I must have been around 16 when I discovered the concept of Minimalism. I mean, I’ve never really been the type of person to own endless amounts of miscellaneous things I never use, but with that, I never really consciously thought about what I had in my own space and how it could be impacting me either.
I watched the documentary made by ‘The Minimalists’ in 2016 as a recommendation from a friend, and at first, I didn’t get it. How could the things I have packed away in my room really be impacting my mental health as much as these two men claimed? But despite that, I continued to research the lifestyle and the idea behind it and ultimately continued to become more and more fascinated.
Minimalism is a lot of things. It is not clearly defined as one idea particularly, as minimalism is something that has existed in arts form and music for decades. However, the concept of decluttering is something that has emerged during the age of consumerism. The necessary need for ensuring mass consumption of miscellaneous products do not engulf an individual’s life.
Decluttering can take many forms. Whether it’s your physical property or all the thoughts going through your mind. It’s very easy to let both your surroundings and your mind become cluttered with all the things life continues to throw at us every day, and to recognise and begin to minimalise these is difficult at first.
A tip I’d give when trying to attempt decluttering is try not to be too critical of yourself. I find that minimalism is a phenomenon in which someone must get rid of everything they own to practice this way of life, and it’s not true. Personally, the only two things I struggle with keeping minimal is books and clothes, but the consciousness of this is something I know helps me personally. I’m happy to collect a few more books from the charity shop as I know they will go into use.
Another tip is attempting to get into the lifestyle of reusing and recycling. Every few months I have the biggest clear out in my room to get rid of old clothes that I no longer wear, books I know I will never read again, and makeup I never got around to using. I gather all of these and either donate them to charity or sell them on Depop/ eBay. These selling websites are my saving grace, as I know my old things aren’t just going to be thrown away but are going to be put to good use by another person. Plus, reselling clothes/ buying second-hand is super sustainable so that’s always a win!
In relation to mental clutter, meditation is always the best starting point. Clearing your mind of all the stresses and things you need to do seem to fade when you allow yourself to just breathe. The world and our lives pass by us at rapid speeds but allowing yourself to have 10-30 minutes a day, alone, with your own thoughts to allow yourself to recollect yourself and your priorities is always the most rewarding thing. I also found that once I started incorporating this regular practice into my everyday life, my stresses massively began to fade and my mood improved so much.
A practice of decluttering I’d massively recommend is list-making. I love a good list like the next chaotic (yet organised writer), but I’m definitely someone who writes EVERY single thing I need to do that day down on a piece of paper. I understand the enjoyment of writing ‘eat breakfast’ on a list and then ticking it off as you munch on a piece of toast, but my advice is to prioritise your plans and don’t make an A4 long list. Make lists of big tasks and give yourself time to complete these. Don’t overwhelm yourself with all the clutter of the things you need to do that day, just remind yourself of the bigger things you need to do, and slowly work through those instead. I promise, it helps.
Practicing a minimalist lifestyle in a society of consumerism is one difficulty for sure. We can’t help but buy something new every few weeks. But I know I’m not alone with the belief that it’s all so superficial. Too much thought is put into what trends we need to keep up with and how we should be spending our money, and it’s difficult to disconnect from that norm. But allowing yourself to find that peace of mind when you’re tidying your room and you’re not filling your thoughts with all the stresses that life is throwing at you is something that takes practice, but once you reach that point, you’ll never want to go back. Always remember, tidy room, tidy mind!
Lastly, here are a few resources I found that some of you may find useful…
https://www.theminimalists.com/ – The Minimalists originated writing essays/articles about their lifestyles, but now have a Documentary on Netflix, a YouTube channel and a podcast they upload regularly. Would recommend.
Joshua Becker’s Books – ‘The More of Less’ & ‘The Minimalist Home’ were the best reads too.