Achieving a minimalist lifestyle gives some truth to the saying that less is more - by reducing the amount of things you own and do, your life can actually feel richer. That's because paring back clutter and a hectic schedule can give us more time for ourselves, the things we like doing and using most, and time with family and friends.
If you're feeling the need to make things simpler, give these tips a try. And if you have more advice, we'd love it if you leave a comment below!
Work out your ‘mosts' to become minimalist
Finding out what you give most of your resources to is a good place to start simplifying. What types of things do you have most of in your place and which room is the most full? Is it bathroom cosmetics, wall decorations, furniture or kids toys, for example? A related question is, what are you spending most money on? You'll probably have a pretty good idea, but one way to know is to go through your bank records for the last year or so. There are also things that take up most of our time each week - we'll be aware of the main things like being at work or at home, but there there might be smaller things taking up an increasing amount of our routine. Maybe you've had to take on a bigger part of a particular role at work, or a regular activity or class is taking longer than usual more often.
Sort out your possessions
If your house seems over-cluttered, try making a sort through a more logical and manageable task. You could take each room in turn, or get help from friends and family to help you work out what you want to keep. A big part of that decision is knowing what you use most often and what you really need. When considering any purchase, ask if it's really necessary, or if you could re-purpose an existing item. Often we'll store the things we already have for a rainy day, but it's well known advice that if you haven't used something for a long time, you don't really need it. Donating what you don't need is a great way to de-clutter, but also to help others as well.
Re-capture valuable time
De-cluttering doesn't always mean reducing the amount of things we have, it's also about doing less each day, and focusing a bit more on important activities. Try going through your schedule and eliminating things someone else could do in your place, or things that may not have as much benefit as they used to. Sometimes there are more efficient ways of doing things, like using technology for scheduling or arranging deliveries online. Be aware though that technology can make our lives more cluttered - maybe you communicate using several online channels when you could actually pick one or two and still stay in touch effectively.