Minimalist Lifestyle – What, Why & How Answered

Minimalist Lifestyle let’s begin this article by defining what is it.
A minimalist lifestyle is going to look different for everyone (it can be bright, colourful, and eclectic if that’s your personal style). It centers on the idea of only having things that enhance and benefit your life, but doesn’t mean getting rid of absolutely everything or trying to create a particular ‘look’.  When you call a person a minimalist, you’re describing their interest in keeping things very simple

. A minimalist prefers the minimal amount or degree of something.

In art history, the minimalists were artists whose work involved extremely simple gestures and ideas.

The true essence of a minimalist lifestyle is determining what provides us the most value in life and removing everything that is simply excess. It works on the concept that less is more. Minimalist living is about intention. You make room and time in your life for the things you love and eliminate everything that distracts you from them.

• It’s a very intentional way of living that gives rise to positive changes in almost all aspects of life.
• Choosing a minimalist lifestyle means choosing to live life with great purpose.
• A minimalist lifestyle involves living with fewer resources whether in terms of a house or possession.
• It is a part of the thought process how a person chooses to live with all the minimal things in life and yet be satisfied.
• A minimalist lifestyle is by no means a radical lifestyle but rather an optimal one.
• In a minimalist lifestyle, people let go of things they don’t need with ease and try to never purchase more than they actually need.

This is the basis of a minimalist lifestyle:

• Choosing to have experiences rather than things
• Choosing to live a life of freedom rather than “following a script”
• Choosing to live with less but live light
• Choosing to buy what we need and not what we want
• Find time for things that matter such as pursuing hobbies and indulging in activities that relax you
• Choosing to live in such a way that general waste and effect to the environment is minimized

Let’s move on to answer Why to be Minimalist

What are the benefits of being a minimalist?

Less is more. What we don’t usually realize is that when we reduce, we reduce a lot more than just stuff.

1. Create Room for What’s Important

When we purge our junk drawers and closets we create space and peace. We lose that claustrophobic feeling and we can actually breathe again. Create the room to fill up our lives with meaning instead of stuff.

2. More Freedom

The accumulation of stuff is like an anchor, it ties us down. We are always terrified of losing all our ‘stuff’. Let it go and you will experience a freedom like never before: a freedom from greed, debt, obsession and overworking.

3. Focus on Health and Hobbies

When you spend less time at Home Depot trying unsuccessfully to keep up with the Joneses, you create an opening to do the things you love, things that you never seem to have time for.

Everyone is always saying they don’t have enough time, but how many people really stop and look at what they are spending their time doing?

You could be enjoying a day with your kids, hitting up the gym, practicing yoga, reading a good book or traveling. Whatever it is that you love you could be doing, but instead you are stuck at shopping for more stuff.

4. Less Focus on Material Possessions

All the stuff we surround ourselves with is merely a distraction, we are filling a void. Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy comfort. After the initial comfort is satisfied, that’s where our obsession with money should end.

We are bombarded by the media presenting promises of happiness through materialistic measures. It’s no wonder we struggle everyday. Resist those urges. It’s an empty path, it won’t make you happy. 

It’s hard not to get roped into the consumerism trap. I need constant reminders that it’s a false sense of happiness. I enjoy stuff, but I also recognize that I don’t need it.

5. More Peace of Mind

When we cling onto material possessions we create stress because we are always afraid of losing these things. By simplifying your life you can lose your attachment to these things and ultimately create a calm, peaceful mind.

The less things you have to worry about, the more peace you have, and it’s as simple as that.

6. More Happiness

When de-cluttering your life, happiness naturally comes because you gravitate towards the things that matter most. You see clearly the false promises in all the clutter, it’s like a broken shield against life’s true essence.

You will also find happiness in being more efficient, you will find concentration by having refocused your priorities, you will find joy by enjoying slowing down. 

7. Less Fear of Failure

When you look at Buddhist monks, they have no fear, and they have no fear because they don’t have anything to lose.

In whatever you wish to pursue doing you can excel, if you aren’t plagued with the fear of losing all your worldly possessions. Obviously you need to take the appropriate steps to put a roof over your head, but also know that you have little to fear except fear itself.

8. More Confidence

The entire minimalist lifestyle promotes individuality and self reliance. This will make you more confident in your pursuit of happiness.

Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like

~ Will Rogers

The environmental benefits of minimalism are huge.

I like the Earth. It’s a pretty tight place. Most of it is beautiful and amazingly diverse. And we get to share it. Hi neighbor! So, regardless of your political or religious beliefs, we should all be able to agree to have a healthy respect for our place here.

Less clutter in our homes means less waste in our landfills.

Less junk means less…umm, junk.

Because you’re not throwing out as much. Those old hairdryers and broken bread makers and stained purses aren’t being recycled. They’re being landfilled along with everyone else’s not-so-biodegradable junk.

Just think, if these things aren’t degrading, and billions of humans are contributing to these landfills every day, how much space will our junk take up in the future? Will we be the cause of that?

One of the benefits of minimalism is that you’re conscious of what you consume. You aren’t collecting stuff for non-reasons like boredom.

Clutter-free living helps us to become less invasive.

All of the things that you own take up space. Our belongings share this environment with us. If you own so much crap that it won’t all fit in your home and it’s extending to your garage, your yard, your friends’ and families’ homes, and the storage facility down the street, then your footprint is becoming Sasquatch-size.

There are some Disadvantages of a Minimalist Lifestyle

1. Transition from materialistic to minimal lifestyle may be hard
2. Fear of missing out
3. Not broadly socially accepted yet
4. Lack of a clear definition of minimalism
5. Minimalism is not a secret bullet to solve problems
6. Minimalist lifestyle is hard to live for families
7. Requires a strong character
8. Fear to lose amenities
9. Artificial pressure
10. Social isolation
11. Mental problems

Despite of few associated problems which are mostly related to social acceptance and initial change, Minimalist advantages outnumbers the disadvantages.

How to Practice Minimalism : Steps for beginners

Phase 1: Declutter

This is what most people are afraid of, but it doesn’t have to be extreme.

There are several decluttering tactics out there that range from radical purging to a smooth separation from your stuff.

The question you need to ask first, however, isn’t the how but the why.

Whatever you decide to declutter first this way — be it a wardrobe, your phone or your paperwork — here are a few questions to ask for every single item you’re hesitant about:

1. Did I know I had this item in the first place? (This happens really )
2. Would I get this item today?
3. Did I use this in the past 12 months?
4. Would it impact my daily life to not have this item, and how?
5. Do I own something similar I like better?
6. Would I take this item if I moved?
7. Does it make me happy?
8. Why do I want to keep this?

Read more… How to become a minimalist