Marilyn Thipthorpe
The minimalist movement — a lifestyle which opposes the Western consumerist ideal — has been gaining popularity in recent years, as more and more each day we are bombarded with hundreds, if not thousands, of advertisements all geared towards the same thing — convincing us to buy more.
Here are 10 ways minimalism can help improve your life.
More Financial Freedom: Less stuff means less debt and therefore more money. All it takes is a shift in perspective to realize that
maybe that new phone,
expensive jacket, or whatever it may be is just not that important.
Less Stress: Having fewer possessions means having fewer things to worry about; you not only have less stuff to pay for, you have less stuff to take care of. Having less in general also means having less to clean!
Much Better For The Environment: The less we have, the less we have to throw out or replace. Consumerism is wreaking havoc on the environment, so paring down our lives can make a big difference for the planet.
Have More Time & Be More Productive: Fewer possessions mean fewer distractions and more time to be spent on things that really matter like- spending time with your friends and family, going on a hike, gardening or yoga.
Set A Good Example: A minimalistic approach to life sets a great example for the people around you, including your children, family, and friends. If your loved ones see how truly happy you are without so many things, they may be inspired to start reducing, too.
Ability To Live In A Smaller Space: If you didn’t need such a big space to store all of your possessions, you could have a smaller home or even a tiny home, which would make owning a home in the first place become a much more attainable prospect.
Not Feel Tied Down Or Burdened: From my experience at least, having a lot of possessions can create a feeling of permanence. The more possessions we have, the less likely we are to pack up and leave if we feel the calling.
Freedom From The Comparison Game: In our society if we do not have what others do we feel inadequate or less than them in some way. As a result, we are constantly striving to buy more, to impress others with what we have. Is this really important in the grand scheme of things? This is a great question to ask yourself.
Give Up Attachments To The Past: Why do we sabotage ourselves in this way? The past is the past; leave it there. Some things we hold on to can bring up happy memories, but do you really need those objects in order to remember?
Be Happier: When you see the benefits of all the previous points in your life, I promise, you will feel happier. More importantly, you will realize that you absolutely don’t need possessions to make you happy; you will see that happiness lies within you and within the people you care about most.
As Jim Carrey once said: “I wish everyone could get rich and famous and have everything they ever dreamed of so that they can see that it’s not the answer.”