We live in a world that values things. There’s always something exciting and new to buy. While it’s great to have so much choice when it comes to things like fashion, beauty, and home decor, this has also created a problem in many homes: clutter. You don’t have to go fully minimalist to combat living with clutter—with a little dedication, you can create a balance of having the things you need without letting “stuff” overtake your life.
What is minimalism?
There are often misconceptions around minimalism, that it’s stark white spaces reminiscent of hospitals with no personal items, but that’s not the case! You can still have elements of minimalism integrated in cozy and homey spaces. Minimalist living starts with decluttering your space and keeping only the items that have meaning or purpose. Minimalism de-emphasizes the importance of material possessions and consumerism, encouraging you to prioritize yourself and emotional connections.
Creating a minimalist home
If you’ve been paying attention to the world of home decor and organization, you’ve likely heard of Marie Kondo. She’s a true decluttering expert and has created her own philosophy around how to keep your home tidy and free from clutter. Her concept, called KonMari, focuses on tackling your clutter by category: clothes, books, papers, miscellaneous items, and sentimental items.
As you sort through each category of items, she suggests you hold up each item and ask yourself a question: does this item spark joy in your life? If the answer is no, then you shouldn’t keep it. This method requires careful consideration of how much items mean to you before you decide to keep them or throw them away. If you do decide to get rid of something, she suggests that you say thank you to each item for being in your life before you let it go.
Following the KonMari method is a great way to start your minimalist journey, as it really makes you prioritize the practical value of an item. When you’ve decided what you are getting rid of, donate or recycle when possible to reduce the environmental impact. If you need help clearing out those items, call 1-800-GOT-JUNK? and they’ll recycle the recyclables and donate the donate-ables for you.
8 benefits of minimalism
Still not sure minimalism is for you? Check out these eight benefits to see how minimalist living can improve your life.
1. Increased relaxation
Your home should act as your sanctuary, but that’s difficult to achieve if there’s clutter everywhere you look. No one wants to clear a pile of clothes off their bed every night or remove half empty shower products before taking a bath. When you’ve adopted a minimalist lifestyle, you can spend your time relaxing in your space, instead of constantly decluttering and worrying about the work that needs to get done.
2. Increased focus
A clear space leads to a clear mind. Having clutter around your home can impact your train of thought. If you work from home, a clutter-free workspace is key to increasing focus and productivity. You can focus on the work you need to achieve instead of thinking about the things you need to do in your home. For even more ways to optimize focus at home, check out our home office tips for productivity.
3. Easier to clean
There’s no need to move clutter around every time you want to dust, because it just won't be there! When you embrace elements of minimalism it’s easier for you to complete chores like vacuuming and cleaning counters, because you won't have to do any prep work to clear the floor or counter. This makes the entire chore seem less daunting and enables it to be completed faster.
4. Everything has a home
When you get rid of items that have no purpose and organize the ones that do, you’ll be able to find everything easier. Long gone are the days of the black hole that is a junk drawer! You wont need to rummage through drawers or end up making duplicate purchases unknowingly, because everything will have a home.
5. Save money
As a minimalist, you don’t completely give up making new purchases. However, you will become less impulsive and more intentional about the items you buy. Overtime, all of these small decisions will add up and result in a huge amount of savings!
6. Higher quality items
Since you’ve saved money by limiting and being more intentional with your purchases, you can now invest that money in higher quality pieces. Whether it’s buying more expensive clothing that will last longer, or investing in one quality piece of decor than five cheap ones, you’ll realize that quality is truly more important than quantity.
7. Increased appreciation for emotional connections
When you start to place less value on material possessions, you begin to realize how important emotional connections truly are. Instead of shopping for your next piece of unnecessary home decor, you’ll spend time with your friends and family, building memories that you’ll treasure for years.
8. Increased space
Many items we hold onto don’t serve us a purpose and only take up space. Once all the clutter is gone, your home will instantly feel bigger! With this newfound space you have more room to make memories with your loved ones. Whether it’s through hosting dinners, playing games with your kids, or learning new recipes, your space can be a happy place when clutter isn’t holding you back.
If you need help creating a minimalist home, 1-800-GOT-JUNK?’s healthy teams can quickly and safely clear out the clutter with our No Contact Junk Removal.
