How Being a Minimalist Can Change Your Life
What’s So Wrong with Wanting Less?
We are constantly surrounded by advertisements telling us that the more we have, the happier we will be, be it food, clothes or the latest tech gizmo. So what’s the problem with advertisements making us aware of the things that we don’t have?
They also cause enormous pressure for us to purchase more consumer goods. We break the bank, bend over backwards and cause ourselves stress and anxiety, all in a bid to help us ‘feel better’, Putting ourselves in a loop where the more we have, the more we want.
We see this with more than just material possessions. We push ourselves in our jobs, we push ourselves to look better and we push ourselves to be successful, until it causes us to have a mental break down.
If you thrive on your success and pushing yourself is what makes you happy, then, you do you. If you’re not happy with this mind-set then, one way of tackling this habit is to look at the idea of minimalism.
Minimalists learn to let go of the things that hold them down. They leave out the things that don’t add value to their lives and in doing so they are constantly reminded of the things in life that really matter.
The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. — Hans Hoffman
There are many a reason as to why people leave their busier lifestyles. Read on to find out more…
Can it help with stress and anxiety?
The number one reason why people choose to leave their pressure fuelled lifestyle behind is for the hope of ditching the stress.
People who are minimal, no longer have to worry about things they can’t afford. They have more time to really think about the important stuff, which in turn will help stop the build-up of anxiety. A minimal lifestyle allows a person to focus on what’s really important to them. According to a report written by the American Psychological Association (2017), 75% of adults have experienced moderate to high levels of stress in the work place and nearly 50% of people said that stress kept them up at night. That’s a pretty big number if you really think about it.
When we are stressed our body enters a fight or flight mode. Our minds are aware of the threats and dangers that surround us and in tune the nervous system will self-manage by releasing stress hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline.
There have been studies surrounding the topic of how hoarders have serious sleep complaints. One of which written by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine states:
“Hoarders typically have problems with decision making and executive function; poor sleep is known to compromise cognition generally, so if hoarders have cluttered/unusable bedrooms (and less comfortable, functional beds), any existing risk for cognitive dysfunction, depression and stress may increase as sleep quality worsens,” said lead author Pamela Thacher, assistant professor of psychology at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y.
It’s not only your sleep that gets affected. When your environment is cluttered, the brain focuses on multitasking and tries to process how it will work overtime. The chaos that unfolds from too much brain processing, leaves you stressed and unable to be productive. Try decluttering, this goes for your home, work space and even your desktop folders. Organise your space and utilise your time wisely, allowing you to be as productive as you can be.
Can it possibly save me money?
Choosing to only spend money on essentials means larger savings. Of course, money isn’t what makes a minimalist’s world go round but having the financial freedom, helps lead a stress-free life.
There’s also the added benefit of being able to focus on things such as budgeting, clearing debts, as well as needing less items to fill up space.
When you are so focused on buying only the essentials, you re also focused on only buying things that are most important to you. When the way you spend your money changes, so does the way you manage your money. Your spending priorities change because you realise over time what you really need. When you hone in your spending priorities, you can also look to simplify your finances, try switching all of your direct debits to the same day. I usually go for the day after pay day myself, so that I know how much free money I have for the month.
Try also taking cash out to pay for things and leaving your debit and credit cards at home. When you leave your cards at home, it makes buying only the essentials that much easier. This doesn’t apply for everyone but if you don’t have a cluttered space, you will more than likely find that your overall space is too large. You could potentially look to find a smaller space to buy or rent. I probably don’t have to say this next part but, smaller space means lower costs.
When you become a minimalist, you have to find ways of moving stuff that doesn’t matter to you, over to a new home. Whether it be throwing things in the bin or giving them to charity. There is also another way of moving those hoarded items. Sell them. Let me tell you, if you really look, everything can be sold on the internet. I recently had to find my partner a birthday present. I scoured the internet for things like cologne and rum and to my surprise, found eager bidders bidding on empty bottles of cologne and empties of rum bottles. You read correct, empty bottles. Some of which were selling for over £50 apiece. Literally, anything can be sold.
It can’t help the environment, can it?
It goes without saying that the less we buy, the less we consume. The less we consume, the less damage caused to the world we live in.
According to a study entitled “Environmental Impact Assessment of Household Consumption” published in the Journal in Industrial Ecology, what people consume is responsible for up to 60% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Not only that, production of items from other countries to be consumed in other countries has also increased steadily, which only adds to carbon emissions. — climatetracker.org/ Environmental Impact Assessment of Household Consumption
There are major polluting contributors in companies that provide coal, gas, and most things power source related. These will of course have a much larger impact on the environment and would need to be addressed with utmost importance. That however is not down to one individual. It’s a start and one person can make a difference but there are other ways. Being a minimalist means that over consumption is not a possibility because they become so focused on what they need as opposed to what they want.
Those in developed countries consume more and in doing so they are leaving a much larger carbon footprint.
Not everyone’s desire to be minimal is driven by their environmental footprint, but if you are looking to cut down on waste production, a minimal life may be for you.
Is Quality over Quantity important?
Being a minimalist doesn’t mean you have to go without, it simply means to have less. With the financial freedom that comes with buying essentials, it does mean that you can look to buy better quality.
Having better quality items that will last longer will play hand in hand with you being able to save. Again, this means less money spent. For example, if I wanted to buy a new top, I might consider going to a cheaper place to save money. I’ll see a top that I like and the price will be a fraction of what it might be in a more expensive shop. I buy said top, wear it once and then I’ll more than likely have to throw it away because of its terrible quality perhaps after its first wash. I would then probably buy another top in the same shop. What does it matter, if it’s cheap right?
Now, if I’d have chosen to buy from a more expensive store, I would have purchased a better quality top that I would not have had to throw out after only one use. Proving that a quality top would actually save you money over time.
Will it help me utilise my Time?
Time is not renewable and many families spend a lot of their free time, cleaning, organizing and searching for lost items. People choose to have less in their lives in a bid to utilise their time wisely. Using less of our time and energy can also lead to a stress free life.
You have exactly one life in which to do everything you’ll ever do. Act accordingly. — Colin Wright.
Minimalist look at each hour in the clock and think to themselves, “What can I do, to really get the most out those 24 hours?” They prioritise their time wisely. Being able to priorities commitments means you can focus on doing things that matter to you, focus on things that add value and you will soon learn how to say a big fat no to things in life that are too distracting.
Those who do not lead a minimal life will sometimes require the use of a schedule. They have so many things planned into their days that they simply cannot work and function without one.
When you minimise the amount of things you need to do in your spare time, you realise that the things you need to do, just get done and it can almost feel like you have no need to schedule anything. You have full management over your personal time schedule, you can choose to do whatever you want that brings you joy in that time.
What about my happiness?
Believe it or not, being a minimalist can actually make you happier. Stress-free +More money + More time = Happy life!
Studies Show: Consumerism Leads to Unhappiness. The Minimalists aren’t the only one taking notice of the connection between consumerism and unhappiness. In fact, a recent study conducted by North-western University demonstrates that people who place greater value on wealth, status, and material possessions have a higher chance of becoming depressed or antisocial.
During the study, researchers organized students into two groups. The first viewed images of luxury goods while the second group looked at neutral scenes lacking any consumer products. Afterward, both groups filled out questionnaires. Those primed to materialism with pictures of cars, electronics, and jewellery, rated themselves higher in depression and anxiety and showed less interest in social activities or working for a good cause. Studies like these force us to examine how the consumer-driven lifestyle affects our lives. —www. goodnet.org/ Minimalism: A Happier Way of Life/ written by Allison Michelle Dienstman/ September 2018
Now, everyone’s journey of finding their new suited lifestyle will look different. By slowly testing to see what you can and cannot live without, you will in time, be able to see what truly makes you happy. By finding your perfect balance of all the aforementioned reasons, you truly get to live a more purposeful life. You can create a happier way of life for yourself by being a minimalist because you are able to really focus on what matters. By removing what you don’t want, you have the chance to lead a more fulfilling life. You get to enjoy more of that free time with the people you love and you can do this with more financial freedom, with all that money you’d be able to save over time.
Once you find your personal motivation for being minimal, the first thing you will want to do is to start from a clean slate and by that, I mean try and remove things that are not required.
Take old or unworn clothes to your local thrift store, Bin those broken items and pretty much sell or gift any of your items that have nothing better to do but collect dust. Use the quote, “Use it, or lose it”. If it isn’t being used, find a way of eliminating it from your life.
Once you’ve de cluttered, the next bit is simple. Bring in less. Only bring in things to your home that have meaning, or as Marie Kondo may say, items that will “Spark Joy”.
The more you practice bringing in less to your home, the less you feel the need to committing to nonessential purchases. Once you’ve reached the stage of not wanting to bring the unnecessary into your home, that’s when you start to rake in the benefits that so many other minimalists hold on to.
Owning less is great but wanting less -that’s the main goal here.
Science has proven the effectiveness of minimalism. It is not just a fad but is a lifestyle that can truly help those in need. Your wellbeing, your time, your spending habits and even your happiness, that all comes down to ourselves. Self-care is important, it’s up to us to manage that. Make better choices, be more productive, do more of what you love. Most importantly do things that truly make you happy and do them with the people that you love.