The minimalist lifestyle has been growing in popularity for its ability to alleviate everyday stresses, cut down monthly costs, and bring a sense of balance to the lives of those who practice it. It is not a new concept, though it gains momentum year in and year out as more and more people around the world look for strategies to live simpler and more intentionally. You can see people from all walks of life adopting a minimalist lifestyle, whether it is a response to the tiny home movement or a mindfulness technique to living more meaningfully. But what are the benefits of minimalism and how can one begin to implement simpler strategies into their daily routines? In this article, we showcase the wealth of reasons to consider minimalism as well as share a helpful guide on where to start.
What Is Minimalism?
You will have likely come across the buzzword ‘minimalism’ in articles, on your social media news feeds, and mentioned in the television shows that you stream. But, what exactly is minimalism, when did it come about, and how does it affect the lives of people who practice it?
Minimalism is a sustainable lifestyle approach that traces its origin to decades ago as a design approach in art and interiors. It has grown into something much more since its inception and today encourages individuals to declutter their lives and be more intentional with only the things that they absolutely need. Typically, this involves removing excess material products from one’s daily routine, such as getting rid of the clothing that you don’t wear or donating the excess ‘stuff’ that you accumulate over time.
The focus in minimalism revolves around removing distractions and time-consuming choices in an attempt to live more actively. How this works, for example, is that cutting down on your clothing means that you do not need to make as many outfit choices in a week as well as possess fewer items to wash, saving you time and energy in the process.
The Benefits Of Minimalism
Minimalism is no longer seen as a passing fad or trend because its benefits continue to help those who practice it and will do so for years to come. Below, we highlight some of the key health and wellness benefits of minimalism that you can experience through the lifestyle.
Less Spending, More Time
One of the quintessential benefits of minimalism lies in its promotion of a simpler lifestyle without the need for excess products and goods. Minimalism supports positive purchasing behaviors that end up saving you time and money. Rather than splurging out on new fashion pieces or expensive groceries, minimalism benefits individuals by encouraging them to only possess a few items of rotatable clothing as well as limit unnecessary grocery purchases. Beyond the money-saving potential of this lifestyle, one can also free up time that can be reallocated to other areas of life.
A Sense Of Sustainability
Minimalism is referred to as a sustainable lifestyle as its behaviors encourage people to spend less and also spend more wisely. By minimizing the number of things that you buy, you contribute less to your total carbon footprint and avoid supporting industries that capitalize on excess consumerism. The more people who shop this way, the more environmentally unfriendly businesses slow down their environment-destroying production methods.
Healthier Lifestyle Choices
When it comes to living minimally with food, the lifestyle supports the idea that a healthy diet of clean foods and quality vegetables is more conducive to an intentional life than processed goods, refined sugars (of which there are an array of far healthier alternatives), and carbohydrates. In line with spending more wisely, minimalism calls for individuals to purchase healthy foods in a healthy quantity, thus, supporting individuals in their weight-loss and calorie-burning efforts. For example, foods like cherries and turmeric make for healthy additions to a minimalist diet.
How To Adopt A Minimalist Lifestyle
With a better understanding of minimalism and the benefits that it can provide those who implement it into their daily routines, we can now get a clearer idea of the strategies that are easily put in place to achieve success with minimalism. The following fool-proof methods will help you take control of your life with minimalism:
Set Some Clear Boundaries
Before you even begin the purge of your current inventory, you need to create some rules and boundaries that will guide your minimalist lifestyle. These rules can be as simple as tips to deciding whether you should or should not buy something to comprehensive guidelines that outline the nutritional values and reasons to purchase specific food items. Right at the beginning of your journey, you should start small with a set of ‘10 commandments’ that will become the backbone of a more specific and personalized minimalist bible that you will curate the more you start reaping the benefits of the lifestyle. As with all things, start small and build your way up to a point where you can manage and succeed according to your minimalism goals.
Create A ‘Use Or Lose’ List
The next step in minimalism is actually getting rid of items that you do not necessarily need. This can be a daunting task, although a mindset shift is all you need to start seeing the value and fun in this process. As you sort through every item in your living spaces, piece of clothing in your cupboard, and foods in your fridge, jot down whether or not you will keep or remove them based on the necessity they serve in your life. For example, chocolates and sweets offer little more than a sugar rush and dusty books are better owned by someone who will read them. As you work through your home, start placing the items into a box or boxes. These boxes will become an extensive donation pile that you can confidently and happily begin your minimalism journey by dropping off at your nearest charity store and enjoying the warm smiles you are greeted with.
Get Organized
With your space mostly cleared out, you will now have a relatively clean slate to start your minimalism journey. Finally, you will want to better organize what is left in your home to a point where it is optimized for intentional living. Some strategies to organize your space perfectly include:
- Learning more about feng shui
- Looking up organizational tips from influencers such as Marie Kondo
- Creating an easy-to-follow meal plan that is conducive to a clean and organized kitchen
These are a few ways to promote the organization in your daily life, though they are certainly not the only strategies. Approved Science® provides a wealth of helpful resources to guide you on your journey to minimalism, a healthy lifestyle, and a greater sense of wellbeing.
Whether you have been thinking about minimalism or getting ready to implement minimalism techniques into your daily routine, there are plenty of benefits to adopting a sustainable lifestyle sooner rather than later. From setting clear boundaries and goals to creating a use it or lose it list and getting organized, you could be well on your way to a more intentional lifestyle in no time.