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There are many ways that life has changed these days, with Covid-19 ravaging the country. Many individuals are stuck at home, and that may be distressing to them.
However, being at your residence more is not all bad. If you can work from home, that keeps you off the roads, and that can work out to your advantage. 3,166 people were killed by distracted driving in 2017 alone, and if you’re safe in your house or apartment, you can’t become a statistic.
While you’re at home, you might have the desire to declutter, or to do some spring cleaning. In doing so, you’re engaged in what some people refer to as minimalism.
What is minimalism? It is the practice of living with less. In this article, we’ll talk about some ways that you can actively minimalize, and in doing so, find some much-needed inner peace.
Detach from Social Media
Many people like to engage with social media, but what they really like is the idea of it. They want to:
- Keep up with what their friends and family are doing
- Share what’s going on in their own lives
- Be aware of news and trends
As it turns out, though, social media can be harmful to some individuals. There can be a lot of negativity that’s spread around through platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and others. Social media can also bring on a sense of clutter in your life.
When you’re on these platforms, you can be bombarded with advertisements, updates as to what distant relatives are doing, memes, and so forth. It can all get to be a little bit much, and it might bring on a feeling of anxiety.
You can minimalize by cutting back on your social media time. Eventually, you might even decide to disengage from these sorts of platforms altogether.
Reduce Your Wardrobe
Getting rid of some of your old clothing can bring on a sense of peace as well. Look at what you have in your closets, and ask yourself how long it’s been since you’ve worn some of the articles you see. If it has been multiple years, and you can’t envision a scenario where you’d ever wear a given article of clothing again, then it’s time to get rid of it.
Physical decluttering is practicing minimalism, and it also helps with mental decluttering. When you reduce your wardrobe to things that you actually wear, it frees up space in your home. You’ll also feel good about donating the used clothing to places like the Salvation Army, where it can have a second life.
Don’t Buy Anything New Unless You Truly Need It
You can also practice minimalism by carefully considering your spending habits. This is a time when people have had to tighten their belts. You might have had your hours reduced, or perhaps you’ve even lost your job.
You definitely don’t want to purchase anything at the moment unless you really need it. However, this is an excellent habit to get into even when the pandemic has died down, and you’ve returned to a more conventional version of your life.
If you’re in the habit of purchasing things that you can easily do without, then you’d probably be better off saving your money. You can put it in an IRA, or a high-yield savings account in anticipation of your eventual retirement.
Look for Duplicates Around Your House
You might also choose to minimalize by looking at the objects around your house. Pay attention to:
- Cooking implements
- Makeup
- Old electronic devices
- Decorative items that serve no purpose
If you have more than one of something, and it’s doing little more than taking up space, then getting rid of it will be to your benefit. Much like with the clothing, ask yourself if you need to have more than one of a given item. If you don’t, then you can look at it as unnecessary clutter, and donating it to Goodwill or throwing it away are options that you should consider.
When you try to minimalize, you’re striving to achieve a sense of balance. There are things that you need and things that you want. Everything in your home doesn’t have to serve an expressed purpose, provided that you take joy in it.
At the same time, if your physical and mental space is cluttered up with junk, then a purge can be highly beneficial to you. We’re living in a time when that sort of thing is more important than ever.