Several times, I wish I could just remain in the fantasy of a serene environment since ordinarily living in one seems impossible. It would be somewhere quiet, a place far from this chaotic and noisy world. I have pictured myself living in a small cottage far away in the woods, but it would be a terrible decision in a country struggling a lot with security issues.
Living in the kind of environment I desire is something I am very far from, especially with the fact that I live in a rented apartment and a compound with three other families.
Being someone who spends a lot of time at home, I sometimes really get tired of the disturbance coming from a particular neighbor, but for the sake of my sanity, I always remind myself that we humans can't be the same.
We have different upbringings and backgrounds, we have different exposures, and we have lived in different environments with different people, so I can't expect them to live in a way that pleases me. Our differences will always play out sometimes, no matter how much we hide.
Just last night, this same neighbor put on his noisy power generator just immediately after the electricity went off. We had this electricity for over 6 hours, and I expected that to be enough since the weather is cold. The noise from the engine disturbed my sleeping time, but that particular family has zero consideration about the other tenants. After complaining a lot of times, I just had to stop because it doesn't look like he will change, and I don't want to become a nagging neighbor.
Aside from what's happening in my compound, there are about three bars just behind my street, and the three playing loud music at the same time has turned into noise that goes on for hours every day till midnight.
Let me shift my focus from my immediate environment to Lagos and even Nigeria as a whole. The uproar and chaos in the country is enough to pile up stress and even deprive the citizens of peace, but the majority of us have found ways to cope amidst the noise, chaos, and whatever disturbance is happening around us.
I am one of those with a good number of activities that helps me relax because I believe that if I can't find a perfect environment, I can create one for myself.
Listening to music puts me beyond the reach of the noise or any disturbance happening around me, and it's my easiest coping mechanism since I just have plug in my earphones or headset and I am gone. Listening to music helps me to stay focused as it distracts me from negative thoughts and emotions. It puts me in a relaxing mood, and it didn't start today.
Before Java phones came into existence, I saved up some money to buy a small second-hand portable MP3 player back then, and it was my most valuable investment those years. I don't lend anyone, not even my siblings, because of how important it was to me.
My family and a few friends know quite well that once I start listening to music at the least expected place, there is something uncomfortable about the environment I am in. It could be a random noise, a cluttered space, or someone even talking too much around me.
A day won't pass without me listening to music, and one thing you will always find with me outdoors is either an earpiece or headset.
Hanging out in nature is another activity I do mostly in the evening with my wife. We just go about enjoying the evening air in nature, chatting, and taking pictures.
Despite the disturbance in my environment and even in the world as a whole, I realized that nature's always retains its perfection and calmness. While strolling, I just allow myself to drown in the goodness of nature, and that's enough to disconnect myself from all the troubles happening in the world.
Sometimes we visit a nearby garden before the sun gets really hot and just have fun in the simplest ways. Nature reminds me of the simplicity of life, and it's just perfect for me.
Speaking of cooking, it's one of my favorite activities, and I really enjoy doing it. Unlike many people, cooking is one of my stress relief activities, and it's one of the reasons you will find me in the kitchen even after complaining of tiredness.
When cooking, I put in my mind the food, and it's like therapy for me. It elevates my mood, and I am very quick to let go of any bad feelings, thoughts, and even negative energy once I start cooking. To even make things more balanced, listening to music from my stereo while cooling takes my mood to a whole different level.
Engaging in craft gives me a similar feeling to cooking, and I just enjoy doing these things over and over again.
The world is moving at a really fast pace, and trying to catch up has made so many people lose touch with who they are and what they truly represent. My way of relaxing and finding calmness might seem weird to an ordinary person, but those who understand being in control of their time and life in general can relate.
As ordinary as these things sounds, they are more effective in helping me relax and finding calmness in the world we live in today, they perfectly interpret the minimalist saying that "Less Is More." Having so many activities I can engage with to relax is a blessing and been in control of everything that has to do with me makes me happy.
These simple activities have made me understand that peace and calmness isn't a destination but a decision we have to make while traveling through life. As a minimalist, you will agree with me that calmess isn't the absence of noise because the world will never be a perfect place. It is more about practicing self-awareness, acceptance and being intentional about what we truly want.