What do you think about when you first hear the word ‘minimalism’? If you thought of interior design, you wouldn’t be the only one. Many people associate minimalism with white walls, wooden furniture, wide open space, and sparse decoration. It promotes decluttering, which can vastly improve the state of your home. It’s begun climbing in popularity in the recent decade because of its tidy, ‘less is more’ appearance. But for many people, minimalism extends far beyond that.
Many apply minimalism to their day-to-day lives not just as a stylistic choice for their homes, but for their lifestyle in general. For minimalists, decluttering doesn’t just mean sorting through your things and figuring out which to keep or throw away. Instead, it’s all about decluttering things that may be unnecessary in your life as a whole. By eliminating things that don’t benefit your life, you’ll find yourself with much more space to do what you need to achieve your goals.
There are many ways to strive towards minimalism, and even minor life changes can give you more freedom to do what matters to you. If you want to try your hand at a minimalist lifestyle, here are a few ways you can start.
Declutter Your Things
Hold on, didn’t we say that minimalism goes into more than just the materialistic side of things? Well, yes, but it’s still important to take a look at what you have now and eliminate what you no longer need. For one, unnecessary things all over your home can make it challenging for you to find what you do need. It also means you have less space overall, which can start to feel constricting and claustrophobic. Having too many things and wondering what to do with all of them can start to clutter not just your living space, but your mind as well.
By removing what you don’t need, you’re giving your necessities the spotlight in your home, making them more accessible. You’ll also find that having fewer possessions will help you feel less overwhelmed and more focused. You’ll be able to accomplish more when your surroundings are tidy and easier to move around in.
Clear Your Schedule
Nowadays, it seems as though everyone is rushing to get everywhere and do everything all in one day. You might find yourself jam-packed with meetings and errands for weeks on end, thinking that this is the way to be productive. But putting everything on your plate with no time to rest can lead to a bad case of burnout.
Remember that time for yourself is just as important as your work. When planning out your schedule for the week, try spacing out your work instead of cramming it all in a couple of days. Leave out some free time to spend by yourself. You could work on a personal project, indulge yourself in your favorite book, or spend time with your loved ones.
Take a Look at Your Relationships
For some people, this may be the most difficult aspect of a minimalist lifestyle. But once you get over the hurdle, you’ll find yourself feeling lighter and more free than ever. Dealing with your relationships in a minimalist perspective means preferring quality over quantity. If a relationship in your life isn’t as fulfilling as it should be, it may be time to either establish some changes or cut it out altogether.
This is especially true with toxic relationships, which take out the most energy from you. All of the time and effort you put in something inherently negative is holding you back. After all, you could be using said effort on your goals, or on your healthier relationships. Cutting off a toxic relationship may be one of the more challenging parts of the process, but it will be more than worth it.
Conclusion
Remember that shifting to a minimalist lifestyle isn’t an overnight transformation. You’ll have to slowly implement small changes in your life so that you can watch the benefits gradually grow. In time you’ll realize that without any physical or metaphorical clutter, you’ll be able to accomplish much more than you used to.