Minimalism: 5 reasons why it will change your life

Minimalism can challenge your point of view on many things, but only in a good way. Here is why I gave it a chance. Let it go and let it flow.

What is Minimalism? It’s really hard to answer this question for me. It can be a sip of a cool white wine while you’re relaxing, or a beautiful and rediscovered song you thought you forgot, buried under distractions and daily chores. Minimalism can be anything you want it to be, but one thing is for sure: it’s liberating.

How to not get trapped by things

When I first started this journey in learning to let go of the excess a few years ago, one of the reasons that moved me was very practical: I had to free up space where I used to live to make room for my former partner. As soon as I realized how good minimalism was on many levels for me, I couldn’t go back.

Anyone can find a good use for the minimalistic philosophy: it can be that you feel stressed and you think you may be triggered by the amount of stuff around you; or your big dream is to backpack around the world but you’re afraid you’ll miss your many gadgets; or even a parent struggling to find some spare time to yourself without feeling guilty for not taking enough care of your house.

As long as you don’t consider it a fashion, minimalism will be the most adaptable and useful lifestyle you’ll ever embrace.

Find your way in these reasons

Whatever you consider minimalism to be and regardless if you decide to pursue its precepts or not, there are some benefits you can’t run away from, which corrispond also to why familiarizing with minimalism can only be a good idea.

· Becoming aware

The first thing I’ve noticed when I started minimizing my things was that I wasn’t fully aware of the amount I had, I underestimated it. Being conscious of what you have means also you will know exactly you don’t need any more of anything because you have enough, if not too much, of it. No more buying useless things you forgot you had.

· Focus on quality

Being myself far from rich, I can safely say minimalism is not a niche affair. Having less things doesn’t mean having to sacrifice or, worse, become stingy to spend less either. The best word that may describe how one could turn is “frugal”. Frugal living means that you intentionally choose how to spend your money and don’t get caught by the mood or the moment. Let’s say you think twice, or even three times, before buying less urgent stuff.

You wonder if something you want is only a “wish”, or a “necessity” instead, and, knowing that less possessions gives you more freedom, you would focus on quality rather than quantity. Getting the best that you can spend on would translate in a guarantee that you’ll be satisfied and you won’t need to splurge for different things only because they’re cheaper.

It’s not only that, you start thinking more about alternatives: can I get this thing I’m interested in buying second-hand or borrowed? Are there any eco-friendly options of this?

· Give value to what you have and be grateful

You can easily notice that this point can be extended to every aspect of your life. It’s possibly a good “side effect” of this philosophy. As you declutter every area of your house little by little and you keep only the best, you can appreciate even more every single item you own, for its use or for its beauty.

As time goes by, you realize that you don’t need to have a lot to be fulfilled. After all, there are many people with less financial means that live a perfectly satisfying existence because they know the true value of objects and, most of all, of themselves.

If you’ll ever feel pity for yourself, try to look beyond that and be grateful for how lucky you are.

· More time, more space

Often we are surrounded by things that seem to suffocate us. That instinct is true: every little thing we possess takes up some space but also the energy to keep it. From the time (and money) you spend deciding among options to the one you would need to take care of it by cleaning/adjusting/storing it, this is how, in a way, “the things you own end up owning you”.

Freeing up space will free up your mind too: with less things to worry about you’ll be able to concentrate more on the things you love to do. No more excuses to miss a date out or a dinner at your place because you didn’t manage to tidy it.

· Become organized without any effort

Linked to the previous reason like a chain reaction it’s the fact that, if you’re not the tidiest person you know, soon enough you’ll notice that managing much less stuff is so easy you would even find it pleasing to organize it.

You would organize your things by categories: pens and clips in the “stationery” section you keep where you work, Cds/DVDs (yes, they still exist) in your “entertainment” area, and so on. This way everything will have its place and you won’t waste time trying to remember if you had an item or not before buying it (again): if it’s there, you have it.

Remember to put things back where they belong and don’t forget that you don’t need more boxes to look more organized, you just need less stuff.

Find your motivation and you won’t be disappointed by what you’ll accomplish. No miracles, only baby steps toward the best version of yourself.

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