Minimalism: Myths & Benefits
When it comes to minimalism, there is often a disconnect between what people think it looks like and the intention behind it.
As it turns out, everyone is at varying levels of minimalism all the time, and it looks completely different from person to person. What makes it qualify as minimalism though, is the intention behind the movement.
To explain what I mean, I want to review the three main myths and ten benefits of true minimalism.
Minimalism Myths:
Minimalism does not mean you can’t buy anything.
Yup that’s right! Minimalists buy things. The difference is taking a look around prior to buying anything to ensure it’s something you actually need or truly want to add to your space and life. Consumerism is loud and you’re bombarded every single day by countless ads telling you to buy things that you don’t necessarily need or want, but might buy anyway. Once you’re minimalist, you’re able to both ignore and sort through the noise so that every thing brought into your home has a purpose or brings you lasting joy (more than just that initial “new-thing” euphoria).
Minimalism does not mean you have to get rid of all your stuff.
Living more minimally does not mean you can only own one fork and one spoon instead of having eight of each. In fact, it doesn’t mean you have to get rid of anything that you love or use. Your functional and loved items clearly bring purpose to your life and therefore are worth taking up space. The intention is simply to be mindful of whether or not your items do bring you this joy or have purpose, and adjusting accordingly if they don’t.
Minimalism does not mean depriving yourself of things that bring you joy.
Everyone has their “thing” that they are passionate about and therefore invest money in. Maybe you really love crafting and own boxes of scrapbooking supplies. Maybe you own a lot of shoes and love changing them up every day. Whatever your thing is, know that being minimalist does not mean you have to give it up. There are so many other areas in your life that can be “minimalized” instead. For example, if you have a passion for photography and own a lot of equipment, you don’t have to get rid of any of it if you don’t want to, but might choose to minimize the amount of clothes you own to make room in a closet for part of your equipment. Maybe you collect unique vintage jewelry but are totally ok only owning three pairs of jeans instead of the 20 pairs the average person owns. Maybe you have thirty houseplants but don’t care for any other decor or knickknacks in your home. The things that bring you joy should be easily spottable around your home rather than it being cluttered with things you don’t actually like.
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So if you don’t have to get rid of stuff or stop buying your favourite things, then what the heck is the point of minimalism?!
Let me explain.
10 Benefits of Minimalism:
Reduces your environmental impact
If you aren’t mindlessly bringing items into your home, you’ll end up with a lot less unwanted items that would end up in the trash or at the over-capacitated thrift stores. By having intention behind each of your possessions, you’ll find that you’re more aware of the impact you and your items have on the planet and have an easier time making environmentally friendly choices.
Your house will be tidier
By not constantly bringing in new things that you don’t know where to store, you’ll find your house stays more consistently tidy (goodbye dining room table covered in stuff you don’t have the mental energy to put away). Since you’ll be aware of all your possessions and only own the ones that bring you joy or purpose, each item will have its home and make it easy to put away once you’re done using it.
No more losing your items around the house
A tidier house also means that you won’t have trouble finding that gift you bought your mom three months ago, or that shirt you meant to wear at a certain event. When each item has its designated space and always goes back into that space, it makes it a lot easier to retrieve your possessions around the house without having to turn the house upside down. ;) Losing things becomes almost impossible, but when you do, it’ll be easy to pinpoint where that item could be.
Lowers your anxiety
Clutter and overstimulation have been shown to increase anxiety in some people. I, for one, can attest to this🙋🏻♀️. For me, this has been one of the most worthwhile benefits since becoming more minimalist. I used to get overwhelmed figuring our what to wear in the morning (pre-scrub life and on weekends) because my closet was filled with excess clothes that I didn’t really like and made it hard for my favourite items to stand out and catch my eye. I would get frustrated over drawers that were so filled with stuff that they could barely close. I wouldn’t know where to store new items because my current items didn’t even all have homes yet. But once I went through all my possessions and realized what I truly wanted to take up space in my home, it made my house feel like a sanctuary rather than a stressful place. It’s so much better to have your favourite things clearly in view in their designated spaces rather than seeing constant reminders of the things needing to be put away.
You’ll feel in better control of your money
Ever seen your credit card statement and thought, what the heck have I been buying?! Ya, me too. When I first started my career, I had the mindset that I could spend mindlessly because I was making “real” money now. This made me go shopping weekly to “pass the time,” and you bet that I ended up with multiple things that I a) did not need, and b) didn’t even really want, but bought for the sake of buying and that initial shopping therapy bliss. Being minimalist makes you buy with intention rather than mindlessly spending hundreds of dollars on things you don’t need every month, which makes it a lot easier to track where your money goes and adjusting as needed.
Puts the important aspects of your life in perspective
When you aren’t bombarded with excess clutter, it’ll be easier to focus on what truly matters. With less things to put away, there’s more time to spend with your family and loved ones. With less meaningful purchases, there’s more money available to spend on experiences rather than material possessions. You’ll realize more than ever that it’s not about what you own but what you do with your time and who you spend it with that truly makes a difference in your life. You will no longer be looking at buying items to increase your happiness because you’ll understand that those things weren’t what you needed to be happy after all. Experiences & people > materialism, always.
Makes you appreciate what you have
The intentional items that you do choose to own will each be appreciated because you’ll be aware of their potential for joy and/or purpose rather than mindlessly owning them. Your appreciation won’t be clouded by the overwhelm of endless stuff which makes it hard to pinpoint your favourite items. Once you’re minimalist, you’ll have a clear view of what few things you really need and understand that you don’t need excess in your life.
Helps you figure out your personal style
I used to buy clothes that weren’t necessarily my ideal style just because they were on sale or the right size. This made me end up with a lot of disliked items in my closet that cluttered it and made it hard to know what I truly loved to wear. Once you take the time to sort through your closet and only purchase items intentionally, you’ll start to know your personal style better and go from there to build your dream minimalist wardrobe. This can take time, but as a result you will be in love with all of the items in your closet and feel confident in your outfits. Stayed tuned for an in-depth blog post all about creating an intentional wardrobe later this month!
You’ll feel in better control of your time
You’ll spend less time shopping, less time obsessing over what’s “missing” in your life, and less time sorting through clutter. You will have truly simplified your life. Once your mindset shifts from thinking you need to own and do it all, to living your life with intention, you’ll find that life is a lot simpler than it used to be. You don’t need to take part in all those extracurricular activities if they bring you stress. You don’t need to get the latest gadget and learn how to use it just because society deems it the “thing to do”. You get to control what you spend time on.
Minimalism will spill into all areas of your life
You’ll start applying the mindset of “less but better” within your relationships, your career, and your home. You’ll choose and keep your friends wisely. You’ll buy less salad dressings at the grocery store that would otherwise end up expiring before you go through them all. You’ll start only buying the foods you really truly love. You’ll have less side projects to do because you’ll realize you don’t need to fill all your time with things you don’t particularly enjoy. Minimalism will become a lifestyle that allows you to intentionally control your time and money and environment for what truly matters to you. This is your life, after all. You have the power to choose what you want in it, and the power to simplify it.
So you see, minimalism is multidimensional but also more of a simplification of life rather than yet another thing to “aim for”. Applying a minimalist mindset does not happen overnight, and the goal is not to be perfect at all. It is not an all-or-nothing lifestyle. It’s simply to start living every day with intention, both in your relationships and in your home, and in all aspects of your life, really.
Pop a comment below if you have any questions or want to share your own experience with minimalism. I love hearing from you!
And as always, feel free to connect with me on Instagram. I’ve linked my profile here.
Happy minimalizing! ♡
-Chanelle oxo