3 Reasons Why Pursuing Minimalism Is Beneficial
What even is minimalism? It is a life style of living with less, short and sweet. Although it may sound simple to attempt, it is a more complicated concept. When you are surrounded by materialism and live in a country that has a consumerist mindset, then it is not so easy to become a minimalist, unless you have an open mindset, know your resources, acknowledge your current lifestyle, and understand your motives for living the way you do. Many contain the knowledge that minimalism is merely living with less and basically living within four white walls in an empty space, which is not the case at all, it is much deeper than that. It is about appreciating what you already have, looking at the things you own and thinking if they are truly necessary or add value to your life, being content with your surroundings, and living happy with what you already own. I pursue this lifestyle myself and I can say that I have come a long way with not splurging on an item because it’s “cute” or because “it’s on sale” and putting my money on a leash with spending wisely and chucking out clothing pieces I have never worn, are worn out to the max, and are simply not needed. If a minimalist veteran were to look at my bedroom however, then they would not believe that I practice such a way of living. Nonetheless, I work at it every day and when I know that I’ve had a setback or feel temptation for something, I remind myself of these three principles that I understand will benefit me in the long run.
1. Mindfulness
When you own less things and have less apps on your phone that are distracting you from your surroundings and key visions, you become more conscious of your energy, actions, goals, and are overall self-aware. When you have fewer things to worry about, allowing you to focus on just the important ones, your thoughts become less cluttered. Therefore, thoughts and ideas are easily drawn from your mind because there is nothing to throw you off track. The environment around you becomes less congested and allows for an open mind and a peaceful ambient that helps with creativity, study sessions, and even accumulated tasks that can be overbearing.
2. An Understanding of Presence
When looking at physical objects, or even analyzing your thoughts, you make better judgments of their importance and whether they can help you become a better person. Although the concept of sentimental value is a green light to certain items that hold a memory or meaning that is dear to you, there must be a limit to how many things are truly worth keeping. An example could be a ring that a best friend gave to you and chose what kind of ring and shape it was. That is worth holding on too. Where on the contrary, a t-shirt that you wore often ages ago now sits in your closet without so much as a second glance. Not worth the space. What you own should reflect who you are and what your motives and passion are. Know the difference and understand that things are simply that, things.
3. The Little Things Make You Happy
Once you learn the concept of value and presence, you will begin to notice the little blessings in life that you never took note of before. The things that make you happy and that bring a smile to your face are friends, family, a moment of tear-jerking laughter, a loved one making your day or even a stranger that might have been the only one to make you smile today. Those are the most important ones, but the list can go on. From your favorite sip of tea to a TV show that has you laughing every minute throughout the half-hour, minimalism will have you checking into your own feelings and will leave you thinking about not having tried this lifestyle out sooner.
Practicing the ways of minimalism will have you stressing less and appreciating more. Such a way of living can have you making new friends, rechecking your values and passions, create peace within your mind and overall spirit, and will remind you of what your purpose is. I also highly recommend this lifestyle those who are overthinkers, anxious, need to balance their life and are very overwhelmed with this crazy world. Minimalism may just be the remedy for an aspect of your life that you didn’t think could be controlled or sorted and it is a practice that should not be ignored because of “trends” or ”boredom”. It is as much as a challenge as it is a life changer and as the saying goes, “don’t knock it til’ you try it”!