Minimalism Saved Me: My Journey from Overload to Inner Calm

While I'm still testing this platform, I decided to check my phone calendar to see what my schedule looked like a year ago and I realized my typical week back then was brutally packed. Honestly, I couldn't live like that now.

Work: 7 AM to 4 PM.
Errands: 5 PM to 6 PM.
Then came a pile of other tasks that filled the rest of my day until bedtime. I usually went to sleep around midnight, and yeah, it was a nightmare.

The scariest part back then, I genuinely thought that was normal, that everyone lived like that. Turns out, they didn't.

I was coping, not living.

I noticed the warning signs, but I ignored them.

It started with constant fatigue. Then came insomnia and sleep deprivation, which led to poor decisions, awkward words, and messy thoughts.

Even basic self-care, like brushing my teeth, began to feel like a challenge.

Work took everything from me. Constant communication with clients drained me. It felt like they were sucking the energy out of me from the inside.

That's when it became hard to be around people, to talk to anyone.

Stress slowly turned into overload.

First, I cleared things out and let go.

One day, while having lunch in the center of Stockholm, I noticed something. Even though it was a Tuesday, right in the middle of the day, people were laughing, talking. Parents were walking with their kids. A fountain was running. The whole city felt alive. And I asked the typical hardworking-guy question: "Don't these people have jobs?" Turns out, they did. Some even busier than mine. But they had balance between work and life.

That's when it started. The clearing. Not just physical stuff: emails, newsletters, followers on social media, but also visual noise. Then came the apps on my phone. Then people. That part was hard, of course. But with every removed thing came a sense of ease. Fresh air. Like opening a window in a stuffy room.

The rule of three

The biggest discovery of my life:

No more than three tasks a day.
No more than three goals a month.
No more than three major focus areas in life.

Within these limits, I finally started to feel life. I went part-time at my job. I write only in the mornings. During the day I work. In the evening, just one last task before bed: self-care and simply enjoying the day I had.

That's when simplicity arrived in my life, something I'd been wanting for a long time. And no, I didn't become a hermit. I still have work, hobbies, friends, ambition. But every part of my life became simpler.

No overthinking. No extra problems. No headaches.

And when even the slightest stress shows up, I remind myself:
"It doesn't matter. I'm an adult. And what matters is me."

What helped the most

Digital detox: unsubscribing from newsletters, spam on email, removing useless apps, turning off notifications. Today, my phone has zero notifications. I only see messages or content when I choose to.

White calendar: only meaningful commitments go in there. Nothing extra. No cooking, cleaning, laundry. Just what truly matters. The rest is not important.

Silence: from 15 minutes to however long I feel like. No phone. No screen. No people. Just me, in a dark room. Sometimes I write down my thoughts, what's in the way, what brings me joy.

What changed

The point wasn't to radically change who I am, just to take the extra weight off my shoulders.

I started feeling less tired. And most importantly, I finally began getting enough sleep. Vitamins became part of my morning routine.

During subway rides, I read books and listened to podcasts.

That small shift gave me the space to spend the rest of the day on myself and on inner peace.

Exactly what I needed. Exactly what I recommend.