Feeling overwhelmed by stuff? Minimalism is an approach to reducing the number of things in your life. By learning to live with less you can reduce the physical clutter in your space, save money, and gain some clarity and peace by opting out of the cycle of constant shopping and collecting.
Here are Our 10 for Minimalist Living Tips
1. Marie Kondo Your Stuff
Thoughtfully consider each and every possession you own. Does it give you joy? Do you have a strong emotional connection to it? Have you used (or even laid eyes on it) in the past 12 months? If the answer to any of these questions is “no”, then let it go. Thank it, donate it or toss it, and move on.
2. Aim for Zero Waste
Once you’ve cleared out your clutter, start to aim for a zero waste lifestyle. It’s an ambitious goal. Striving for it is the real point. When you aim to reduce your waste you’ll start to cull a lot of stuff from your life. It’s amazing what happens when you start to think of things in terms of whether you’ll eventually throw it away! Adopt this mentality for your minimalism and the planet.
3. Embrace the Capsule Wardrobe
There are so many articles of clothing we just “have to have” in the moment that just end up taking up space in the closet. Think about how many clothes you OWN versus how many clothes you WEAR and you’ll quickly understand. A capsule wardrobe is the idea of curating a set number of clothing items and never going above that number. For some people it’s 33 items. Some go a little higher. The point is that by limiting yourself to only a set amount of clothes you do away with all the other pieces you don’t wear and just invest in pieces you’ll keep and wear regularly.
4. Shop Mindfully
Ending mindless shopping is another cornerstone of minimalism. Sometimes shopping becomes a habit or an escape. That’s how we end up with more drapes than windows and a bread maker that has been used once in the past 15 years. Be mindful of how and when you shop and what you buy.
5. Make Cleaning a Habit
A peaceful sense of space comes along with minimalism. You can sustain that over the long term by making cleaning and organizing a part of your daily routine. Keeping it up a little bit every day will pay you back in calm, clean surroundings and inspire you to keep up with your new minimalist lifestyle.
6. Have a Place for Everything (and Put It There)
Find a space for each and every item and piece of clothing you decide to keep. Make sure it’s structured and well-organized. Make a habit of keeping it there always when the item is not in use.
7. Focus on Experiences
Instead of spending your time and money getting more stuff, focus on experiences. When you don’t spend so much on things a whole new pocket of your budget will open up for going places. You’ll get more quality time out of it – and even some good stories to tell!
8. Go for Quality, Not Quantity
Consider this: if you are only going to wear one pair of jeans for the rest of your life, would you buy the cheap fast fashion kind or spend more on a well-made pair? The same applies to every thing you hold onto or buy in the future. Quality will last longer, look better, and actually cost you less in the long run.
9. Look Around and Enjoy
You’ve decluttered your life and made your home a minimalist haven – take some time to savor what you’ve created! It will make you appreciate it and keep it up.
10. Allow Minimalism Into Other Parts of Your Life
One thing we’ve learned from the TinyAway.com success stories is that minimalism is really a mindset. Take what you’ve done at home and apply it to your work space. You can even do the same for all your digital devices (just think of all those apps you never opened). The further you go with it the more it will become a part of your lifestyle and easier to maintain.
