Together with the development of consumerism and advertisement, the pressure to buy more and more is intensifying.
The Benefits of Minimalism
Living fast in a consumerist society can create a lot of pressure to buy more and to have more. However, the movement known as minimalism says that another lifestyle, where less is more, is possible. This lifestyle has many benefits for those who choose to take the leap. These benefits include: less distractions and stress, better use of time and space. Our lives can be simpler and calmer as a result.
It is worth remembering that minimalism doesn’t necessarily mean that one has to get rid of old things and get simple yet expensive products from designers. The healthier and more economical approach can be undertaken. The house and the things that are already in it are a great field to make life easier and organized. Decluttering the living space can be the first step to a purer and also calmer life.
Tackle the Problem of Clutter
Decluttering is a method of organizing space. It stands in opposition to cluttering – instead of filling space with the things and items that a person gathered over time (sometimes, even a lifetime) are organized and sometimes removed from the space. After verifying if things are useful or not, they should be assigned to a particular place in the house.
Benefits of Decluttering
Decluttering, especially for the first time, can be a bit frustrating and time-consuming. Because of this, before explaining how to declutter a space, it is worth to focus on the numerous benefits of decluttered spaces and possessing fewer things.Less to clean. Once a space does not have unnecessary things scattered all around, it is easier to vacuum or to dust shelves. There is also no need to spend a week on a big spring clean – the place is already cleared from all obstructions and unnecessary items. Tidy spaces are also healthier as there are fewer chances for dust and mold to gather.
The Benefits of Living with Less Items
Less to focus on
The human brain perceives many pieces of information at the same time. This makes it work at a high speed and stay continually alert, which can lead to increased stress. Because of this, it is good to organize space with as little incentives as possible. While having a few accessories around can make a room cozier, a lot of cups on the desk, a pile of papers, and kitschy figurines can bring distraction and, in effect, tension or even anxiety. Especially in the working space, it is essential to keep as little things as possible. This way, full concentration will be on work, not on the items around. A cleared space also boosts creativity. LEGO designers use the power of an empty place. They work in white rooms to not be distracted by anything else but the famous blocks.
Save money
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, minimalism is not about buying beautifully designed items. It is about having fewer things, which slightly excludes buying, not encourages it. There is no need to stress about the newest trends and a lack of money in the account. Most necessary things are already in the house.
Let go from attachment
People can feel attached to objects, and most of the time it is not connected with the particular item but rather the emotions that are attached to it. Throwing out an old pencil or a train ticket can honestly be very painful and even terrifying for some. However, once it is done, it can bring psychological relief – emotions and memories are still in their place. And there is more space to enjoy them, with less useless things lying around[i]. You will find that mindful living and decluttering are supportive of one another. As you pursue a more conscious lifestyle in your practice of meditation, yoga and prayer you will find that it will become easier to let go of the attachment of emotions and thoughts creating traffic in our minds; the practice of decluttering is a physical practice of this.
When you are ready to learn more about meditation, to free your mind and the clutter that it holds, read DoCalm’s article: How to Begin a Meditation Practice.
Decluttering Tips
While decluttering the spaces and considering throwing things away (or not), it is crucial to ask the questions proposed by decluttering master, Gretchen Rubin: “Do I need it? Do I use it? Do I love it?”[ii]. Answering them may help in making decisions and making decluttering easier.
Decluttering can appear overwhelming as it takes time to get rid of the things that are no longer needed, or maybe even more, to realize what these things are. That is why it is so important to not attempt to declutter the whole house in one day. Starting with baby steps can be a great idea. Even 5 or 10 minutes a day will help to organize space in the house and life, leading to simpler and calming spaces. Here are a few things that decluttering can start with:
Cleaning the document drawer
Documents are important in one’s life, which is why it is necessary to keep them in order and preferably in one place. There is no need for props, such as big folders, to do it. A great solution is to put all the papers on a table and check which of them are essential and which should be thrown away. This way each of the drawers, including ‘junk’ ones, can be organized.
Sorting the pile of old mail and papers
If there is a junk paper pile somewhere in the kitchen or the living room, it’s definitely not only taking up space, but it is a perfect place for dust or even mold to settle. Deciding which of these papers are significant or can be used in the future, and recycling the rest will effectively help in keeping a space in order[iii].
Looking in the closet
Clothes are one of the things that clutter most houses. People especially binge buy outfits which are used just a few times or even lay in the drawers with price tags. While decluttering a wardrobe, it is worth to take into consideration Marie Kondo’s famous method[iv].
Feeling Good, Joyful and Ready to Level up –What’s Next?
When the space is finally in order, it is essential to keep it decluttered for as long as possible. Each shopping trip should be thought through to prevent buying unnecessary items.
Useful for keeping space in order is also the one-minute rule: when something can be done in less than one minute, for example hanging a coat or putting pens into a pencil case, it should be done straight away. This way space will continue being organized, and there won’t be a need for a decluttering action again.
Decluttering Virtual Space
Nowadays, people spend more and more time in virtual spaces. They can be decluttered as well. An email inbox can become cluttered with old promotions, special offers and giveaways. We can sign up for brand newsletters that later clutter their internet post and cause stress. Not only does the influx of information take up space of inboxes, they also bombard the user with messages of pressure to buy.Removing newsletters that are never opened is a good idea for not only keeping a virtual space in order but also to avoid compulsive purchasing.
Creating a space for a calmer life is not expensive. On the contrary, it can help save money and time. That is why going through the things can be a form of therapy and a way to the better, simpler and more relaxed life.
To Learn more about how de-cluttering can change your life, check out the work of Marie Kondo on her page: https://konmari.com.
Don’t miss these videos:
A Cluttered Life: Middle- Class Abundance
References:
[i] Browne, K. (2017, July 26). Why Decluttering Makes You Happy. Get Organized Wizard. https://www.getorganizedwizard.com/blog/2017/07/decluttering-makes-happy/
[ii] “Outer Order, Inner Calm”: How to make room for happiness with less clutter. (2019, March 5). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fVRekbu4aw
[iii] Becker, J. (2019, October 23). How to Declutter Your Home: 10 Creative Decluttering Tips. Becoming Minimalist. https://www.becomingminimalist.com/creative-ways-to-declutter/
[iv] Johnson, K. (2019, April 25). The Konmari Closet Method: How to Get Started. Life Storage Blog. https://www.lifestorage.com/blog/organization/konmari-closet-method/
