The principles of minimalist living you may discover you are already doing many of the things. You may also find that you have yet to adopt certain ways of living that lead to a happier, healthier life. A life with purpose that is extremely rewarding that you have yet to discover how to reach. We tend to stumble when we lack any purpose that drives us to be greater than ourselves. Minimalists look for ways they can be better for the world and to have a purpose that is more than just living. You may not understand now some of the benefits you will gain, but after you learn the true definition of minimalism and how it can benefit you—you’ll know. You will have the proper insight to start making better life decisions. A wonderful and happy minimalist lifestyle does not mean you live your life restricted. Instead, you get to create ways to add more time to your life for the things that really matter, including the people you want in your life and do the things you enjoy the most.
Table of Contents
Minimalism
You are probably thinking minimalism means you cannot own a car. It means you must settle for what life sends your way. Oh, wait! The previous two sentences are what many perceive minimalism to be. Anyone living in a Third World country without proper medical care, jobs, shelter, and basic needs would meet the criteria of the above two sentences. There are a lot of misconceptions as to what it means to live a minimalist lifestyle. If you think you have to give up everything you own and live like a hobo, then you are wrong. The goal is not to get rid of all you possess, but to minimize the emphasis you place on material possessions and activities. The goal is to live freer.
What happens when you think about buying a big-ticket item, such as a TV, car, house, or other consumer trappings? You start to worry. You feel overwhelmed by the need to afford expensive items and the continuity of expense that goes with owning material items.
Minimalism allows you to live without fear, worry, guilt, or depression. You have the mindset to experience real freedom when you live a minimalist lifestyle. There is nothing wrong with owning material items. It is the meaning we attach to those items that can harm our health, passions, relationships, personal growth, and contribution to more than ourselves.
When you decide to live a minimalist lifestyle, you have decided that you want to make your decisions with more conscious effort, with more deliberation, and verve than you did before.
You are not going to walk into a store and spend $100 on something, without analyzing the purchase. Do you need it? Do you need to spend that much to get what you want? Will it add the right value to the life you want to live or keep you from more important goals? Minimalism, when successful, is going to lead you to appreciate life, relationships, and freedom above the material possessions you could have.
Being a Minimalist Allows you to Let go of Excessive Consumerism.
It is your goals and how materialistic a life you want to live that determines if you are a successful minimalist. If you are always spending money for things you want, without assigning purpose to your life, then you will find minimalism difficult. As you discover what your take is on minimalism, consider the following:
- You will not care as much for material possessions, the gaining of them, and the clutter they produce at home.
- You will save time and stop having “too much to do.”
- Your life will be simpler without the debt, consumerism brings on. You will find your life has fewer distractions.
- Your life will bring you more meaning.
Why Live The Minimalist Lifestyle?
Get Out of Debt and Stay Out
We live in a world that emphasizes material possessions. A commercial, internet ad, or any advertisement can make you think you want something, but the minimalist lifestyle makes you question this desire. It makes you ask whether you really need it and why you want it. Minimalists are able to fight the desire of immediate desire with the reality of what it truly costs.
You may love books. You may read a book every three days. But, do you need the clutter of books? Is there a different way to get the book you want to read than buying it? Yes, there are libraries that offer books on loan, not only in hard copy, but also in e-book format. You can belong to Kindle Unlimited and access thousands of books for free, download them, read them, return the books, and get new titles. So, do you really need to buy a new book every few days? Probably not.
By fighting the temptation to purchase items, you are able to reduce your expenditures and save more of your income. After a while, it is possible to pay off all your debts and then to prevent yourself from getting into debt again.
Invite People Over without Worry
You may be the neatest person. You may have a routine where you keep your home dust free, clutter-free, and always ready for guests. If you do, then you already have one benefit of minimalism down. Many of us lead busy lives. We are unable to clean as much as we want or to keep up with the mess. When you are running around to after-school programs every day, with two children, several pets, and working 40 plus hours a week, it is difficult to keep up with your home. Even a single person can find better ways to spend their time than to keep their home spotless. Living a minimalist lifestyle allows you to invite people over or allow someone to drop by without worry. You will find the time to clean and to keep your home clean.
Minimalists Spend Less Time Shopping
Some people do not like shopping. They do not spend their money on clothing, except once every few years. However, when they do go to stores for groceries and other supplies it might take them several hours to accomplish their task. If you spend several hours a week shopping for anything, including groceries, you will benefit from becoming a minimalist. There are ways to spend less time shopping, even for groceries that will help you lead a more productive life.
Minimalists Acquire More Time to Rest
A busy life often equals fewer hours of sleep. Sleep studies conducted by the National Institute of Sleep state adults between the ages of 25 and 65 should receive 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Studies also state that “rest” is a necessary part of health. If you are always running from place to place with never enough sleep or time to relax, then your health is suffering. Rest does not have to be sleep. Rest can be taking time for yourself to relax, recharge, and reset.
Minimalist Have Less Baggage
Baggage can imply two different things. One, you can have fewer bags that you pack for your restful trips. You can learn how to pack to avoid bringing more than a carry-on with you to exotic places around the world.
Less baggage can also describe the emotional weight you feel. Busy lives, often keep us from reflecting, recharging, and resting. We forget to forgive the unforgivable for our own health. We focus on negatives, such as worry, but minimalism can teach you how to approach life differently. It can help you lose all the baggage that weighs you down.
A Minimalist Lifestyle Teaches you How to Have Joy in Your Life.
A minimalist lifestyle teaches you how to have joy in your life. Possessions do not equal joy. We may think they do. We may enjoy the reward things provide at the moment or for a while, but eventually, the joy we truly seek is gone. Furthermore, we start to think about the cost of possessions, where to store them, the room we do not have for them, or we do not have time for them.
Minimalism teaches you to see the joy in the natural beauty around you versus in possessions. It does not mean everything has to be tossed away. For example, a votive candleholder may seem excessive; especially, if you have a tight budget. Yet, the things you can do with the candleholder can bring you joy. You might decide to buy small succulent plants. Plants help with your health by providing cleaner air. Plants can remove toxins from the air, create moisture, and help you breathe easier. Some plants like orchids and succulents take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
The point is not the plant idea, but more to figure out what can provide you joy and help your health. Some simple, inexpensive plants can help bring you joy. On the other hand, the care of the plants may take up time you do not want to devote to them—it is all in your perspective—the joy you feel from certain things.
Minimalist Have Less Stress
Are you stressed? Many of us become stressed for various reasons. Our jobs, people in our life, buying things, and even existing can be stressful. Learning about minimalism can help you figure out ways to be less stressed. Many of the ways you can reduce the clutter in your life and relationships are pathways to becoming less stressed. If you want to be free from worry, stress, and gain happiness, then finding your own top benefits to become a minimalist is necessary. Your life can become easier to live. You can become happier. You just need a pathway for getting there.
Conclusion
You should write out your own definition of your minimalist lifestyle. What do you want to keep the same and what do you want to change? What are you focusing on in your life right now that seems excessive? Are there things in your life that you enjoy, but have not taken pleasure from recently? Perhaps you love to scuba dive but have not planned a trip for a decade. You are not diving because you do not have the equipment, the time, or a nearby location. There are many reasons we give up hobbies. Thanks to minimalism, you can bring them back. Hopefully this will help you figure out how to place emphasis on the things that matter the most. Now, with your resolve and determination, you can start bringing back the pleasures of your life, grow a little, and minimize other areas of your life that distract from making you happier and free.