5 Steps To Becoming A Minimalist
Having less is becoming the new trend in 2017, and for good reasons! Having too much “stuff” can clutter your brain, affect your stress levels, and can become a burden overtime if not maintained. There is nothing worse than coming home after a long day at work to a completely torn apart home. Not only do you spend more money purchasing items you already have and cannot find, but you are creating a more stressful environment to exist in.
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Those people who have less stuff, don’t have to clean and organize as much! Their brains are free of clutter, and they have more time to do things they actually enjoy doing on their weekends off! There are 5 easy things you can do to get started on the journey of minimalism, so take a look below.
1. Let Go
I had to start with this because it is the elephant in the room. The first step to really cleaning up your world is to let go of items you never use and do not really need. Having a minimalistic way of doing life means stripping down to the basic necessities, and being okay with it. Go room-by-room, and start asking yourself if you really benefit from having the item in your home. You can go as far as evaluating art on your walls!
Take a trash bag and start placing items in it that you want to donate to charities, so that you feel as if your belongings are going to a place where they will actually be used! The dumpster is going to be a place for broken items that cannot be used anymore, or clothing that is stained or torn. Once you fill up your items in each bag you can distribute them to their new homes. If you are able to, try and get rid of duplicates and it will get the ball rolling for decluttering the more difficult pieces!
2. Analyze Your Finances
Becoming a minimalist doesn’t just imply to the actual physical items you own, but it also includes your bank account status. Do you have large amounts of debt, or a 401K that hasn’t been contributed to in years? Or do you have a negative bank account that barely gets fed each month? Are their bills unpaid sitting on your counter top? Get those items checked out, paid up, and organized for a more free life. There is nothing worse than having your hands tied behind your back because of finances.
Getting debt under control is the first step; once you have those payments out of your life you can start contributing to different things you actually want to contribute to. Many people feel as if their 401K takes first priority so if you have debt, still try and put money into that 401k! Have a savings account with at least 5 months of living expenses. Are you not even close? Each month put a little money away and you will be amazed at the growth overtime. Finally, pay those bills off and get them off of your countertop!
3. Easier Cooking
Do you spend more money on food than you ever thought humanly possible? Your pantry and fridge might be jam packed, but it really isn’t necessary. Try cleaning out both your pantry and fridge for a more simplified style of eating. When you cook more simple meals you are less likely to overeat, and more likely to eat healthy in the process! Steam veggies, grill some chicken, and enjoy roasted potatoes for a simple yet satisfying meal! When you get your pantry, and fridge cleaned up you will also feel better about cleaning up your kitchen too! Clear off those counter tops and leave room to breath.
4. Be Mindful When You Travel
Being a minimalist does not just have to be at home, or tied to your bank account. Traveling lightly also helps ease you into a more stress free trip, because you do not have to worry about the weight limit for checking a bag, or not enough space to bring back items you want to purchase while you are away. Bringing travel size toiletries is a must, and it allows you the opportunity to just carry your bag onto the airplane. Not having to wait for baggage claim speeds up you travel, and it also takes the worry of lost baggage completely away!
5. Digital
We all struggle with digital issues whether it be a phone in our face 24 hours a day, the TV flickering when it should be turned off at dinner, or the e-mail inbox that might explode at any minute because it is too full. The digital way of life is our new normal; there is no denying that. Getting a handle on your digital life is one of the most important things you can do to clear your brain space. Start by cleaning out your e-mail inbox, go through old texts, and apps you might not use. Delete and get more space (hooray!). Limit your screen time, and opt outside if the weather permits. You will be SO much happier at the end of the day, I promise!
These simple tricks can help jumpstart you into a more organized, simplified and stress free way of life! Go on a spending freeze for a week, and see how it makes you feel! The less “stuff” the better! Go make memories outdoors!
Happy Minimalizing!
xoxo Lauren Nicole
