You’ve probably heard the phrase “less is more” at some point in your life. You may have also been told, “the more stuff you own, the more your stuff owns you.” These and similar sayings lend credence to the concept of minimalist living. In short, those who want to live a minimalist lifestyle are setting out to reduce the amount of stuff they own and cut down on clutter in the process. In doing so, they hope to achieve better peace of mind and improved focus on the things in life that really matter.
While minimalism isn’t for everyone, those interested in giving it a try should consider the following ways to achieve a minimalist lifestyle:
KonMari Method
Developed by organizing consultant Marie Kondo, the KonMari Method is a system designed to simplify living and create a more organized living space. The fundamental aspect of KonMari involves the process of examining every object and item in your possession and determining whether or not it brings joy to your life. If you can safely say it does, you keep the item. If, on the other hand, you cannot see how an object or item brings joy, you either donate it, sell it, or throw it away.
Furnished Living
One of the simplest ways to achieve minimalist living is to cleanse yourself of virtually everything you own except the bare essentials and a select number of objects with sentimental value. However, the biggest hurdle in reaching this point is figuring out how to live without owning any furniture, kitchen appliances, or other household items. This can be achieved by living in fully-furnished apartments like those available with a Landing membership. Simply move into a new dwelling that includes furniture and other household items. This enables individuals to abandon ownership of an array of possessions they would otherwise need.
Project 333
Otherwise known as a capsule wardrobe, Project 333 refers to the concept of limiting yourself to a handful of clothing items to wear for three months at a time, ideally in accordance with the four seasons. Project 333 specifically calls for reducing your wardrobe to only 33 items for three months (hence the name) but it doesn’t have to be that exact figure. The point is to see how it’s possible to live comfortably with far less clothing than most people own.
Do Away with Duplicates
Who needs two copies of the same movie? Is owning three different same-sized skillets really necessary? Whether it’s donating a box of DVDs, discarding several items of cookware, or getting rid of three out of five laundry baskets, doing away with duplicate items is one of the easiest ways to cut down on the amount of stuff in your possession and inch closer to minimalism in the process.
Make Consistent Meals
Accumulating dozens of canned goods, bottles of seasoning, and containers of dressings and sauces is a common state of affairs in most family kitchens. Coupled with the volume of produce that gets purchased only to go unused and thrown away, the result is a lot of clutter and waste. This can be remedied by devising a set meal schedule for your family. For example, dinners can consist of meatloaf Mondays, taco Tuesdays, soup and salad Wednesdays, and so forth. A routine such as this can make grocery shopping a more straightforward process and prevents the accumulation of unused food items, thereby decluttering your kitchen and ultimately making mealtime prep a minimal hassle.
While living a minimalist lifestyle isn’t for everyone, minimalism living is catching on across the globe. The reasons are simple: it cuts down on hassle, simplifies decisionmaking, increases cleanliness and tidiness, and generally makes life easier for everyone in your household.
Photo by Dominika Roseclay from Pexels