How to Embrace Minimalism

Now that you’re spending much more time than usual inside your home, you’ve probably become hyper-aware of exactly how much stuff you have. Your bedroom closet is filled to the brim, you struggle to fit both your cars into the garage, and you can barely even see the floor in your office. Embracing a minimalistic lifestyle and removing the clutter from your home can do wonders for your mental health (as well as lessen the time you’ll spend on cleaning). If this prospect sounds intimidating to you, here’s how you can get started: 

First, it will help to visualize exactly what “minimalism” means to you. This means prioritizing what you truly need and what you can do without. This can be different for everyone—maybe you can do without your old records or all those dresses you have, but the thought of not having your golf clubs fills you with dread. One trick is to compile a list of everything you think you need, and try to divide that by two. 

Next, it’s time to begin the decluttering process. This will be a long process, so don’t try to get it all done in one day. Pick which rooms or areas of the house will be a priority (for instance, the rooms with the most clutter or the places most visible to guests) and tackle those first. Once you get the hard stuff out of the way, decluttering the rest of the house will go a lot smoother. Taking “before” and “after” pics after each round will give you a new jolt of encouragement. 

Once your house has been fully decluttered, it’s important to keep up your minimalistic lifestyle. Before you click on that Amazon product you have your eye on, think to yourself whether you truly need it or whether you’ll still enjoy it months or years from now. You’ll be surprised at how much cleaner and calmer your minimalist lifestyle is. If you’re looking for some inspiration, here are our personal favorites to check out:  Netflix – The Minimalist, Netflix – Get Organized with The Home Edit, Books – The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying UP by Marie Kondo.