Most of us have heard the phrase “less is more” before, but abiding by this philosophy is not that easy. However, many people are already living a minimalist life and enjoying it. What’s the secret?
The first thing you must learn is what minimalism is. Once we establish what it is, we can learn how it can improve our own lives. Minimalism is a search for the essential, but it is not a set of rules. But then, how you will know if you have achieved a minimalist life? You will achieve a minimalist life when you, your comfort and your happiness take precedence over your material goods.
A Minimalist Life Reduces Anxiety
If you have an anxiety disorder, you will not cure it by getting rid of clutter and useless things, but you can at least minimize your anxiety by minimizing those things. Clutter worsens anxiety. If you are feeling overwhelmed and anxious, take a look at your home. Do you see too many spaces packed with too many things? If so, you may benefit from getting rid of some of your stuff. If there are some things you simply cannot live without, then keep them. However, you do not have to keep everything you ever bought or were given.
You May Save Money
If you are not buying as many trinkets and knickknacks, you will notice that you are able to put money into other uses. Likewise, if you are getting rid of things that you already own, you can always consider selling them to make a little extra money. For example, you might sell clothes that don’t suit you anymore, and invest the profit in better quality pieces to replace your old garments. Such choice is really convenient in the long term, as well as more sustainable. Or if you wish to walk the extra mile, you could donate those funds to a worthy cause.
Save Time with a Minimalist Life
You will have less to clean, pack when moving, or rearrange for Christmas decorations. You will have fewer chores and this will allow you to do more of what makes you happy. Of course, if you love dusting things, you can probably find a plethora of friends who will gladly let you dust their homes. However, if you are like most of us, you will be thrilled to have more time, as you won’t be fussing over a million things that need to be put away, cleaned, or moved.
Increase Your Intentionality
Intentionality has become a buzzword in mental health and personal growth. You can decide to live intentionally rather than attached to someone’s idea of life. With fewer things, you will start thinking about the purpose of those things and also the people in your life. Intentionality means buying a new vase not because it’s pretty, and you might one day use it. It means buying a new vase because your old vase broke, and you need a new one for the flowers you were given. It means buying things intentionally for a specific purpose.
Add Value to Your Life
You will be able to add value to your life rather than adding things to it. You will increase the value of the things in your life and decrease the number of pointless objects in your home. Your home will also increase in personal value, as it will begin to feel cozier and more welcoming.
Improve Relationships
You may be wondering how you can improve a relationship by embracing a minimalist lifestyle. However, when you begin considering the value of things and the meaning of your actions and possessions, you will also begin taking stock of what matters in relationships. You will often overlook the grouchy response when your partner is having a bad day and you won’t worry so much when someone is ten minutes late. The little things will begin to fade, and you won’t even notice them.
Bottom Line of a Minimalist Life
Your life can improve in many ways by living a minimalist lifestyle. You will not be bothered by the little nuisances in life because you will be busy seeking out what is truly important. You may find that you need far less than you ever thought to be happy and thrive. As a minimalist, you will eventually create less waste and less junk, because recycling, upcycling, and focusing on the function of purchases will lead you to a cleaner life. Rather than producing so much waste and uselessness, you will find ways to be purposeful and useful.
So, are you ready? Start with purging a few things that you do not need, and then spend time looking at each area of your life to determine what is getting in the way of your happiness.
Cover image: Photo by averie woodard on Unsplash
