The Benefits of Minimalism

I started to write a “life hack” post of all these different ways you can become a minimalist. Things I don’t buy anymore, ways to declutter, and all the things I’ve done in the last two years to simplify my life. All of that is coming, I promise, but I feel like that is not where my headspace is at this moment. I’m sitting here in my apartment reflecting over the last two years and I’m truly so grateful that I decided to simplify my life. Yes, I’m a “minimalist.” This word means so many different things to different people, so I want to share the definition of what this word means to me:

Definition of “minimalism” from The Minimalists: “Minimalism is a lifestyle that helps people question what things add value to their lives. By clearing the clutter from life’s path, we can all make room for the most important aspects of life: health, relationships, passion, growth, and contribution.

There are many flavors of minimalism: a 20-year-old single guy’s minimalist lifestyle looks different from a 45-year-old mother’s minimalist lifestyle. Even though everyone embraces minimalism differently, each path leads to the same place: a life with more time, more money, and more freedom to live a more meaningful life.”

This definition perfectly describes my journey with owning less in search of more in the last two years. I am continually evaluating clutter in my life (whether that’s physical clutter, screen time, or hurry) and asking myself what adds value and what doesn’t.

Before I go into all of the benefits I have received from minimalism, I want to say I’m such a normal person. My laundry hamper is overflowing right now, I hit snooze like 6 times today, and I love playing Mario Kart and watching the Bachelor. I rack up screentime scrolling on TikTok and I eat fast food. I can share the things I gain from minimalism while simultaneously having aspects of my life that don’t fit the bill. So with all of that here in the open now, Here are the things I love about being my version of a minimalist:

More money

As I started to evaluate the items that brought value to my life and those that didn’t, I also started to realize what buying habits I had that weren’t productive in the end. For example, when I was decluttering my closet for the first time over 2 years ago, I realized I donated every pair of Target shoes I had. Yes, the shoes are cheap to buy, but they also only lasted me a couple of months before I felt unsatisfied with them. This buying behavior I had wasn’t actually adding value to my life, it was only losing me money over time. Decluttering brought those bad buying habits to the surface, so I’m now able to avoid those and save my money for things that matter to me, whether that’s my savings account, a vacation, or shoes I actually like.

I also try to follow the 24-hour rule to avoid impulse purchases. Sometimes I still break and buy something impulsively (yes, I regret buying my juicer), but this rule alone has saved me so much money over the years. Being intentional with what you buy can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. More money to me is the biggest benefit of minimalism.

More Time

Through the book Essentialism by Greg Mckeown and Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport, I realized how much time I spent on unnecessary things like social media and working too late (hello, American Hustle Culture). This task has definitely been the hardest for me, but over time I have learned to finally set healthy boundaries with media and work.

My screentime can still be horrendous at times, but it’s something I have been working on for months. And with the extra time I’m given by spending less time overworking and mindlessly scrolling, I have started painting, exercising, reading more, and the most important, watching Reality TV with Houston (I love garbage TV okay).

Less anxiety

More time than I ever could have realized before minimalism was spent comparing myself to others and the happiness or belongingness I thought they had. And what’s interesting is when we look at other people and their lives, we usually mimic the stuff they own and not the habits they have. Buying my way to acceptance and buying my way to happiness is a never-ending race that will never fulfill me. “Keeping Up with the Jones’s” is a finish line I will never meet.

After I realized that keeping up with peers through purchases was draining my money and my time, I decided to focus on the items I do have and always carefully consider when I want something new. Feeling gratitude for what I have has lessened my anxiety a great amount. Not to mention that my room in college was overflowing with things I didn’t care about, and now my small apartment displays items that bring me joy.

Easy to tidy my space

It turns out that owning less means you have to clean less, too. When you own fewer clothes, there’s less laundry to do. When you own fewer dishes, there are fewer dishes to do. And overall if there’s less stuff in your home, there’s less to keep up with. Keeping up with my home is now more simple since I have minimized my space.

I take care of my body

With more time, I take time to take care of my body. In college, I slept maybe 5-6 hours a night, ate fast food almost every day, drank far more lattes and Cokes than water, and never had a regular workout routine. Now, I sleep 8 hours a night almost every night. I broke my addiction to sodas and drink lots and lots of water. I plan meals at the start of the week so I rarely eat fast food. And finally, after years of trying, I’m finding a daily workout routine that works for me.

I love the items I have

After carefully considering each item I own, I am left with a home full of things that bring me joy. I love looking at my closet because each piece of clothing is something that makes me feel good. I love looking at my shelf that’s filled with good books, propagating plants, and pictures of my friends and family. I have my favorite spatula, my favorite magnets, my favorite blankets, and my favorite shoes.

After getting rid of all the clutter in my life, I’m only left with the things that bring joy.