So, let’s start simple. What is minimalism? Minimalism is often characterized by the idea of living with very few possessions. It can often be seen in videos online of people with very little possessions. For example: one of each utensil, one bowl, a couple shirts and maybe two pairs of shoes.
Although that approach works wonderfully for some people, it isn’t always realistic for others. The core of minimalism is to put your values first and get rid of things you don’t need in your life. It often seems like these days many people believe money can buy you happiness. The more things you have the better your life will be. Keeping up on all the latest fashion trends, buying all the latest gadgets, swiping up all the latest makeup that comes on the shelves, with these you’ll find happiness.
Minimalism challenges the belief that money can buy you happiness by getting you to refocus your life around your values and appreciating your experiences and your relationships with others. Minimalism helps you declutter your life by taking away distractions you don’t need and replacing them with more deep and meaningful things. Anyone can benefit from a more minimalist lifestyle.
The Benefits of Minimalism
- More time By switching to a more minimalist lifestyle you will have more time to yourself. You don’t have to spend any extra time trying to find something you lost or spend so much time cleaning your room. By owning less, you don’t have to spend as much time cleaning and organizing. You’ll have more free time to do whatever you like and you’ll already know where everything is.
- Stress Reduction Less clutter means less stress. I’m sure you all can relate to how relaxing it is to come home to an organized and clean space. If you’re like me and live in a tiny apartment with limited space, it’s easy to understand how stressful it is to never have enough space for all your stuff. Living in such a small place has taught me to downsize and only keep things I really need.
- Save Money By switching to a more minimalist lifestyle you get to save a ton of money. Instead of going out and blowing all your money as soon as you get paid you can save your money for only essentials, such as replacing your old phone, maybe upgrading your TV, or putting it aside in savings. You get to spend your money on higher quality items. Not only can you save for better, more useful things, you can also save your money and put it towards experiences rather than objects. You can go try out that new restaurant you’ve been dying to try, or check out a concert that’s coming to town. You will have a lot more fun and more memorable moments when your money goes to experiences, not objects.
- Personal Growth Minimalism lets you have more time for things that matter to you. Less stuff means living a less stress filled life and more money means less financial stress. By refocusing your life around values, experiences, and relationships and less on physical objects you will learn to appreciate life so much more. There’s so much more to life than the latest and greatest items to buy. You will learn how experiences and personal connections with those around you can truly change your perspective on life. You will have great stories to tell and amazing people by your side.
How to Achieve a More Minimalist Lifestyle
- Go through your closet One of the first and easiest steps you can do would be simply going through your closet. I know it’s tough to get rid of things, but try to be realistic with what you wear and what you don’t. Realistically you’ll hardly notice any of the things you never wore once they’re gone, and you’ll get more closet space. You could sell them and make a little extra cash on the side, or you can donate whatever clothes and shoes you decide to get rid of, and help someone in need.
- Go through your computer Minimalism can be brought to every aspect of your life, even your computer. If you haven’t, take the time to organize everything that’s on your computer. I suggest you give it a try. File, sort, and organize everything whether it’s for school, work, or personal, organize everything. You will feel so much better when every time you get on your computer you’re greeted with a clean, organized desktop. Even go through your emails and unsubscribe from all those pesky ads that just love to pop up. Also, uninstall apps or programs you never use that just take up space.
- Go through your household Besides just your room go through your kitchen, living room, bathroom, and even the laundry room. You can find there’s tons of things you don’t need scattered around the house. My biggest problem has always been coffee mugs. I just love coffee mugs, but realistically I don’t need 10 coffee mugs taking up a whole shelf in my already tiny kitchen. Even go through the pantry to see if there’s anything just sitting that can be tossed or donated. You’ll be looking at things and wonder why on earth you ever bothered to spend money on them.
- Make it a goal to save money After you’ve cleared the place, make it a goal to start saving money. Try to not waste your money on unnecessary things that way you can put your money towards experiences, or put it in your savings for later or even start an emergency fund. I mean who would complain about having more money.
- Make it a goal to change Besides just cleaning out the house and learning how to handle your money you need to make it a goal to change. A goal is to pay closer attention to the things that matter to you. Spend more time with people you care about, build stronger relationships. Work on building fond memories you can look back upon. Learning how to appreciate life is so important for overall happiness and well being. The point of this journey is to improve yourself and your overall happiness. Life is short, so we need to make the most of it.