We live in a society that focuses on consumerism, material possessions, and ever-growing trends. It’s easy to get into the habit of spending and accumulating items that once served a purpose, but now we’re left with homes filled with clutter. Overtime, our peaceful sanctuary starts to become a stressful environment to live in.
I’ve learned that minimalism is not about what you own. It’s about why you own it.
brian gardner.
Minimalism encourages you to create a space for mindfulness, appreciate what you have, and prioritize what matters. It’s helped me save time and energy by eliminating unnecessary distractions and obligations. I’m intentional with my decisions, which helps me stay focused on what’s important. I believe that embracing minimalism is one of the best ways to achieve greater clarity, contentment, and happiness in life.
What is Minimalism?
Minimalism is a “lifestyle involving a reduction or simplification of one’s material possessions that frees one to lead an existence that is more intentional, purposeful, spiritual, etc.” It’s not a term that is bound by specific rules, but the core definition is a lifestyle that encourages mindfulness.
Minimalism is a way of simplifying your life by surrounding yourself with things that actually bring value. It encourages you to focus on the essentials and not over-consume, so you have more time to enjoy life.
Minimalism Myths
• Minimalism isn’t about empty drawers and closets, or bare apartments and homes. While this approach may work for some, it’s not going to work for all. It’s a unique journey and it’s going to look different for everyone.
• Minimalism doesn’t focus on numbers, which is something we often associate with this type of lifestyle. You don’t need to own X amount of a certain thing to be considered a minimalist.
• It’s unrealistic to assume that minimalism is a one size fits all situation, especially for those with larger families, kids, and pets. For example, a larger family may declutter their bookshelf from 100 books to 40 books. While a smaller family may get rid of their books altogether and go digital. Both of these scenarios are still considered taking a minimalist approach.
• Being a minimalist doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself, own cool things, or decorate your home. It just shifts your perspective to be more mindful with how you spend your money and what you allow in your space.
• Minimalism is more than just getting rid of physical clutter, it’s a mindfulness journey. If you don’t tap into the mindfulness aspect, then no matter how much you declutter, you’ll always end up filling your space with things again overtime.
Is Minimalism Right for Everyone?
There’s no right or wrong way to approach minimalism, which makes it possible for anyone to embrace this lifestyle. Remember, minimalism doesn’t focus on numbers and everyone’s journey will look different. As long as your possessions are serving a purpose and being utilized, then that’s all that matters. Go at your own pace and allow yourself to discover what minimalism means to you.
Why I Love Living a Minimalist Lifestyle
1) Sustainability When you’re intentional with what you bring into your space and your spending, you’re making better choices for the environment. You’re less likely to impulse shop, which reduces the amount of waste that ends up in the landfill and you’re focused in investing in higher quality items that will last. It benefits your home, your wallet, and our planet.
2) My belongings serve a purpose Items that have been sitting in a box, the corner of a closet, or under your bed that haven’t been touched or used in years, aren’t serving a purpose. The purpose of owning things is that they have value and enhance your life in some way. Once I got rid of the extra clutter, it was so much easier to find things. It felt great to open drawers and cabinets and see every single item that served a purpose and was used frequently.
3) Cleaning is a breeze Since I’ve embraced a minimalist lifestyle, cleaning has been a breeze. I’ve noticed a huge difference, especially when it comes to laundry. My closet was once packed with clothes, many of which I didn’t wear for years. Now when I open my closet, every single item is worn routinely and it’s so much easier to keep track of what’s been washed.
4) Save time and money Many of us are guilty of impulse shopping, especially when it comes to keeping up with trends. After months of decluttering, it’s made me more mindful with what I bring into my space. If something catches my eye, I’ll bookmark it. I’m saving money and time from going through the decluttering process again.
5) More time to enjoy life Living a minimalist lifestyle has taught me how liberating it is to live with less. At one point in my life, I thought I needed all of these “things” when in reality they were causing me stress. Owning things that bring you joy and serve a purpose makes it so much easier to enjoy life.
Minimalism is more than just clearing your space from clutter; it’s about letting go of things that don’t serve you and allowing the things that do to stay. It’s a lifelong journey with many rewards. What are your thoughts on minimalism? Is it a journey you’d like to embrace? I’d love to hear your thoughts. For more posts relating to productivity, visit my tag here.
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love seeing others trying out the minimalist lifestyle. I’m not as strict with it anymore, but love a good decluttering session and living with more intention. I will always believe experiences are better than material items.
I agree, I’m enjoying the mindfulness journey without being too strict. Thank you for reading B!
I loved how you pointed out that minimalism can be a smart way to save money and save time cleaning! The timing of your post is perfect, as it’s the perfect time to do some spring cleaning!!
Yes, I agree! Thank you for reading Heidi and good luck with your spring cleaning!
I think it’s good that you touched on the fact that minimalism is about different things for different people 🙂 I’d love to be more minimalist but the truth is I love having lots of choice!
Living with me, and then when we had kids, is definitely a challenge for my husband as he likes things simple and minimal and neat, where the kids and I…well we all love books and we frequently have more books than storage allows. Once the kids are grown I think he will get the minimalism he craves, haha!
Hahaha, it’s definitely great having choices and enjoying things like books! Thank you for reading Mica!
I love this! I hear so much about it, but honestly, I don’t think it’s for me. Super impressive how you do it though <3
Love,
Krissi of the marquise diamond
https://www.themarquisediamond.de
Thank you so much Krissi! I hope you enjoyed your weekend!
This post definitely inspires me to do some cleaning and think more sustainable. So true, having lots of stuff doesn’t make us happier.
https://fashionradi.com/
I’m so happy to hear that Radi! I agree, having less is always more and longterm happiness doesn’t come from physical items. Thank you for reading!
I am happy you explained minimalism, I use to think its more about empty spaces. I tell you after reading your post, I have been laughing at myself. This is why I read blogs, you can only find this type of informations in blogs. Detailed and served fresh. Thank you for teaching me something new today. I appreciate.
https://www.melodyjacob.com/
Thank you so much Melody! A minimalist lifestyle is typically marketed as bare spaces with neutral colors, but the core goal is mindfulness. I’m so happy to share this information because it can inspire others to give it a try without thinking it’s unattainable. Thank you for reading and for your kind words!
I’m living a minimalist lifestyle and I’m loving it a lot. These are spot-on reasons for choosing this lifestyle.
That’s awesome Fransic! I’m happy to hear that. Thank you for reading!
These are all great reasons. We don’t live a minimalist lifestyle, but we have taken steps to be more mindful of what we buy and have in our home.
That’s wonderful! It’s a great practice to be mindful of our spending and what we allow in our space. Thank you for reading!
I am working my way towards this type of lifestyle and absolutely love it. This includes when I’m travelling – carryon only is the least stressful way to go! Have a great week!
That’s amazing Jodie! It truly is a wonderful feeling. I absolutely agree with your point on travelling with a carryon, it relieves stress and saves so much time!
All of these reasons make sense to live a minimalist life. I think that not having so much clutter is a key reason why it sounds good to me.
Yes, dealing with constant clutter can be so overwhelming. It’s been great realizing that less is more. Thank you for reading Lanae!
It’s good that you’re already living the minimalist lifestyle. I’m still trying. Huhuhu…
It’s great that you’re trying and you’ll get there soon! It’s taken me a long time, but the journey has been worth it. Thank you for reading Fadima!
These are great suggestions to adapt a minimalist interiors. It promotes sustainability and definitely helps in budgeting. Thanks for sharing a great post.
Yes! I love that this lifestyle is beneficial for the planet as well. Thank you for reading Ranjana!
I love that you go into detail about how minimalism doesn’t look the same for everyone. I think we hear “minimalism” and think, owning like 10 possessions. But that’s absolutely not the case. I wouldn’t call myself a minimalist by any means but on the scale, I would be tipping more towards that side than the other because I absolutely hate clutter and don’t really like owning much. I own a lot of books because reading is my favourite thing ever and I’d never feel bad about that!
Exactly! There’s a mainstream idea of what minimalism looks like, but it’s truly a lifestyle that will be unique to all. And never feel bad about owning too many books, reading is a wonderful thing!