What is minimalist living? Few steps to get you started
What's the story
Have you ever taken a moment to be grateful for the simple things in life?
Societal conditioning finetunes us into thinking "the more, the merrier," but somewhere down the lane, we realize that our soul is content with simple, basic things.
Minimalist living caters to experiencing joy with minimal materialistic possessions and reflects on the joy of letting go of what doesn't serve us.
First step
Follow the KonMari Method to declutter your items
The first step is the hardest but it is totally worth it.
Evaluate and declutter your possessions and dispose of or give away all those items that no longer serve you.
The KonMari Method suggests tidying things category-wise and not by location/roomwise.
Start by separating clothes that no longer sparks "joy" in you and then move on to books, papers, and other miscellaneous items.
Think
Think twice before making a purchase on e-commerce sites
Do not give yourself into online temptations. The next time, before you click on the "buy" button, contemplate your purchase.
Ask yourself if buying the item is absolutely necessary and if it would add value to your life and bring joy.
If your answer is a yes, go ahead with the purchase. If you have second thoughts, you might want to skip the idea.
Quality
Buy quality items that can be used for many years
Every time you make a purchase, make sure to invest in quality products. This saves time from frequently replacing worn-out and damaged items.
Likewise, rather than trying to follow the latest trend, invest in timeless pieces when it comes to clothes, shoes, watches, and other such basic items.
In this way, you save yourself from the hassle of upgrading your wardrobe time and again.
Purge
Go through your wardrobe, purge your space once every month
Make it a habit to go through your wardrobe, utensils, and decorative and miscellaneous items once every month.
You can probably store away your winter clothes and keep just the summer essentials in your wardrobe when summer hits and vice-versa.
Go through your utensils and give away extra cutlery and utensils.
Follow the same with clothes, decorations, toys, and pet stuff.
Say 'no'
Listen to your mind, practice the art of saying 'no'
Way too often we are caught up saying "yes" when actually our mind is screaming a big "no."
Minimalist living is not just about freeing up space at home but is a lifestyle change.
Practice the art of saying no to situations and people that do not add purpose to your life, and embrace a meaningful life with just about the right things.