What is minimalist living?
I’ve found some positive results from taking this approach towards this minimalism lifestyle that I wanted to share with you all and hopefully you can get a few things out of it. Minimalism is the act of living with only the necessities that ensure that you live a happy and joyous life. Simply put it, not living with useless crap.
Many people believe the minimalist life is about living with the bare bones of things and that is totally not correct– it’s about keeping only the things that you need or makes you happy. It’s about getting rid of the unnecessary and making room for the things that actually matter. So, heres my list of Benefits of a Minimalist Lifestyle
How did I find out about This Minimalist Lifestyle?
I’ve found some positive results from taking this approach towards this minimalism lifestyle that I wanted to share with you all and hopefully you can get a few things out of it. Incorporating minimalism into my lifestyle didn’t mean taking a drastic shift in my behavior. Before even knowing about minimalism, I was always frugal and didn’t like to spend money on useless junk. It wasn’t until I found the terminology for it other than the word “being cheap”.
Thanks to Youtube’s algorithm and their suggested section, I randomly came across one of Matt D’Avella’s video mentioning Minimalism and what it entailed.
At first, I was a bit shocked by how someone could live with so less. After seeing the same seven shirts throughout the week, the fact that he only had a few plates and barely any possessions made me uncomfortable by how extreme he took this lifestyle.
Soon after, I started watching more of his videos out of boredom and eventually, it slowly started sticking to me. The more I watched, the more comfortable I got, and the reasoning behind his approach made more sense to me.
What benefits did you get out of this Minimalist Lifestyle approach?
Ever since I decided to take this approach, I have found a few benefits to this minimalist lifestyle.
1. Peace from Clutter
I’m the type of person who likes to be free from clutter and garbage. Especially at work, I always clean up my desk before I do anything because to me a clean desk = a clean mind. Owning fewer things makes my life easier because there isn’t much to clean up, to begin with.
2. Less Stress, More Time
Picking out my clothes is a lot easier now because I don’t have a wide variety of styles to choose from (I don’t wear the same seven shirts as Matt D’Avella does, but I decided to clean out my closet of the stuff I no longer wear and stuff it into a big garbage bag). Now my closet only has clothes that I do wear and it saves me a lot of time when choosing my outfit. Having fewer belongings also makes it a lot easier for me to find my stuff.
3. Easier on My Wallet
Without a doubt, this was one of the biggest benefits of taking on this minimalist lifestyle and purging all my useless junk. I sold a majority of the things I impulse bought in my younger years and was able to put a decent amount of cash in my pocket.
4. No longer rely on possessions for happiness
When I was younger, I was too caught up with keeping up with the Joneses. My friends and I always wanted to flex on each other with our new expensive and luxury clothes i.e. (Louis Vuitton, Gucci, True Religions, Canada Goose.) This mindset of being reliant on materialistic goods as a source of happiness led me to waste a lot of money and time on the things that I believed were most important back then. Eventually, as I grew older, made new friends, and strayed away from the old ones, I’ve learned to let go of the expensive goods.
- A cheap wallet will hold money and cards as perfect as a Louis Vuitton one (I tried to sell my LV wallet, but the creases that were developed due to my gluteus maximus has made this wallet no longer desirable by others).
- An exotic car and a regular priced car (assuming in good condition) will take you to point A and B.
- A Rolex watch and a regular watch will still tell you the same time
5. Really appreciate what makes me happy
After learning that luxury goods and materialistic possessions weren’t a good source of happiness, it really opened my eyes to what truly made me happy. I started appreciating the things I’ve once had and neglected to admire. You know how the saying goes “you don’t know what you got until it’s gone”. You technically did know that you had it, you just never bothered to appreciate it.
How did I start with the minimalist living cleanse?
After being convinced that the minimalism lifestyle was something I wanted to incorporate into my life, I slowly took the necessary steps to de-clutter and detox.
· Clean up your house. Think of this as the reset button to getting your home into tip top shape.
· Purge of all the things that either…
· You don’t use
· Don’t make you happy or have sentimental value.
· Either donate, sell, give away, or dispose of the junk
· Don’t make any more impulse buys of useless things! 😊
For me, I find happiness in knowing I save money and am financially responsible, but for someone else, happiness may be knowing that they can go out and buy their next Gucci belt! Remember that these lifestyles are not a set of rules you must abide by, and think about it as something that you can tailor to your needs!
There are things in life that different people will deem more important. Minimalism does not mean that you have to live with all your belongings in a box—it’s more about knowing the difference of something that truly matters vs something that you can do without.
In conclusion, the minimalist lifestyle offers a variety of benefits that can lead to a happier, more fulfilling life. By de-cluttering your physical space and focusing on what truly matters, you can experience increased productivity, less stress, and a greater sense of peace. Additionally, minimalism can help you to be more mindful of your consumption, leading to financial savings and a reduced environmental impact. By embracing minimalism, you can simplify your life and make room for the things that truly bring you joy.