Simple Ways To Live a More Minimalist Life
Minimalism is an increasingly popular lifestyle choice for many people, largely in part due to the emphasis it places on being more mindful of the things that add real value to your life.
For anyone who has heard the word minimalism thrown around but doesn’t really know what it means, the minimalist lifestyle is about intentionally placing a focus of your time, money, and energy on things in life that you really value, and removing everything else that distracts from those things.
Rather than simply being translated to ‘living with less’, minimalism is about finding your priorities in life and simplifying the rest so that you can cultivate a lifestyle that actually reflects what you find important, from your finances to your relationships.
A more minimalist life
So, how can you start to live a more minimalist life?
Let’s take a look:
1. Start being more mindful about the things that make you happy
The first step to becoming more minimalist is to simply start being more mindful of how you live your life. Not only is this a good way to gain perspective on the things that you value in life, but mindfulness is a helpful tool for when life can seem overwhelming.
Bring awareness to how you spend your day. How much of it is spent doing things that make you unhappy or feeling drained of energy? How much of your time do you allow yourself to spend on things that really add value to your life?
Most importantly, what steps could you take, right now, to increase the amount of time you have for the things that you love? Often, it’s simply bringing awareness to the fact that far too much of our time is spent doing things we don’t really enjoy that is the catalyst for more intentional living.
A more minimalist life
2. Declutter your physical environment for a more minimalist life
Minimalism definitely starts with your mindset, but it follows that a minimalist lifestyle is most easily achieved by focusing on the environment around you.
If your home is full of clutter and distractions, it’s going to be difficult to move away from the unnecessary things in your life. On the flip side, no clutter means fewer distractions. Use this guide to decluttering to start clearing your home.
A more minimalist life
3. Get your digital life in order for a more minimalist life
These days, our digital lives make up a huge part of our day-to-day routines. From checking emails to scrolling through social media to using online calendars to organize our lives, a cluttered digital life can very easily translate into a chaotic and stressful real life!
Decluttering your phone (for example, deleting apps you never use, sorting out your inbox, limiting your time on social media) can be a simple but highly effective way to bring your mind back into the present. To reduce stress, distractions, and allow yourself to focus on living in the moment, rather than for the past or the future.
4. Create minimalist habits for a more minimalist life
Adopting a completely more minimalist life definitely isn’t for everyone – but you can start to create some more minimalist-minded habits in different areas of your life.
For example, when it comes to work, trying to get into the habit of keeping your desk free from clutter, inbox empty, and better time management will lead to increased productivity, less stress, and more time for things that you enjoy!
Likewise, these minimalist habits can be applied to a number of different areas in your life. Trying to keep your home clutter-free with scheduled declutter sessions every three months is a healthy habit to get into, while taking some time for self-care and finding what really helps you clear your head is an effective way to improve your well-being and lead a more minimalist life.
5. Simplify your diet
Simplifying your diet doesn’t necessarily mean eating bland food or making the same recipes over and over again: a more minimalist diet can simply mean finding what style of cooking actually works for you.
Start by clearing out your kitchen clutter and countertops, and keeping your pantry stocked with basic essentials you use every week (such as rice, pasta, oats etc). Then, you can think about how to simplify the rest of your grocery shopping in order to save money, time, and make the most out of your meals.
Some minimalists prefer to simplify their diet to the extreme, such as eating only a plant-based diet without oil or refined sugar, or following a paleo diet – overall, the most important thing is finding a diet that works for you.
My experience of a more minimalist life
Living a minimalist life has undoubtedly changed my life for the better. I am far more mindful about my values in life and much faster at recognising when my lifestyle has become too full of distractions to enable me to do more of the things I love.
Equally, being a minimalist has been pivotal for improving my well-being. Not only does less clutter help me to feel calmer, but I am also now better at identifying my needs and doing the things that I want rather than what society might tell me I want.
Just trying one or two of the minimalist life tips listed above today could make a massive difference in your perspective – give it a try and let me know how your minimalist life unfolds!
A more minimalist life – about the author
Yaz Purnell is a frugal living and minimalist blogger at The Wallet Moth, providing practical lifestyle tips to help create a life with more of what you love.
I have been writing this week about what thifty means and I li think it fits in well if you are trying to live a more minimalist life
