How Minimalism & Decluttering Can Have A Life-Changing Impact On You

Minimalism and Decluttering are two words that are currently quite popular. But how do they really help you? Find out here! 

Minimalism and decluttering could be your path to salvation. In this post, I will share my views on how choosing a way through minimalism and decluttering can have a life-changing impact on you.

Today, we are exposed to several new things, things that we thought never existed. And things that were a little less approachable earlier, we over stuff them now.

We want a car, and as per human tendency, next we want a bigger car. Similarly, we have a dream house, and then we buy so many things that our ‘dream house’ starts screaming that it is running out of space.

I read a lot about decluttering since I love staying organised. My first encounter with the real decluttering process was through Marie Kondo’s Konmari technique. Kondo is the founder of the process and also the author of the book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying”.

Decluttering can begin small, like cleaning the wardrobe, kitchen storage, office desks. Or if you’re determined enough, maybe your entire house!

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5 benefits of minimalism and decluttering

1. It helps you decide between what you actually need and what you want. Begin with your wardrobe, drawers, mailbox, social media accounts. Then move on to the toxic people in your life and unsubscribe to them and their negativity.
2. Decluttering is also connected internally, as there are certain things in our house that hold negative memories. They still are around us, and should be discarded immediately.
3. Not just the negative things, we do possess few things which are very old and hold deep sentiments. They may be from another generation but we need to figure out how important it is to hold on, rather letting go.
4. They say if you haven’t used a certain product, cloth or electronic item for six months, then the probability is you will never use it again. Yes, exceptions are there as per winter and summer season essentials.
5. Decluttering helps you spark joy in your house, your living space and also your relationships. Mental space cleansing it is.

The Minimalist way

Now if you have got a rough idea about what decluttering looks like, let’s switch to understanding minimalism.

You can also watch a documentary on Minimalism inspired by the real story of two friends Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus. They helped over 20 million people live meaningful lives with less.

For them less is more.

It was a year ago that I started decluttering things. Especially clothes that were still in good condition, bed sheets, blankets, and unused utensils.

I didn’t call it donation. But since the stuff was in a usable condition, I went to a nearby NGO where I handed three bags full of those items.

Giving away those things made me feel lighter as if a weight had been removed from my house. My wardrobe could breathe, my bed storage was more spacious and my kitchen, even more organised.

Less is always more

You want to know what the best part of decluttering and switching to a minimal life is? The fact that you end up making room for new things by discarding the old ones. Only this time, you can do so, by measuring them through the need and want analysis.

I am not shy when it comes to repeating my heavy sarees or accessories during festivals or any occasion; I don’t shop just because I have to attend a party. What I do instead is, that I wear what I have and I even recycle the clothes I have for a completely new look. I have transformed a number of my sarees into dresses and long gowns.

Use what you have first. Only after donating or recycling them, switch to newer things. Free yourself from the burden of debt, credit cards, and the guilt of buying a lot and that of making bad choices.

Things I just couldn’t declutter!

Despite all this, the only thing I couldn’t even think of decluttering was books. I have around 120 books, some of them are really old but they are my biggest assets. While decluttering, that was one area of the house that I absolutely could not touch. But inspite of that, I have been able to successfully apply the basic rule of minimalism. The rule that says, ‘less is more.’

There is nothing wrong in inheriting material for happiness, but the problem lies with the meaning we assign to them. Everything is turning materialistic and artificial. Fewer people more things. More devices, more gadgets, more financial liability and more stress.

How Decluttering and Minimalism can reduce stress

Trust me it can and here is how:

1. When you have fewer options, you don’t waste time deciding what to wear. Take for example, Mark Zuckerberg. Mostly seen in grey t-shirts, he says, “I really want to clear my life. And make it such, that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything. Except how to best serve this community.”
2. When you accumulate less stuff, you use it rather than simply holding on to it. Once you use it thoroughly, you make space for new items to replace it.
3. Choosing to minimise is not restricted to materialistic things but also things that affect on the cellular level. Mentally or emotionally, things that could harness our productivity.
4. When you have lesser burden of liabilities or freedom from debt, toxic elements in life, you are at peace. You focus on better things.
5. Last but not the least, decluttering helps you stay in harmony with your mind and body.

Why not start small, like I did?

I started with small things and I found it very useful.

We don’t have to prove anything, neither do we have to explain our choices to the world. Since most of the things we do are so that we meet the societal standards.

Of course you don’t have to ditch your wardrobe for a set of grey T-shirts or live in isolation.

But you can adopt some practical ways to implement minimalism in your daily life.

First published here.

Picture credits: YouTube

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