My Minimalist Lifestyle
After my husband left I decided that it would be healthy for me to transition out of my old lifestyle, mainly for my emotional healing. Walking around a house full of reminders that you had tried to turn it into a home with someone, who no longer lives there, can tend to delay the healing process. The reminders had to go! However, what started as just detox from old memories, turned into an entire 24 hours worth of being in the attic going through bins of random items that hadn’t been used in years.
I kept asking myself “why did we even have this?”
Those 24 hours turned into a week’s worth of downsizing as I moved on from the attic and attacked all the other rooms in the house. I was extremely determined at that point! Things I never thought I’d be getting rid of were making the list. Dishes and kitchen utensils that were rarely used, furniture that held more dust than decor, and clothes… piles and piles of clothes that I didn’t even wear anymore. I only wish I had taken a picture of the eight huge boxes full of items that would be donated. My need for emotional healing thus began my minimalism awakening.
You might be asking yourself, what exactly is a minimalist lifestyle?
The most important two words to associate with living a minimalist life are “purpose” and “simple”. It’s about having only what you need and striving to only use things that serve a purpose. Minimalism is countercultural. It is contrary to every advertisement we have ever seen because we live in a society that prides itself on the accumulation of possessions. Oftentimes, making the switch to a minimalist lifestyle is seen as a radical change, when in fact it is an optimal change. It is not as difficult as it seems and it is very beneficial in many ways!
- The benefits of minimalism and why I made the decision to own less -
Believe it or not, there are many benefits to owning less. To name a few of the ones I’ve discovered so far:
It’s liberating
The sense of freedom that comes from minimalism is truly refreshing. You don’t feel tied to the material possessions in your home and you’ll feel a new sense of independence. You’ll have more freedom with your time for the things that matter most, because the more stuff you own, the more your stuff owns you. The fewer things in your home, the fewer things there are to clean. This makes cleaning a significantly easier chore and frees up time for rest. There’s also freedom from the comparison game in a society and culture that begs for us to own more. And of course, freedom from being tied to the past. It’s a chance for a fresh start and a new tomorrow.
Spend less & save money
This is pretty self-explanatory for the most part, but buying and owning only the essentials often results in financial freedom. Spending less on things you don’t really need will cut your expenses and increase your savings. You’re also comfortable living in a smaller space without all the clutter, which saves on investing in a costly house. Cutting back on your expenses means you don’t have to chase a job solely for the paycheck. Owning less means spending less, which means doing work that you actually love regardless of the pay.
Visually appealing
There’s nothing more appealing to a home than simplicity. Owning less means you get room to display what matters most. It’s a chance to communicate what is most important to you. Owning less also means fewer places for your heart to wander and hide. You’re able to invest your heart in other people and not in things. A healthy heart leads to you becoming better, and when you become better, you look better.
Good for the environment
You had to know I was going to include this part. The less we consume, the better it is for our planet and all that inhabit it. My minimalist lifestyle goes hand-in-hand with my sustainable lifestyle. In fact, the freedom that came from minimalism made me realize that caring for the environment is not just good for the environment, it’s also good for me!
