Jhon Allen
Minimalism meaning is that one has to try as much as possible to reduce the number of products that he or she uses in his or her daily life to the basics. Thus, people should start realizing that in this world of plenty consumption, it is better to have less and be happy and stress free. Below is the simple guideline of how one can start the process of minimalism or de-cluttering of one’s life naturally.
Understanding Minimalism
The minimalism is not just a fashion; it is a life style where only the necessary has been left in life. The core principles of minimalism include:Here are some of the principles that characterize minimalism:
Simplicity:
To love a less complicated life where the essence is on the activities that one does in life.
Intentionality:
The decision that is arrived at to determine what is to be kept and in what manner is one to arrange his or her life.
Mindfulness:
Knowing how your things can benefit you or even harm you in one way or another including your health.
Below are the principles that will help you prepare for the experience with minimalism: It is not only the act of physically removing things from one’s house, but a change in attitude and the capacity to make choices.
Identify Clutter Hotspots: These areas should be considered as they are the most affected with clutter; the areas include; closets, drawers and counters. These areas are most of the time filled with items that are of little use most of the time. Such areas usually contain the majority of the non-urgent items.
Inventory Your Possessions: Write down all the things that you acquired from the house things up to the things that you wear. This inventory will enable you to know what you have on the ground and hence will enable you make a decision on what to keep and what to let go.
The second stage can be termed as goal and objectives definition.
Setting clear and achievable goals will help you stay motivated throughout the decluttering process:This is because in any process, especially decluttering, it is helpful to have clear and achievable goals in order to keep the motivation up:
Define Your Objectives:
What do you expect to get out of minimalism? It could be a clean home, a life free from stress or even cutting down on the expenses, goals will lead the way.
Create a Timeline:
It is advisable to make some preparations on the measures that you are going to undertake when you are decluttering. Divide it into certain measures such as one has to declutter one room in a week or one has to declutter for half an hour in a day.
Step 3: Start Decluttering .
You are now ready, then, for the next step which is organization. Here are some effective strategies:Here are some of the tips that can be practically applied:
Use the Marie Kondo Method:
According to Marie Kondo and her KonMari method, you are only supposed to keep the item that brings joy into your life only. This means you make your decisions on the feelings that you have instead of the most likely requirement.
Apply the Four-Box Method:
Categorize the four boxes as ‘Keep,’ ‘Donate,’ ‘Sell,’ and ‘Throw Away, ’ hence, it will be easier to determine what to do with the items.
Focus on One Area at a Time:
It is argued that one should avoid attempting to declutter the entire house or all categories of items at once; this is because this would lead to translating the amount of work that is being done. For instance, one can begin with the closet and then follows it up with the kitchen.
Focus on One Area at a Time:
It is argued that one should avoid attempting to declutter the entire house or all categories of items at once; this is because this would lead to translating the amount of work that is being done. For instance, one can begin with the closet and then follows it up with the kitchen.
The last one is the environmental organization technique in which you arrange your environment says the author.
Once you’ve decluttered, organizing your space is the next step:First of all, after you have clear all the clutter, it is important to proceed to the next step which is organizing the space.
Define Your Objectives:
What do you expect to get out of minimalism? It could be a clean home, a life free from stress or even cutting down on the expenses, goals will lead the way.
Create a Timeline:
It is advisable to make some preparations on the measures that you are going to undertake when you are decluttering. Divide it into certain measures such as one has to declutter one room in a week or one has to declutter for half an hour in a day.
Step 3: Start Decluttering
Step 3: Start Decluttering
You are now ready, then, for the next step which is organization. Here are some effective strategies:Here are some of the tips that can be practically applied:
Use the Marie Kondo Method:
According to Marie Kondo and her KonMari method, you are only supposed to keep the item that brings joy into your life only. This means you make your decisions on the feelings that you have instead of the most likely requirement.
Apply the Four-Box Method:
Categorize the four boxes as ‘Keep,’ ‘Donate,’ ‘Sell,’ and ‘Throw Away, ’ hence, it will be easier to determine what to do with the items.
Focus on One Area at a Time:
It is argued that one should avoid attempting to declutter the entire house or all categories of items at once; this is because this would lead to translating the amount of work that is being done. For instance, one can begin with the closet and then follows it up with the kitchen.
The last one is the environmental organization technique in which you arrange your environment says the author.
Once you’ve decluttered, organizing your space is the next step:First of all, after you have clear all the clutter, it is important to proceed to the next step which is organizing the space.
Adopt Functional Storage Solutions:
Other factors that should be considered in a home include; storage areas should be large and it is suggested that one should not over stuff the storage areas. Some of them include; Organizing and piling the items in a vertical form, storing the items under the bed or using the available furniture whose functions can be adjusted.
Simplify Your Decor:
Find for desks and chairs with a plain surface and no carvings and other ornaments as these will only add more stuff to organize. To reduce the stress of the room for instance, the furniture should be simple and the colors used should be light.
The fifth step is, accept the strategy of the elimination.
Adopting minimalism goes beyond physical decluttering; it’s about cultivating a minimalist mindset:Minimalism is not only the process of removing the things which are not needed in the house and the life, but also the change of the mind.
Practice Mindful Consumption:
Therefore, one has to be very cautious on the things that one purchase in the market. Before you dash out and go shopping to buy more things, you have to ask yourself this one question, do I really need this or is this just going to be an addition to the minimalism?
Focus on Experiences:
From shopping for goods to shopping for services let us make the shift. Engage in family and friends, engage in the various hobbies, listen to music, and ensure to enhance on ones personal development.
The last one is to maintain it and to keep on dwelling the minimalist lifestyle.
Maintaining a minimalist lifestyle requires ongoing effort and mindfulness:Minimalism is not something that one can adopt and forget about it, it has to be adopted in one’s daily life and the following are some of the ways:
Regularly Review Your Possessions:
At times, it is recommended to take some time and try to organize your items and perhaps look for things you do not actually need. To the above solutions, it is suggested that decluttering should be made a routine.
Benefits of Minimalism .
Adopting a minimalist lifestyle offers numerous benefits:The following are some of the benefits of minimalism to one’s life:
Reduced Stress and Anxiety:
This also means that there will be little or no items that are likely to make the house to be messy hence the house will not be a source of stress. This can help to minimize stress and thus the mental health of the individual in consideration.
Increased Focus and Productivity:
Disorder refers to objects that distract an individual and affect his or her attention and productivity; therefore, it is necessary to arrange for the space. From the two locations, it is more appropriate to work in a quite area since there are few interferences that can hinder one from concentrating.
Financial Savings:
Hence, when choosing a limited number of goods and services, and keeping in mind that it is better to have less but better, one can save some money and make better choices on the products and services needed.
Problems and Their Solutions
While minimalism offers many benefits, it can also present challenges:Although minimalism is a perfect method to design your house and to make your life more ordered and clear, there are some drawbacks in it.
Sentimental Attachment:
It is rather difficult to just let go of stuff that one has had at some point in time or that has some form of value. These items should be photographed or an attempt should be made to come up with other ways of encouraging the production of reminiscence.
Resistance from Others:
When others living in your house are not interested in minimalism, you need to inform them about your decision and make them comprehend that they are also involved. Propose conflict solving measures that will in some way benefit all the parties that are in the conflict.
Resources for Further Reading .
To support your journey into minimalism, explore these additional resources:Below you will find a list of some more items that may be useful for your minimalism journey:
Books:
The books that can help people in changing the approach of how they organize their lives include; The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo,
Essentialism:
The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown and Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport.
Podcasts:
The following are some of the best ones; The Minimalists Podcast, Optimal Living Daily, The Minimalism Life.
Communities:
Get into the online communities and the social media groups that deal in minimalism to get people to share their ideas with.
Conclusion .
Thus, it is possible to see that the concept of starting from minimalism is the way to transform your life because the only life worth living is the one where you only focus on the essentials. Hence, following these steps and the philosophy of minimalism, one is in a position to develop a better and simplified way of life. Minimalism is a process and everyone is in the different stage of this process, so there is no problem to make it slowly. Change is good and you will discover that, the process of simplification in one’s life does not deprive one of a rich life.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings