There is no denying that the world around us has become totally infested with gluttony. All that consumerism, all those billboard adverts and TV commercials that promote stuff, stuff and more stuff. Well, that is where the concept of minimalism rides in on a gallant white steed like a knight in shining armour.
Some people (those that only live on the extremes) think minimalism is about living in a cabin in the woods, collecting rainwater to bath in and knitting their own granola. But it isn’t. It’s simply about minimizing your lifestyle, getting rid of what you don’t need in order to focus on what you do. It’s pretty cool actually, as are the benefits of embracing less is more.
1. Know What’s Important
Life should be about stories, not stuff, memories not material possessions, and that is what minimalism encourages. You start to realise that a house stuffed with clutter is not what makes you intrinsically happy. So, get your purge on, lose the claustrophobic feeling and start filling your life with meaning.
2. More Time For Adventure
Everything we own acts like an anchor, as does the whole trying to keep up with the Jones’s sort of attitude. So, instead of spending every weekend at Homebase, use this anchor free life to do more of the stuff you wished you had time for. Runaway for long weekends in mini homes that are made to your measure. Enjoy your kids instead of staring at your phone. Go to the gym three times a week. Read more books and do more travelling.
3. A Space To Suit You
The entire western world seems to have adopted a mind-set where we buy the biggest house we can afford and then fill it with stuff. What we should be doing, though, is buying the smallest house we can comfortably live in, pay off our mortgages decades sooner, retire earlier and refocus our attention on what really matters in life. We all enjoy stuff, but we enjoy experiences far more. It’s something the millennial generation has come to realise far earlier than anyone.
4. Life Free Of Stress
Clinging onto to the stuff we own causes a terrifying amount of stress. We’re afraid of losing the things we own, or breaking them, or having them stolen or any number of things. But these things don’t hold any real importance. By minimizing your life, you’re simplifying it. You’re ridding yourself of any attachment you may feel toward these things and getting a much better deal in terms of peace of mind. Less things, less worry. It’s that simple.
5. Be More Confident
Every movement has a reason and that same goes for the minimalist movement. This is something that is designed to be two-fingers toward consumerism, it is there to promote individuality, self-reliance and self-belief, and all of these things will make you feel a thousand times more confident and a thousand time happier. That’s what this concept was meant to achieve.
You don’t have to go the full hog and sell everything. You can if you want, but you don’t have to. A simple purge, a slight downsize, a refocus of what’s important, that’s all you need to do to reap the benefits.
A fantastic time to start a 30 day de clutter!
*collaborative post
