Have you ever considered living with less? I know, this statement may be a sudden turn off for some people. But think about it, while on vacation, living with only a suitcase or two of things, do you really have less of a good time without all your possessions?
Of course not! In fact, a lot of people actually enjoy living with less in this context. It is easier to walk through the airport, easier to find the outfit they want to wear, and so much less cluttered overall. When people go on vacation, they are not only escaping their daily stresses, they are escaping the burden of their possessions.
Think of the countless hours you have spent organizing, cleaning, and maintaining your possessions. Do you ever wonder what you are missing out on? How many times have you entered your closet full of clothes only to feel like you still had nothing to wear?
If you are like me, you find your possessions tend to weigh you down more often than they bring you joy. I always thought this was a fact I had to accept. That is, until this summer when I discovered an amazing movement called minimalism.
The word means, and manifests itself differently for everyone, but I resonate closest with Joshua Becker’s definition: “minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it”.
Minimalists all around the world make huge promises with their movement. They tell you that you will be happier, more aware of your values, find yourself having more money, more time, more meaningful relationships, more joy. More. More. More. All this, from less? A fascinating paradox. I am here to tell you, it is all true.
If these results sound appealing to you, I urge you to learn more about minimalism. Better yet, jump right in. We all have things around the house we know we do not need, use, or want. Next time you are home, walk around with a box and a trash bag.
Donate what you can, and throw out the rest.
When people think about getting minimizing their possessions, their mind usually jumps to the hardest thing to get rid of. Maybe for you it is books, your high school artwork, or a childhood stuffed animal. This is not what minimalism is about.
If these things bring you joy, by all means keep them. If you think they are weighing you down, but seem too hard to get rid of, keep them for now. Start small and build-up. Familiarize yourself with the feeling of less, and you will find decision making process gets easier as you go along.
College is a wonderful time to experiment with minimalism because you can fully immerse yourself in the experience of living with less stuff, without having to actually commit to giving up anything right away. Give it a try.
Next time you plan to go home, pack away the things you brought to school that you have not used yet or do not want. Be strict with yourself. Then, tidy up your space.
When you go home, pack anything you noticed was missing while you were away at school. Now, walk around your room with your donate box and trash bag.
When you are done, either put the box in your car to drop off at a donation center on the way back to school, or ask your parents to donate the box for you. Notice how your room feels. Any lighter? Clearer? Fresher? Sit with this feeling. Maybe even journal about it. When you are at school, notice how you feel with less stuff. Are there still things at home that you miss, do you feel perfectly satisfied, do you still feel like there is too much? Repeat as necessary.
Today is the day. Begin your journey to finding more, in less.