Minimalism is a recent trend that is gaining popularity in every aspect of modern media. Minimalism by its simple definition means living with less. From fashion to decor and from art to architecture minimalism is here to stay as it offers a somewhat futuristic view of how we can live our lives. Even Apple, the country’s most popular smartphone, is popular because of its simplicity. In this article, I’m going to give you 5 reasons to join the minimalist train.
- Control your Life
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I’m sure everyone’s seen at least one episode of Hoarders at least once in their life. So our first reactions to seeing their homes are “how can they live like this?” or “how did they get it this bad?”. Well, minimalism helps you realize what’s important to your wellbeing as well as your interests. We as humans are very materialistic creatures so we like to hold onto things that hold value to us and never let it go. That’s why extreme hoarders on TV get it so bad because they value everything they see and don’t want to let go. Transforming into a minimalist lifestyle will give you a sense of control over your life and put more value on yourself than what you possess. For example, if your house were to burn down you would be more worried about the things that you had in there, whereas a minimalist’s experience would be better because their value was less materialistic.
- Control your Mind
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How we live day-to-day is a reflection of how we think and really are as people. If you have a planner with you at all times you generally like to organize your day and if you have several alarms on your phone you generally like to get every minute of sleep. We’re all different but we all have the same approach to living our lives in that we show who we are through our materials and objects. These include posters, pictures, books, electronics, plants, clothing, and other items. Now minimalism doesn’t shame those who have objected but shames those who have so many objects that there is little to no value to be found. Keeping your most essential and important objects to you is a great way to transfer your expression of self from your objects back to your person.
- Saves Money
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Money runs the world but it doesn’t run minimalism. The lifestyle of living with less means spending less and increasing your savings by watching debt, income, and expenses. With fewer materials to worry about you have less financial strain as well which means a more carefree lifestyle.
- The Digital Age
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The digital age is an era that has made life a whole lot easier in every aspect including education, services, transportation, and how we engage in our personal lives. The slowly but surely transferring of music, books, contacts, notes, calendars, calculators into the digital space and out of the physical space meant the rise of mobilizing our lives and taking our
things with us. This short description can parallel the lifestyle of a nomad which is simplistic in nature and purposeful in execution. Overall the digital age created the age of the digital nomads which made it easier to carry our lives with us. Although this would seem beneficial to minimalism it also transfers the need to have physical materials to the need to have digital materials which are an issue that might need to be addressed in some cases.
- Economical and Environmental
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Living a more purposeful lifestyle decreases the want to buy items for fulfillment which can help the environment. When people first think of minimalism they only think of clear space with little to no objects. But in order to start engaging in this lifestyle, you have to think more critically in what you’re actually doing and indirectly supporting. Buying fewer objects means fewer products being made, and decreasing harm to the environment as a whole. With this lifestyle and therefore a mindset you help your mind, body, life, and the environment we live in simultaneously.
Those were just a few reasons for switching to this beneficial lifestyle. I’m sure there are more but these were meant to get you started in thinking about making the switch. Make sure to do more research and find out if this lifestyle is right for you!
Thanks for reading!