A minimalist is described as a person whose interest is in keeping things as simple as possible.
Leading a minimalist lifestyle involves choosing to consciously own fewer possessions and emphasising one’s requirements over wants.
Living a Minimalist Lifestyle?
A minimalist lifestyle involves owning just things that are necessary for daily living and avoiding distractions from one’s clothes, home decor, hobbies, and the tools one values.
Minimalism varies from person to person; so, it is really up to a person’s individuality to decide what is more important and what to get rid of.
Reasons Why People Become Minimalists
- Stress and anxiety: People become minimalists because of the stress and anxiety that comes from having excess possessions. According to a UCLA study, those who have a higher density of home items and possessions tend to have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. People are more stressed out with an increase in their possessions. If clutter makes you feel stressed, overwhelmed or anxious, you’re not alone! It could be time for you to take action.
- Money: People choose a minimalist lifestyle as a means of eliminating and preventing debt. Some live as minimalists to pay off debt. So, they can take on a different job they love but with less pay. Minimalism impacts the way one saves and spends money. Prioritising improvisation over quantity and experiences over things are efforts to use resources with greater intention.
- Time: Minimalism is about intentionality. Time is a non-renewable resource and more people are becoming minimalists to use it more wisely. This translates to people choosing to own fewer things so they may spend less time arranging, cleaning, and looking for misplaced goods.
- Legacy: “Live a life worth remembering, not just the things you bought.” – Joshua Becker. In a lot of cases, people choose minimalism because of their overly cluttered childhood. They watched their parents save everything but then never had the time or space to go through those things.
- Raised by a minimalist or lives with a partner who is a minimalist: People also live a minimalist lifestyle because they were raised in a minimalist home or their spouses are minimalists.
Benefits of Minimalism
Although everyone experiences different advantages from leading a minimalist lifestyle, many people discover it facilitates the creation of physical, mental, and emotional space.
Adopting a minimalist lifestyle may help alleviate some of the anxiety that some people may experience as a result of excessive clutter. Realising you require less will enable you to avoid spending money on unnecessary items.
Additionally, you might discover that living simply helps you let go of your attachment to material possessions, which could enhance your mental well-being or make you happier with what you already have.
Finally, minimalism can help you live a greener life. A more sustainable approach to buying involves cutting back on consumption and overspending in favour of purchasing fewer items of higher quality.
If your goal is to live a less hectic and stressful life, you might want to think about choosing to live a more minimalist lifestyle. It necessitates some significant lifestyle and mental adjustments, but if you’re committed to it, you can experience a lot of advantages.
