Minimalism – Definition, And Benefits In Life

Minimalism  – The pull of neoliberalism has us firmly in its grip – we strive for more and perfection, yet a counter-movement is gaining ground. A trend to turn away from the material world and own less. Or is “being trendy” just trendy?

Whether you hate a minimalist lifestyle, love it, or are yet to figure out what all the hype is about, count yourself among the lucky ones because you’re consciously embracing minimalism. Even if it’s not for you, studies show that it has the potential to make a big difference. Here is our guide to minimalism. Dig deeper into the trend’s origins and see how minimalism can impact your life.

What Is Minimalism?

Much associate minimalism with art, design, and a certain state of consciousness. However, the origin lies elsewhere. Let’s rewind a few years to get the minimalist concept’s gist. Six hundred years ago, Zen priests and artists designed Japanese rock gardens to express the principle of simplicity and clarity through space.

Live Minimalist

The idea of ​​this style: less is more, and beauty can be found in the absence of other things.

The truth is, those who are shouting the loudest about minimalism these days are completely missing the point. Still, most minimalists agree that you can feel less overwhelmed and

If that works, then the minimalism thing seems pretty awesome. But does it work? Learn more below.

Does Minimalism Lead To A Better Life?

Most approaches to minimalist living build on the idea that materialism has taken over our everyday lives – to our detriment.

• Maintain poor interpersonal relationships,
• Contribute less to the community and
• Engage in environmentally harmful behavior.

Minimalists intentionally try to be more mindful. So it stands to reason that minimalism has several positive side effects. Still, you might be surprised how much a minimalist life can positively impact.

Minimalism Can Make You Happier

According to Joshua Becker, the concept revolves around disconnecting things that distract you from what matters most to you. Of course, you won’t automatically become happy just because you follow the guidelines for a minimalist lifestyle. But it can always help:

“What minimalism can do is strip yourself of the unnecessary and experience new things with a newfound financial freedom.”

Minimalism Can Help You Save

If you buy less, you’ll save money (surprise!). But, on the other hand, if you subscribe to the philosophy that many things distract you from what is most important, you will probably never spend money the way you used to.

If you now get the urge to clear out accumulated things, you might even be able to sell a few of them. However, popular minimalism blogger Mia Danielle also says that your new mindset will influence other ways of spending and result in a passive saving. She says:

“You will see that your financial health does not only improve when you shop. The benefits of minimalism are financial. When you choose your possessions consciously, you don’t buy useless stuff. If you then apply this approach to your life (and your shopping habits), you’ll be proud of your full bank account and empty living room.”

Minimalism Makes You Less Wasteful

As you transform into a minimalist, many of your things will end up in the trash for better or for worse. Not fun. But once you start living a simple life, you’re much more likely to choose a 4-in-1 food processor than a stand mixer, hand blender, hand mixer, and smoothie maker, for example.

“If we all thought about what we really need instead of what we just want, we would reduce our consumption and at the same time our footprint in the world.”

Conscious Consumption Means Less Waste

When minimalists want to write something down, they grab a pen to her only pen. And you might not think it’s possible, but: It works. Imagine all those moments of the day when less stuff would streamline your daily routine. Less stress is a logical conclusion.

Researchers at UCLA found that having more items in a household is directly linked to stress. The connection between fewer things on the one hand and less stress and new freedom

Inspiration For Minimalism – Beginners

For some influencers, minimalism and a host of restrictions go hand in hand—not the right place to start for many. Clean out your closet. OK. Reduce your book collection. No way.

Whether you relate most closely to minimalism’s economic, environmental, or personal benefits, we can bet there’s a minimalism guru out there who sees things the same way you do.

Dip a toe in the sea of ​​minimalism, write down what feels good and figure out where you want to dig deeper. Then, decide on a few of the following minimalism tips and try out your new mindset.

Walk With Double

Be honest. How many shampoo and shower gel bottles do you need? Your home is full of non-essential items. Sort out, clear out and dispose of is the motto. You don’t have to reduce everything to the bare minimum right away. If you start getting rid of things you certainly won’t miss, you’ve already taken a first and easy step towards minimalism.

Shop Smarter

If you want to keep your shopping cart minimalist, focus on the essentials. And yes, maybe the decoration for the flat share party has to stay on the shelf. So before you go shopping, be aware of what you need. Sorry, browsing and going without a plan is counterproductive.

The Essentials Collection

Invest in proper, high-quality clothing instead of seasonal fashion. It not only raises you to Olympus in terms of fashion but also makes a statement against cheap production. Hello Karma!

The idea is to clear out your closet and fill it with 30 (high-quality) essentials you can combine as you like. The bottom line is that 30 high-quality clothes are not much more expensive than 120 from well-known seasonal fashion chains.

Donate Your Extras

Throwing away half-empty bottles is one thing. Giving away books, clothes, and kitchen utensils is another. It turns out that donating feels good!

Studies by Rush University Medical Center show that “givers” experience a “helper peak,” which brings long-lasting physical and psychological benefits.

Do you find it difficult to find out which things you don’t need now but might need later? Our suggestion: put them in a box and write the date you put them away. Donate them and collect karma points if you don’t miss these things after a year.

Our friends from the German Red Cross are happy about every donation – whether you give them your sorted clothes, books, or other possessions via old clothes containers, street collections, or clothing stores.

Get Socially Minimalist

While it may not line up with what the Zen gardeners had in mind when they seeded the minimalism movement, there are incredible benefits to cleaning up your social life. Sort out who you follow on social media and limit relationships (online and offline) that aren’t good for you.

Changing your behavior by 180° is a mammoth task. But living a minimalist lifestyle doesn’t have to be difficult. Especially since it’s all about simplifying your life. Write your definition of the minimalism philosophy and make it your own.

Conclusion

When something explodes in popularity the way minimalism is doing, it often gets misrepresented—because minimalism is so much more than just a hashtag. However, our research discovered that the concept has a deeper meaning.