How do you live a minimalist lifestyle?

28 Sep, 2023

Perhaps you’ve come across minimalism and you’re curious. How do you live a minimalist lifestyle? And why, pray tell, would you want to do so?

Maybe you caught an image online somewhere of a serene, spacious home with nothing but soft beauty, and meticulously placed sculptural possessions. There was likely a plant, white furniture, white walls, light wood and natural items… Not a single random cord. Or strewn shoe or backpack to be seen… And you looked up from your screen to your own little chaotic explosion of a home and wondered, “How could these homes be so entirely devoid of the stray, or unattractive items of life, and be so tidy and streamlined?” Then maybe you thought, even if but for a second, how nice it might be if your own place looked even a sliver more like this image that seems so easeful, so calm, so open. Just… how!?

Well, let me tell you that there is, in fact, a way to adopt a minimalist lifestyle that just might tidy things up and bring you a bit of extra peace. And it isn’t as hard as you might think.

A minimalist lifestyle doesn’t have to be a massive change to start out. And you do not need to get rid of the things that you love. Honestly, you don’t actually necessarily need to get rid of anything! (But, you might decide to). And you certainly don’t have to get rid of the colors on the walls or your precious possessions…

So hold on to your giant collection of ceramic bears, your closet full of coffee table books, and your hot pink walls my friend. You’re all welcome here. Without further adieu let’s get into the question, How do you live a minimalist lifestyle?

How do you live a minimalist lifestyle?

Living a minimalist lifestyle can be boiled down to something quite simple: being mindful about our possessions, and to err on the side of having less. By simply thinking about the things that we have and thinking through the things we decided to acquire, we have stepped into the life of a minimalist. It’s that easy.

Minimalism asks the questions, “Do we really need this? Is it making our life better? Or is it giving me a feeling of genuine contentment?”

It is up to us what we decide to keep. A minimalist life is not about deprivation. What we desire, if possible and if thoughtfully decided upon, we should have.

But, if we notice that we have things that are not actually filling (or fulfilling) us or our needs, it would likely be better decluttered, sold, or given away.

Minimalism is simply a ritual of thoughtful, constant curation. And this curation can be an absolute playground. Because it gets better and more fruitful the more we work (play) at it. The benefits, and the practice can bring us to a delightfully calm and productive life.

And when we have a curated grouping of mindfully chosen possessions, not only will we inadvertently know where to find things a bit easier, but also our appreciation for the things that we do have will become stronger as well.

It could be that we have possessions that are actually weighing us down. Or are making us unhappy, or causing us stress…

In these cases, from the lense of a minimalist lifestyle, we would examine the item and decide if we need it. If the items are unneeded and if they’re being kept out of a place of guilt or uncertainty, or of a feeling of overwhelm — the minimalist would muster the gumption to let it go.

So to begin your minimalist journey, all you need to do is examine some of your things. Start with a drawer in your kitchen. Or the closet in the spare room. And from here you can start to practice that decluttering muscle that we all have within us. But it may have atrophied 🙂

If you’re interested in learning more about minimalism:

Well my friend, firstly I’d suggest that you sign up for my newsletter where I often write articles on just this topic. There is a plethora of articles here on minimalism, and simple living which I’m certain will be a great way to get yourself started (and keep yourself going) with decluttering and lessening your load in the world.

Thank you so much for reading my thoughts this week,

-Lyndsay