If you've ever packed up your house to move to a new place, you've probably noticed things you didn't always want to admit. It's just that I have too much stuff. In fact, in the US she has 1 out of every 4 people with a clutter problem. With so many items weighing down our daily lives, one of the biggest trends in home decor these days is not just a design style, but an entire lifestyle change: minimalism or minimalism. It's no surprise that there's a growing movement called wrist living.
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Although this lifestyle has become even more popular in recent years thanks to Marie Kondo's KonMari method and the rise of tiny homes, “minimalism” isn't new. In fact, its roots are in Buddhism and it was first created by the British in the mid-1960s. says Kyle Chayka, art theorist and author of The Longing for Less: Living with Minimalism. From there, minimalism has grown into a way of life that emphasizes living with less and being grateful for more. If you want to learn more about how to incorporate minimalist living into your home, here's everything you need to know about minimalist living.
What is minimalist living?
Although minimalism can be defined in many different ways, the movement usually has one common unifying theme. It's a philosophy of living simply or living with less. “Minimalism is the intentional promotion of what you value most in life by removing all distractions from your life,” says John, author of the Becoming Minimalist blog and author of The Minimalist Home: A says Joshua Becker, author of the Room-by-Room Guide to. An organized and focused life.
Although minimalism can be applied to many areas of our lives, such as schedules and relationships, the center of a minimalist life is often the home. When you think of what a minimalist home looks like, you might think of pure white, open spaces and blank walls. But the truth is, everyone practices minimalism differently, says Becker. “Minimalist homes are very intentional,” he explains. “Each possession is there for a reason.” Therefore, minimalist living usually involves cleaning, organizing, and “minimizing” your home. All of this to help you live a simpler, more purposeful lifestyle.
Advantages of minimalist living:
If you're wondering why you should start adopting minimalism in your home, here are some of the biggest benefits of minimalistic living.
More money. According to Becker, having less stuff in your home means you'll buy less, take care of less, and have more money. Plus, you'll realize that your money can be used for better things than just buying things, like better experiences and quality time with your family. More time. When you live with less stuff in your home, you spend less time cleaning and organizing (and shopping), so you have more time in your day to work on the things that matter most to you. It will look like this. Improved sense of well-being. A minimalist home is much less stressful. “Less possessions means less stress in your life,” Becker explains. “Every time we have more possessions, there is more anxiety in our lives, because everything we own has to be taken care of and we have to deal with it.” good. By buying and using less, you also reduce your consumption of the earth's natural resources. That means you'll be doing your part to help the environment. Cultivate more gratitude and mindfulness. Living with less makes you appreciate what you have more. “In a physical space, minimalism allows you to appreciate some things more deeply than a lot of clutter,” says Chaika. “It has a lot in common with mindfulness in that it encourages you to think about what you include and what you don’t include in your life.”
Minimalist living tips:
If you're ready to reap all the great benefits of this simple, purposeful lifestyle, here's how to build a minimalist home and start living a more minimalist life.
1. Focus on one room at a time.
Often the hardest part of minimizing a home is knowing where to start. However, what is clear is that trying to tackle your entire home at once can be overwhelming. That's why you need to focus on her one room at a time. Focus your time and energy on your easiest room first, then use that as inspiration for other rooms as you explore the rest of your home. (And if you're having trouble finding the best plan for your home, Becker recommends his app Clutter Free, which creates a personalized, step-by-step tidying roadmap. )
2. Start with the visible area first.
Once you've chosen a room to focus on, a good approach is to start with the visible areas, such as shelves, furniture, and things on the floor, and then move on to hidden areas of the room, such as organizing drawers. , cabinets, closets. This way, you can actually see your progress as you go along, which Becker says is very helpful when you're feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things you have to do.
3. Organize and keep only what you need.
When you actually start decluttering, a good rule of thumb is to only keep things that are truly necessary and meaningful to you. Becker advises: “Walk through the house, from the simplest to the most difficult, and touch each item and ask yourself, 'Is this something that will add value to my life? This is something that will help me create the home that I want. Or is it actually a distraction?'
If you're still having trouble deciding whether to keep or throw something away, Becker recommends four specific questions to ask yourself about specific items.
Do you need it? Would you use it? What would you use if you didn't have it? Why do you have it?
4. Limit decorations to meaningful items.
When it comes to home decoration, it's tempting to decorate your home with a variety of beautiful items that you pick up on sale or find at your local home goods store, but if you want to stick to a minimalist home, limit your decorations to: It's best to. It's something that has special value and meaning, Becker said. “The problem is that people tend to collect ornaments that have no special meaning to them over the years,” he says.
As a result, Becker encourages people to keep only the things that mean the most to them, such as family photos or special heirlooms, and own fewer decorative items. By doing so, you can better tell your story not only to your family but also to those who visit your home. House. “When we own fewer ornaments, we begin to give greater attention and value to the things that mean the most to us,” he explains.
5. Organize regularly.
It's one thing to effectively transform your home into a minimalist home, but it's another thing to keep it forever. Since your home is a space that you will continue to live in, it is inevitable that it will become cluttered over time. That's why it's important to develop good cleaning habits going forward, Becker says. “It's about decluttering the space you have and knowing that some spaces need daily care, some weekly care, and some seasonal care,” he says. say.
6. Resist the temptation to buy more.
Buying less can be especially difficult in an age of constant advertising. That's why Becker advises rejecting advertising wherever you can, by unsubscribing from email, cutting back on TV viewing, and throwing away junk mail. This may mean rejecting materialism and focusing more on things that actually have meaning to you. “Think about what you really like and what materialism or advertising has made you fall in love with it,” Chaika advises. “Think about what your preferences are and what makes you happy in your space.”
7. Find your purpose.
One of the most important parts of minimalist living is: If you're thinking about starting a more minimalist lifestyle at home, take some time to think about why you're doing it. Is it because I want to save more money or why? Whether it's because you want to spend more time with your family or retire early and enjoy your retirement. This is especially important because minimalist living is ultimately about living a more intentional and purposeful life. “The goal of minimalism is not just to own less, but to live a more meaningful life than you currently have,” says Becker.
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Hannah Jeon is Prevention's Commerce Associate Editor, covering expert-driven commerce content around health, beauty, and wellness. She previously served as an editorial assistant for Good Housekeeping and received her BA in Creative Writing and Psychology from Johns Hopkins University. When she's not searching for all the best products online, she can often be found trying out new foodie spots in New York City or clicking behind the camera.