Everything requires tending. Our bodies, souls. relationships. homes and gardens. It can feel daunting at times. How will I ever take care of so many things?
For me, it begins with having less. A small home and garden suit me. The less space I have, the less I can accumulate, and the less I have to tend to. That is the crux of minimalism for me; choosing what I want to live with and tend to. It’s not a set of rules or dogma imposed on me but a process of choosing for myself to create a soul-aligned environment.
People often ask for tips on how to maintain a minimal home. I think it is a matter of reviewing what we have and choosing to keep only what we are willing to maintain with joy and love. If we have something that we are not maintaining or that we maintain resentfully, it will not serve us just as we are not serving it well.
This spring has been warm and rainy so my garden grew quickly. Before I could get in there and weed, the plants took off and the weeds along with them. So I decided to redesign the gardens.
In our front garden, I reduced the number of plants. After moving the varied plants into the back garden which is full of native flowering plants, I planted lilies up front. They are low maintenance, beautiful, and easy to distinguish from the weeds.
Having less in the garden up front makes it not only minimal and orderly, but it is also easier to maintain. The plants and weeds are not woven together anymore. Besides, the back garden looks lush and that’s my cutting garden, so I like it like that.
A small garden up front and a larger one in the back yard works well for me. There’s not too much work to do to maintain them which is good because I have other things to tend to.
This time of year, in my home, I focus on fixing what is broken. There’s a record player that I would love to use, if it was in working order. We need to replace wood on our upstairs patio and all the wooden outdoor furniture needs a coat of stain.
Our kitchen needs some work, too. The counter needs replacing and the cabinets need to be adjusted. It’s a good summer project so we can eat outside or escape to the little lake house if necessary while work is being done.
I’ve cleaned out my closet – donating items and bringing others to the tailor so they will be wearable. This is an ongoing project. Whenever I bring something new into my closet, I take something out.
That’s the seasonal home and garden work. As far as tending my body, soul, and relationships, I keep it simple with rhythms or a schedule that flows. The key aspects of body care are: movement, diet, and sleep. Regardless of the season, I do yoga in the morning and take a walk in the afternoon. Those are the bones of my movement program with summer bonuses including bicycling, kayaking, and swimming.
My diet year-round involves three meals a day. In the summer, I include more fresh fruits, vegetables, and hydration. We don’t follow a lot of dietary trends but we do eat what’s in season and mostly cook and eat at home.
Tending my soul involves art, nature, and socializing. I love to read, hear music, and view art. Time in nature is sacred to me and we spend as much time as possible at our little lake house where we hike, kayak, and swim a lot. When I am out and about, I love seeing people.
Being outside allows for spontaneous meetings. Summer events call people out where we can find each other. When we run into one another, we often decide to plan to get together and our social calendar fills up. When we meet, conversations nourish my soul. They remind me of how alike we are which can relieve loneliness.
That’s summer – full of activity! There are both recreational and home care activities to do. It’s the nature of the season! I have decided instead of fretting how I will do it all and take care of everything, I will be grateful for what I have and am able to care for.
If I am afraid that I won’t get something done, or do it right, my brain goes into survival mode and my body is flooded with stress hormones. When I work in this way, I may do the right things, but I don’t achieve the desired outcomes. It also takes a toll on my body which is not meant to be a state of stress longer than it takes to flee from a wild animal.
But if I am grateful for all I have and tend it with loving care, the results are better, definitely more gratifying. Try doing your own experiments. The mood we bring to activities changes not only the process but also the results. We cannot separate the process and results.
Being afraid something will go wrong creates hyper-vigilance, blocks integration, and leads to nervousness. It takes more energy than a relaxed focus. It might be a habit, a go-to reaction that is on automatic pilot; it will take consciousness to make a change.
Lately, I have noticed when things turned out differently than planned, it triggered fear and subsequent stress mode. I have started worrying about results. My first concern is whether everyone will be ok. Then I consider the things – first people, then things. Will we be able to find help to do the repairs that need to be done? And will our intentions turn into results? Will the situation that failed turn out anyway?
It’s more likely to happen, if I let go of the heaviness of worry and bring wonder instead. Wondering how something will happen involves imagination, a sense of trust, and openness whereas worry is associated with distrust and being closed to possibilities.
So minimalism has taught me about choosing carefully what I have and how I want to live. Rhythms for daily life reduce the number of decisions to make. My rhythms are aligned with the seasons. That works for me and I feel supported by the natural world.
Bringing the light of summer into everything I do, I allow imagination to penetrate my thinking and see possibilities everywhere.
If you have forgotten how to imagine, spend time with a young child. The power of imagination peaks in early childhood and children can remind us that we too, have this power, even if it is dormant.
Before I redesigned our gardens, I imagined how they would look. I am looking over my desk at the old record player and I imagine listening to music on it. When I look out on the patio, I imagine the repairs finished.
Minimalism is not just a design motif, it is a practice. One that involves steady rhythms, gratitude, and keeping it light. I seek to balance steady and grounded with light and positive.
I don’t want to be weighed down by overthinking or worrying, I want to remove from my consciousness whatever is unnecessary, whatever does not align with my goals, the seasons, and this time of life. That’s the minimalist way. Reducing what we have creates more space for what we want to focus on.
Summer is the time for more lightness, joy, and beauty in our hearts and homes. It is an expansive time of year where we are drawn outward into the world. And it feels right to align with the quality of the season.
When I weed my garden or clean my closet, I weed worry from my consciousness and plant seeds of joy, gratitude, and love.
And I clear space in my mind and home to spotlight what is beautiful that I want to grow in my life!
