Are you tired of having so many things lying around? Whether clutter is on flat surfaces, stuffed into closets, or taking up valuable real estate where you want to put something new in your home, chronic clutter can be stressful.
Rather than spending more time cleaning up what you own, you can become more mindful of your possessions and scale them down to live more manageably. One way you can do this is by becoming a minimalist.
There are so many bonuses that can happen in your life by becoming a minimalist. It’s almost like a casino bonus you can earn by playing your favorite online casino games.
What Is Minimalism?
Minimalism has different meanings for everyone. In general, minimalism involves intentionally minimizing how much you own to add more value to life. Engaging in minimalism goes beyond decreasing physical clutter, despite this being the main goal of many minimalists. It’s also about creating mental space and reducing commitments to live more comfortably.
What Is Your Goal?
If you decide to become a minimalist, discover the goal you want to achieve by going this route. You may want to:
- Reject fast fashion and abstain from unsustainable consumer habits that disadvantage marginalized workers.
- Free up your mental space to become more focused on self-care and engaging with your community.
- Challenging societal expectations of how material possessions decide a woman’s worth.
Declutter Intentionally
Keep only the possessions that add value to your life. Be mindful of incoming items into your household and ensure they add value to your lifestyle so that it does not turn into unnecessary clutter.
Conduct a feminist wardrobe audit. This means holding on to the pieces that make you feel powerful. If you don’t like the trending fashion, don’t make yourself miserable by wearing it so the rest of society can have a false respect for you. If people dislike the outfits that make you feel empowered, then don’t make them try to like you.
Many professional organizers say that if you haven’t touched an item in 6 months, it’s time to declutter it. There’s also a one-year rule following this same principle but with a different time frame. Pick a decluttering principle that works for you and stick to it.
Mindful Consumption of Products
Minimalism goes beyond decluttering. You also must be mindful of whether the products you are consuming align with the standards you want to uphold in your life.
Don’t let others dictate what you should purchase. For example, if you prefer not to wear makeup, don’t buy it. Purchase only the body care items that make you feel empowered.
Purchase products from companies that support fair wages, ethical standards, and inclusivity. Take it a step further by reducing your purchasing habits. Swap and share clothes with friends and family, borrow books from the library, or shop at thrift stores to reduce spending and support environmentally friendly practices.
Simplify Commitments
Examining your minimalist journey from a mental space standpoint is just as important as evaluating your physical clutter. Learn when to say “no” to commitments that do not add value to your life or drain you of your energy.
While volunteering is noble, if you are contributing too much of your time to unpaid work, this can feel draining and unrewarding. Of course, this also depends on your work lifestyle and overall volunteering preferences.
Curate your social media usage by unfollowing content creators who do not align with your life’s values or plunge you into consumerist pressures.
Set boundaries by reducing emotional labor with things that upset you. Decrease your stress by prioritizing a self-care regimen that’s right for you. This goes beyond regular hygiene with showering and brushing your teeth. It’s also about engaging in your favorite hobbies and finding time to do what you love to recharge yourself.
