Do you wish you had fewer things, cleaner spaces, and more mental clarity? If so, living a simple life might be right for you.
The idea of “less is more” is used in minimalism. Minimalists could save money and avoid problems like buyer’s remorse by getting rid of unnecessary things and shopping with care. Read this guide on how to live a minimalist life to see if it sounds like a good idea for you.
Our guide includes Living a simple life with fewer things and reducing overconsumption is what minimalism is all about. It focuses on putting what’s important first and getting rid of stuff that isn’t needed. Researchers have found that minimalism can help people feel less stressed and anxious, think more clearly, focus and get more done, sleep better, and have less of an impact on the environment.
To live a minimalist life, you can be thankful, make a budget, buy things that can be used for more than one thing, choose eco-friendly products, keep track of your Spending, use helpful apps, be aware of your shopping habits, put quality over quantity, do things that make you happy, relax by taking care of yourself, and connect with people who share your values.
What is minimalism?
Living a simple life with less is what minimalism entails. It’s a way to stop over consuming the things around us. People in our society take great pride in their needless possessions; we amass an abundance of clothing, homes, rubbish, deficits, diversions, and workloads that eventually become too much for any one person to manage on their own. The world doesn’t seem to have any purpose left for us.
Example:
I have over ten years of experience leading a minimalist lifestyle. The ironic thing is that my life became easier as I grew wealthier. For the first few years, since I was a student and had little money to spend on frivolous things, I had no choice. However, I never found it bothersome because I never enjoyed visiting malls, and I was always aware that materialism would never make me happy.
How can I continue to live this way? It’s very easy! Every time I’m considering purchasing something, I give it some thought and ask if it will be helpful to me. It turns out, quite surprisingly, that 95% of the time, this product/service will not improve my life in any way. If, on the other hand, I decide that buying that would be a good idea, I ask myself if I know anyone who could lend it to me. If not, is this something I could purchase from Kijiji or Craigslist? I won’t visit a store or shop online for it until the answers to the earlier questions are negative.
I also do the following other things:
- I travel by bicycle from April to December. Walking and, on occasion, public transportation in the wintertime.
- I make an effort to have as little stuff as possible in my apartment.
- I give stuff to friends or donation centers as soon as I decide I don’t need it any longer.
- I prepare my meals. I make amazing, healthy dishes using simple ingredients that I buy.
- I don’t have a TV service subscription.
- I play tennis, cycling, and running. It’s an inexpensive, healthful way to meet new people and have fun. These are low-cost sports that don’t require a lot of gear.
- Weekly grocery shopping is what I do.
- I owe no money.
I hope this provides you with an idea of what a minimalist lifestyle might entail. It’s widely accepted by the public, particularly in the US and France (simplicité volontaire), and finding more inspiration online should not be difficult.
A 2018 study investigated the relationship between minimalism and mental health. According to the survey, minimalists expressed higher levels of competence, autonomy, and mental space. This translates into reduced stress and anxiety, a greater sense of control over their surroundings, and improved mental clarity for introspection.
A 2011 study looked into the relationship between clutter and decision-making. According to the survey, clutter can cause us to feel overwhelmed and busy, which impairs our capacity to make deliberate decisions.
Benefits of minimalism
You can focus on the things that matter to you by cutting costs and saving money by having fewer possessions. This way of living can help you become physically healthier by motivating you to eat better, work out frequently, and give self-care priority. By using fewer resources and creating less waste, a minimalist lifestyle can help you lower your carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Other advantages are as follows:
Lowering Stress and Anxiety:
You can make room in your life for peace by reducing the number of extra things. Living in a clean, orderly environment has been linked to lower levels of stress and anxiety, according to research.
Increasing Concentration and Output:
A minimalist lifestyle can help us concentrate more on the things in life that really matter by minimizing various distractions. We can, therefore, increase output and efficiency across a range of tasks.
Helping Boost the Quality of Your Sleep:
The state of cleanliness and organization around you can improve the quality of your sleep. This way of living can help you establish a calm and cozy sleeping space, which can improve the quality of your sleep.
Minimizing Overindulgence that May Affect the Environment:
Living simply helps us recognize what is important and to distinguish between needs and wants. We can lessen the waste and pollution produced by the manufacture and disposal of goods by cutting back on excessive consumption.
Clarity and Simplicity:
A simpler and more efficient way of life is encouraged by minimalism. People frequently discover that they can think more clearly and concentrate on what matters to them when they reduce excess and clutter.
Financial Freedom:
Adopting a minimalist lifestyle often results in people spending less money on pointless things, which grants them financial independence and the capacity to prioritize experiences over material belongings.
Environmental Impact:
By encouraging people to consume less and generate less waste, minimalism can have a positive impact on the environment. People can reduce their carbon footprint and support a more sustainable lifestyle by owning fewer possessions.
Freedom and Flexibility:
Because an abundance of possessions does not burden people who practice minimalism, they can feel more free and flexible. More chances for travel, novel experiences, and personal development may result from this.
Aesthetic Appeal:
A lot of people find minimalism’s tidy, uncluttered style appealing. Minimalistic design frequently focuses on elegance, simplicity, and functionality.
How to Live a Minimalist Life & Simple Life
It’s hard to live a minimalist life when everyone around us buys too much stuff, and social media makes it easy to give in to those urges. Still, if you really want to do it, you can.
Be thankful for what you have:
You might compare yourself to others without meaning to on social media or with toxic people. Instead, try to think about yourself. Write down one thing you’re grateful for first thing in the morning, like being happy with your job or getting to spend time with family. Feeling thankful can make you feel better and help you remember what’s important to you.
Make a budget:
It might help to start with a budget if you want to keep track of the things you own. Making a budget can help you see how much you spend each month and on what.
Here are some tips from Hossle on how to make a simple budget:
“Make a list of your expenses in a spreadsheet and divide them into two groups: needs and wants.” Then, figure out which of your wants will actually make you happy and improve your life. Get rid of the rest.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says that everyone needs “basic things” to stay alive. These are not the same as “upgrades and other things that would be nice to have but aren’t necessary for living, making money, or keeping what you have safe.”
You should set aside money for a few wants. But minimalists might want to stop spending money on things that aren’t necessary, like buying a new shirt every month, getting takeaway for lunch every day, or getting a new phone. They might also find that they have extra money that they can save or use for other plans.
Invest In:
Choosing items that can be used for more than one thing can help you cut down on the number of things you need. With all-in-one printers or universal docking stations, you can get rid of bulky equipment or cables that are a pain to look at. Choosing collaboration tools that let you manage projects, send messages, and share files can also help your team work better.
Most Americans spend almost $18,000 a year on things they don’t need. Make one small move today towards living more like a minimalist:
- Don’t buy anything that you don’t need.
- Save that $49 money.
- Do the same thing tomorrow.
Stopping to buy things you don’t need will surprise you with how fast your savings account will grow.
Pick Sustainable items:
Hossle says that when you’re shopping, you should choose quality over quantity. They might select one high-quality or reusable item over a dozen cheap ones that might break or wear out. They might even save money in the long run and stay away from the trap of planned obsolescence.
Hassle says, “I’ve used a lot of cheap tools for my furniture business that didn’t work right or weren’t made to last.” “I now buy better tools because they work better, and I need fewer of them to get the job done.”
You can also buy groceries, clothes, home goods, kitchenware, and beauty products that are good for the environment. Cheng says that if you do some research and think outside the box, you can make things that are “actually useful to you.”
Keep track of your Spending:
Try to write down everything you buy, along with your budget. This makes you more aware of how often and how much you spend, which holds you accountable and makes you think about yourself. Make sure you get rid of any subscriptions or services you don’t use, like a gym membership, streaming service, or newsletter. Carefully read your monthly bank statements to do this.
Try out simple apps:
Minimalism says that you should have fewer things, not more. However, there may be some apps that can help you make your life easier.
Calendar and to-do list apps: Cheng says, “Make room on your calendar for only the most important things.” With a scheduling or to-do list app, you can make your calendar less crowded and your mind more free.
Mindfulness apps: It may take practice to become more mindful, but there’s an app for that. There are a lot of free mindfulness apps that let you meditate with a guide.
Apps that track and limit screen time: If you want to spend less time on social media or email, some apps can help you do that. You might have more time to clean out that wardrobe after all.
Stop Shopping:
Okay, sometimes we all need to go shopping. That doesn’t mean we have to buy everything, though. Think about whether you really need something before you buy it. Please take a moment to think about how many hours it will take.
To do this, you can think about how much the item costs in the first place, how many hours you worked to earn that much money, and then how much time it will take to keep it in good shape. When you dust a small item, think about how long it took you to move it around and dust around it, etc.
Opt for quality over quantity:
In the short term, good items may cost more, but they are worth it in the long run. Higher-quality items can work better and last longer than cheaper ones. This means that you’ll spend less on repairs and replacements in the future. When you buy something new, like a computer, an office chair, or clothes, try to find one great item instead of several of the same thing.
Do something you enjoy or love:
The best thing about minimalism is that it lets you focus on the things that really matter to you. The biggest benefit is that you can focus your life on the things that bring you real happiness, joy, meaning, and fulfillment.
Do something you love today. Next, picture yourself doing more of that every day from now on. You’ll also get a sense of why so many people are still drawn to the message of minimalism.
Minimalism doesn’t mean ignoring reality and living a dull life. It’s about rejecting the way society sees things and living a focused, purposeful life your way.
Find your calm:
Some people buy things on the spur of the moment as a quick fix when something stresses them out or overwhelms them. If you’re in a bad mood and want to treat yourself, try to use that energy to make better habits instead. To get back on track, do yoga, meditate, or deep breathing exercises.
Connect with good people:
Here are some self-help books, podcasts, and TED Talks that might help you learn how to live with less. Other people’s knowledge and experiences can help you see what your goals will look like in real life. “Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo on Netflix and “The More of Less” by Joshua Becker, a famous minimalist, are both great places to start.
The Best Books on Minimalism
Reading books about minimalism can help you get your life back from being cluttered and stressful. Here are some of the best books on minimalism that we found in Shortform’s library. You can read them to learn more about the philosophy behind minimalism, different ways to practice it, minimalist finances, and a lot more.
Minimalism
Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus’ book Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life is about how they found happiness and meaningful life after giving up the “American dream” of wealth and success and adopting minimalism instead. From their own experiences, they give a way to live a meaningful life by getting rid of unnecessary things and relationships and focusing on following a set of personal values.
Essentialism
We think we need to do everything. But we don’t make much progress in any of them because we’re going in so many directions. Still, most of these things aren’t important. Essentialism author Greg McKeown says that we’re focusing on small things. Essentialism, which means “do less but better,” is the way out of this mess. McKeown talks about how to separate the important stuff from the unimportant ones, get rid of the unimportant ones, and make the most of your life and work.
Top Podcasts for Minimalists
If you like to get information while you’re on the go, podcasts are great for you. Here is a list of the 2022 best minimalist podcasts to listen to.
Generation Y Minimalists
Kelly and Lauren talk about how to make your life easier and make room for more by getting rid of the things you don’t need. As a personal touch, they sometimes answer questions from their audience and talk about the areas of clutter they are still working through. Besides minimalism, they talk about fitness and health, the environment, and getting things done.
The Slow Home Show
The Slow Home Podcast is for people who are sick of living in a culture that is always on the go. Brooke and Ben McAlary, the hosts, talk about ways to slow down, opt-out, and say no to the things that are too much in modern life. Listen to one of Australia’s oldest health podcasts once a week if that sounds like the kind of attitude that speaks to you.
The Podcast for Minimalists
Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, two of the most well-known minimalists in the world and best-selling authors of “Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life,” talk about how to clear out our lives to make room for the things that matter most in The Minimalists podcast.
Conclusion:
To sum up, minimalism is a way of life that means keeping things simple, having fewer things, and focusing on what’s important. It can help you feel less stressed and anxious, concentrate better, get more done, sleep better, and have less of an effect on the environment. To live a minimalist life, you should be thankful for what you have, make a budget, buy eco-friendly products, keep track of your spending, use helpful apps, stop shopping for things you don’t need, put quality over quantity, do things you enjoy, find other ways to relax and connect with people who share your values through books, podcasts, and TED Talks.
FAQs:
What does a minimalist way of life mean?
Living a minimalist lifestyle means focusing on only the things you need and purposely having fewer of them. Living with less might be the best option if you want to get rid of a lot of stuff, cut down on your Spending, or feel overwhelmed by too much stuff.
What is the 30-day rule for minimalists?
They came up with the “30-day minimalist game.” On the first day of the 30 days, you get rid of one thing. The next day, you get rid of two things. The next day, you get rid of three things. And so on until you reach 30.
Are minimalists better off?
The Simplicity Institute polled 2,500 people from different countries who said they lived with fewer possessions. Eighty-seven percent of those people said they were happier now than when they had more possessions.
Are minimalists good for you?
Being minimalistic can help you deal with stress and make you feel better mentally in general. We can find our true potential by focusing on what’s important and letting go of what’s not. For more happiness and fulfillment, it can help to live with less and have more time and freedom.
Matt Santi is an inspiring personal growth and development leader. With over 15 years of experience in business management, HR, and operations, Matt’s career has shaped his passion for guiding individuals on their journey of self-improvement.
As an Eagle Scout, Matt’s dedication to service and community drives his commitment to helping others reach their full potential. He is a self-described personal development enthusiast, always eager to learn and grow from new experiences. Matt’s unique perspective and positive outlook on life influence his approach to writing and coaching others.
Matt’s writing on personal growth and development topics with a straightforward and actionable approach provides readers with practical tools and strategies to help them discover their strengths and abilities. His energy and expertise make him a valuable asset to anyone looking to cultivate a more fulfilling and purposeful life.
