workouts, I naturally drift toward simple routines. Pull-ups. Push-ups. Walking. Basic stuff I know I’ll actually stick to consistently, and it works.
Same with life in general honestly.
The older I get, the more I realize I don’t really need constant stimulation to feel happy, and that’s not to say I don’t get stuck in that loop. I need decent sleep. A workout. Some structure. Good conversations. Progress toward something meaningful. Time outside. A clean space.
That’s usually enough to make me feel pretty solid.
Too Much Noise Throws Me Off
I think modern life makes it really easy to feel mentally cluttered.
There’s always something to check, buy, improve, or think about. Sometimes I’ll catch myself scrolling through four different apps at once like my attention span has completely disintegrated.
Not exactly peak human performance if you ask me.
And whenever life starts feeling chaotic, I usually notice the same thing helps me reset:
simplifying everything again.
- Less phone time. Actually deleting the pointless apps I keep going to.
- Less overthinking. Intentionally trying not to think.
- Less junk. Throwing things away.
- Less trying to do everything at once. Focus on one thing at a time.
More clarity.
The Simple Stuff Works
Refer to my post on simplicity for my thoughts on this.
One thing I’ve learned is that most things that genuinely improve my life are pretty simple on paper.
- Working out consistently.
- Getting enough sleep.
- Talking to friends.
- Going outside.
- Eating well. (I eat the same things almost every day. I know this isn’t for everyone).
None of those are groundbreaking, but they work.
I think I used to believe improvement had to come from some huge breakthrough or life-changing system. But honestly, most of the progress in my life has come from repeating very basic things consistently.
Final Thought
I still have goals. I still want to improve my life and push myself. I don’t think ambition is a bad thing at all.
The more I simplify things, the calmer and clearer I usually feel.
Maybe that’s boring to some people.
But lately, I’ve wanted boring.
Thanks for reading!
Blake
Leave a Reply