Living minimally (Minimalism) is a trend that seems to be taking the world by storm – and for good reason! Not only is it budget friendly, but it’s a nice way to keep things simple, clean, and organized too! In this post, we’ll talk about how to get started in minimalism and tips for living minimally.
Minimalism 101: A Guide To Living Minimally Without Compromising On Style
I’m always on a journey to keeping a more organized home. It’s necessary for us to function properly in our day to day lives. If we do not have a place for everything and we have clutter and mess everywhere it really does not allow us to feel at ease, can jeopardize our ability to concentrate and can send our stress levels through the roof. This can cause us to feel anxious, moody and conflict with those we love the most, the ones we live with. Because of this decluttering my home is one of the BIG things I am constantly trying to keep up with. I admit I do enjoy purchasing new things, I am certainly guilty of buying way too much for my sons and I have a thing with random and unnecessary purchases of items that I don’t know what to do with and don’t have a place to store. But I still do try and constantly find ways to let go of things I no longer want, need or love.
So lets quickly talk about living minimally, what it all means and how it will impact your life and home style.
Firstly, let me start by making this very clear. I do not believe living minimally means having one bed in the middle of a room, clinical white walls, no picture frames and a little plant in a white pot sitting by the window, no. I believe living minimally is letting go of things you have no use for that are cluttering your home and keeping the things that are essential to your life and your happiness. If owning a lot of things in your home makes you happy, then minimalism isn’t for you and this is ok. We all must live the life that makes us happy. But if piles of clutter and mess are making you and your family miserable then keep reading.
What Does Minimalism Mean For Me?
I read somewhere that to some it means owning 100 items or less. Well, this is simply not possible when you have a family. Instead, see it as a big declutter-athon. Let go of those items that you are keeping around in case you may “one day” find a need for it. Let them go! This is what I’m currently working on, because even though I have a fairly large home. I am tired of walking past cupboards filled with things I simply do not use, want or love.
How will this affect my decorating style? Do I need to get rid of all my home decor items?
No! Absolutely not! As I mentioned above. To me, minimalism is NOT about turning your home into a barren desert or making it look like a white hospital room with nothing in it but a bed. It is about allowing yourself to let go of the items you no longer use and only keep and purchasing items you truly love. It’s about being more aware of the things you bring into your home and asking yourself “will I actually use this often?”, “DO I need this?”, “Do I truly love this?”. Question every item and purchase and make sure it brings you joy and doesn’t just end up another item on top of that pile of clutter that is putting stress on you. You can still fill your home with beautiful decor, picture frames of your life and family and the furniture you love. But have a place for everything and always keep checking to see if what you have is useful to you, your family and your life.
How is all of this beneficial to me?
Ultimately the biggest benefit is happiness. By living in an environment that is clutter free and keeping what you own to a minimum it frees you from stress and the constant tasks of finding a home for a million and one things. I find that I am forever trying to find a spot for so many things and I simply no longer have the cupboard space. As I declutter my home and let go of a lot of things I can feel the weight lifting off my shoulders. The ultimate goal is to spend less time cleaning and organizing and more time with my children and husband.
An amazing resource to help you declutter and organize your home and fill it only with things you use and love is The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up.
Other Great Books:
Never Too Busy To Cute Clutter
Tips For Living Minimally And Improve Happiness
1 – Purge!
The first step to successfully living minimally is a good purge. That means going through closets, drawers, and shelves to make sure you’re not holding on to anything that you don’t need. Don’t hang on to clothes you aren’t regularly wearing (including stuff that might fit in the future!) and definitely get rid of shoes that are overly worn. The key to living minimally is living with only what you need and use regularly! If you have children the same goes for them. Only keep clothes and shoes they wear. If you are keeping those clothes for younger siblings pack them away in clearly labelled storage boxes and store them where they are not in the way.
2 – The Toys.
If you have children you will very much understand how quickly your kid’s toy collection can build up. If you have more than one child, you will know once you add up all of the toys that belong to all of the kids in the house; that is A LOT of toys you are needing to keep organized and find storage for. By cutting back on the number of toys you have and becoming very selective with the toys you purchase in the future you can help to minimize the amount of effort and times it takes to keep on top of the “toy clutter”. Children struggle to focus when they have too many options. So you’re not only doing your house and sanity a favor but also your children will be encouraged to use what they have rather than walk aimlessly around the house trying to figure out what toy they want to play with next. Please be mindful and respectful of your child/children. The toys they already have are theirs and it is not fair to just take them away. See what they don’t pay attention to and pack those toys away. If they don’t ask for them for more than 3 months, then get rid of them. You can also get your children involved in the process of letting go and get them excited to sell or donate toys they no longer have a use for.
My eldest son’s first bedroom. I kept it simple, fresh and clutter free. Click the link to read the full post on his Whimsical Nursery and see the full room tour.
3 – Downsize.
If you’re living in a space that is much bigger than what you need, consider a downsize! After all, living in a space too big means more cleaning and upkeep! If you’re trying to really adopt minimalism, it’s important to stick to what you need. If you have an entire bedroom you aren’t using, that’s a good indication that you could use a downsize!
4 – Reorganize.
After you’ve purged and downsized, it’s time to reorganize! Setting up an organization “system” can help massively with living minimally. If you have a home office, reorganization can make all the difference. Make your desk neat and tidy, and make sure you aren’t holding on to old pens that don’t work, etc. While you organize the home, you’ll often find that there is more that you don’t need even after a purge! Put together a good filing system of documents you need and get rid of all the paper clutter also. This can be a HUGE job, but believe me, it’s worth the time and effort.
5 – The Inbox.
If like me, you aren’t great at deleting old emails now is the time. Get rid of old emails sitting in your inbox and let go of old email accounts that may still be active and you check one once in a while. Clearing our your inbox and unsubscribing to all of the junk mail you never check will help you on your way to living minimally!
What inspires you to live minimally?
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Yep. PURGE! I love minimalism. I love how it makes my home calm and relaxing. Thanks for the tips Maria! How do you maintain and prevent clutter?
I love this post! I look around our home and while it is tidy on the surface, stashed everywhere are things that need to go. Like my craft stash that will never get used. I am going to start working on it this weekend! Thank you for the kick in the pants 🙂