Minimalism is basically owning less and getting rid of unnecessary possessions. Contrary to popular belief, this school of thought is not new. It has influenced the visual arts, music, and other media after World War II. How does one become a minimalist?
Good Things to Learn from Minimalism
When you learn to practice minimalism, you are freed from financial worry. Your personal spaces will also be free from the clutter that does not enhance your way of living. Because you don’t want to possess many things, you tend to spend more on experiences that give yourself lasting impressions and memories. You are happier, less stressed, and more pleasant to others around you. These are just some of the benefits of practicing minimalism.
Does minimalism affect your mental health? Of course, it does affect us positively and contributes to mental wellness.
Attaining Peace And Clarity
In getting rid of unnecessary stuff, you are letting go of useless sentimentality, unpleasant memories, and worries. In turn, you are welcoming peace, clarity, and abundance. Less is more. Fewer possessions in your house give ample room for empty spaces, thus making way for a stress-free living. Meanwhile, having lots of stuff around you gets you overstimulated, hindering you from focusing and enjoying the moment.
A Small Step that May Lead to a Self-Discovery Journey
Getting rid of useless stuff is not actually losing but discovering your truest expression of the self. Collecting stuff may be a hobby. But if you try to let go of them, you may discover trauma and events in your childhood that prevent you from letting go of those memorabilia. Some people get busy with useless things to conceal a deeper mental illness and toxic patterns. If you let go of these things, you are letting ourselves grow and express our true identity.
A Good Way to Develop Self-Control
Have you felt your room is already cramped with too many pairs of shoes? Do you want your living room to be wider but don’t know which stuff to get rid of? Owning a lot of stuff is so tempting that you often succumbed to acquiring things you don’t actually need. If you practice minimalism and simplicity in your life, your focus is not on acquiring material possessions anymore. Instead, you are keen on achieving peace, mental clarity, freedom. By so doing, you are exercising self-discipline and self-control.
How to Apply Minimalism at Home
Now, you are ready to bring minimalism into your house, your sacred space. The act of decluttering involves four stages: having your focus on one room, one space, on one zone within a room, and finally completing the job before moving on to the next target area.
The Bathroom
Let’s start with the bathroom. Take out all the stuff in your cabinet. Group them and evaluate which ones you often use. You may need several stages until you finally sort out which items you want to return to the cabinets.
The Bedroom
You may want to evaluate the things on your nightstand, the dressers, chests, and bureaus. Consider paying attention to clothes that are not properly folded, wrinkled, and strewn on the floor and put them away in a bin. Also, take the beauty creams, shoes, and other stuff and place them in a box to be donated to charity later on.
Pay close attention to parts that need repairs. You may have been focusing too much on shopping but have taken for granted a damaged ceiling. You can rescue a damaged ceiling with a new plywood deck with waterproofing systems treatment to be more durable and last longer.
The Entryways and Foyers
Foyers are traditionally small. However, you can make it look wider by getting rid of things to make more space and area. Some desks, consoles, or side tables may have blocked the way in the entryway. Go over each desk and try to group things on them. Organize a specific area where to hang or keep them.
Apply the same principles in decluttering your kitchen, closets, and living room. You will be surprised to accumulate lots of things that you have not used for a long time. Now that your house is clutter-free and has more space, you will gain more confidence to let your kids play in the living room without the fear of choking and other hazards. If you have seniors at home, a wider area may promote mobility and freedom.
Dust, pollens, and mites may most unlikely thrive in a clutter-free, clean area. And thus, you may enjoy indoor air more and manage allergies like asthma. You can start decluttering your home today and let it create wonders for your health and wellness.