24 tips and examples for living a minimalist life

Things go wrong in life.

When you have a lot of work and personal obligations, things start to pile up. These can be physical things like dirty dishes and old stuff, or mental things like tasks that are due but not yet read. Living a minimalist lifestyle will help you get rid of this extra stuff by showing you how to keep only the things you need.

A minimalist way of life can help clear out both your physical and mental spaces. The idea behind minimalist living stresses making choices about what we put around us on purpose. A minimalist mindset lowers stress and improves overall health by focusing on what’s important.

Decluttering and adopting minimalism don’t mean living with nothing. The point of becoming a minimalist is to look at bad habits, get rid of things you don’t need, and think about what makes your minimalist life more valuable. Minimalism means putting things that give your life meaning at the top of your list and consciously focusing on what’s most important.

What is minimalism?

The goal of the minimalist movement is to clear out your mind and your space. Minimalists live with fewer things and approach their lifestyle with purpose, learning how to be very organized.

By getting rid of the extra, they give what’s left more meaning. This idea supports living a simple life and tells people that they can find happiness in being simple.

What does a minimalist person look like in pop culture? Here are some examples to help you understand the idea. That person is:

  • Lives in a small, simple house with few things, saving time on maintenance by reducing space and stuff
  • manages their money well, which lets them invest and save to build a stronger financial base for the future.
  • Stays away from things that aren’t necessary and puts the quality of life over material things.
  • Values experiences over things, choosing to spend money on hobbies and time with family and friends instead of buying things.
  • Stays away from digital distractions like too much cell phone or social media use so they can focus on more enjoyable activities in their free time.
  • Only buys things that can be used more than once and takes responsibility for changing habits that are better for the environment and make less trash.
  • Adopts organizational habits to work better and avoid burnout, such as putting things away after using them or splitting the day into chunks of time for work.

Minimalists try to make life easier and feel more free by reducing the size of their spaces, picking out their clothes with more thought, or cutting down on distractions. You see, a simple life isn’t about not having anything; it’s about having clarity and a sense of purpose.

Joshua Fields Millburn, Ryan Nicodemus, and Marie Kondo are some of the well-known minimalists whose writing and activism have helped spread the idea. They tell people to get rid of things that don’t serve them and to live a simple, free, and intentional life.

But many people have the wrong idea about minimalism. For example, they think you have to get rid of everything or live with just the bare necessities. The truth is that minimalists choose to live with what makes them happy and fits with their values.

5 benefits of minimalism

Making changes to your lifestyle, like becoming more minimalist, takes time and careful planning. Here are five good things about living a minimalist life:

1. Less mess, less stress

Mess causes mental overloads that make people more stressed. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin says that when you’re in a mess, your brain gets too busy, which makes the stress hormone cortisol come out. This throws your body out of its normal balance.

Over time, both long-term and short-term stress are bad for your body and mind. For example, chronic stress can make it harder to remember things and make your nervous system less effective.

So, getting rid of clutter is important for living a healthier life. Keeping your home simple helps your body and mind work at their best, which is good for your health and frees your mind of mental clutter. The zen habits philosophy says that you can find peace through simplicity.

2. Better working together

You can avoid wasting time by not being on time for work because you lost your keys or by searching through stacks of jumbled papers. These bad habits could hurt your reputation and the way you do your job. The minimalist way of life teaches you to be efficient, so you don’t waste time looking for things you’ve lost.

Trust and respect are important in relationships, and getting rid of unnecessary things could help you be there for the people who depend on you.

3. More focus and productivity

A study from the Journal of Neuroscience found that your brain works harder to block out environmental stimuli and information when there are more physical objects in the room.

The brain can focus on what’s important when there are fewer things to distract it. One benefit of minimalist living is that it helps you clear your mind, which makes you more focused and productive. Developing zen habits can also help clear your mind.

4. A better life

You don’t have to give up joy to live with less. Social Indicators Research shows that being happy with your standard of living is an important part of being happy with your life.

Minimalism encourages being thankful for what you have and encouraging intentional living to make you happy. When you live a minimalist life, you value relationships and experiences over things. This makes your life simpler and more fulfilling.

For materialists, a high standard of living might depend on how they feel about their money or material things, while for minimalists, it might mean being happy with what they have. The second one encourages a culture of gratitude, which can make you happier in general.

5. Make a budget

A report from CBS that looks at data from 2022 says that the costs of food, housing, and health care for many families have gone up much faster than their wages. To save money, buy fewer things and sell the ones you don’t need.

You’ll spend your money better if you downsize and live with less. The minimalist way of life tells you to value quality over quantity, which can help you save money and spend it on things that make you happy and give you freedom in the long run. When you realize you don’t need everything, you can use your time and money for more important things.

If you spend your paycheck on useful things and experiences, you’ll have extra money that you can save or invest in your financial health.

How to be minimalist: 15 tips

You don’t have to become a minimalist right away. In fact, it’s best to do it slowly so you have time to think about yourself and choose carefully which habits and things to get rid of. To live a minimalist life, do these things:

1. Decide what’s most important to you

The minimalist way of life doesn’t work for everyone. First, figure out what your own values and goals are. Make choices that you’ll be happy with, whether it’s getting rid of some things or buying a minimalist home. Developing zen habits can help you concentrate on what’s important and get rid of mental and physical clutter.

Write down your goals in a journal or think about them. You might want to get closer to the people you care about, start saving money, or get more organized at work. Setting goals and figuring out what’s most important will help you make an action plan.

2. Begin small

You can’t become a minimalist overnight. Focus on making small changes, like getting your desk in order or getting rid of extra clothes. You’ll start to enjoy the freedom of a simple life over time. Remember that living a simple life doesn’t mean getting rid of everything. It means choosing what you want to do with care and intention.

3. Be thankful for what you have

You might compare yourself to others without meaning to on social media or with toxic people. Instead, try to think about yourself. Write down one thing you’re grateful for first thing in the morning, like being happy with your job or getting to spend time with family. Feeling grateful can make you feel better and help you remember what’s important to you.

Practicing gratitude can help you stay focused and stop collecting too much stuff. Being a minimalist means appreciating the things you have and living with less. “Does it spark joy?” is a famous question by Marie Kondo that this method is similar to.

4. Clean up every day

Decluttering every day is a good way to keep a minimalist lifestyle simple. Getting rid of things that you don’t need in your space helps you focus on what’s important and live a simpler life.

5. Get your space in order

Make sure your minimalist home stays clean after you’ve downsized. Having clear storage containers, a place for everything, and routines can help you live more efficiently by reducing the amount of work you have to do at once.

6. Put together a small closet

A minimalist wardrobe has classic, versatile clothes that you can mix and match. This keeps your space clear and supports your intentional, minimalist lifestyle. A variety of items that can be worn in different ways puts function and personal style ahead of trends. Aside from that, having less clothes means you spend less time choosing what to wear in the morning.

7. Make copies digital

Part of living a minimalist life is not using paper. Keeping important files digitally frees up space and makes your home or office less cluttered. A report from Forbes in 2021 says that American businesses waste $8 billion a year on managing paper, even though more and more documents are being digitized.

It can save you time and make it easier to share information if you store important documents electronically in a central location, whether you do it at work or at home. Plus, it keeps them safe from harm and makes room for other things.

8. Buy things that can do more than one thing.

Minimalists choose things that can be used for more than one thing. This methodically cuts down on stuff that isn’t needed and supports a simple, efficient life. With all-in-one printers or universal docking stations, you can get rid of bulky equipment or cables that are a pain to look at. Choosing collaboration tools that let you manage projects, send messages, and share files can also help your team work better.

9. Use apps to organize things

Using to-do lists, calendars, and task management apps can help you keep track of your daily tasks and clear your mind of unnecessary thoughts. These apps help you stay organized and follow the minimalist way of thinking. Keeping your schedule in order helps you focus on your work and makes sure you don’t forget to do something or get behind schedule.

10. Fix things that are broken

It’s tempting to throw away broken things and start over with something new. But fixing them can help you save money and get rid of waste. Don’t buy new things; fix the ones you already have.

This habit fits with the idea of making the most of what you have and supports a simple, eco-friendly way of life. Go through your house and office and figure out what broken or damaged things need to be fixed. Fixing up your things is a great way to live more sustainably and learn useful soft skills like being resourceful and coming up with creative solutions to problems.

11. Keep an eye on your screen time

Having too much digital junk can make it hard to think straight. Cutting down on screen time helps you stay focused on the purpose of minimalist living.

To cut down on screen time, you can get a focus app, set your phone to quiet modes, or turn off push notifications. A digital detox can help you sleep better and find a better balance between work and life. It can also give you more mental space to focus on the things that make you happy.

12. Spend money on experiences

Instead of collecting things, minimalists focus on having experiences that matter.

Being minimalist doesn’t mean being very cheap or living a boring life. It just means being more deliberate about how you spend your time and money. Focus on experiences instead of things if you want to get rid of some things and still have fun.

This change in how you think is at the heart of the minimalist philosophy. Plus, doing fun activities or spending time with people you care about will help you form stronger bonds and make memories that will last a lifetime, which can make life more meaningful.

13. Pick value over quantity

In the short term, good items may cost more, but they are worth it in the long run. Spend your money on good things that last longer when you buy less. The minimalist philosophy says that quality is more important than quantity so that people don’t waste money. When you buy something new, like a computer, an office chair, or clothes, try to find one great item instead of several of the same thing.

14. Get people to share with each other

You don’t need to have everything, especially things you don’t use often. You can cut down on waste and duplicates by borrowing books from the library, trading tools with friends, or sharing software licenses with coworkers. Give your community books, tools, or other things. It makes people more connected and lessens the need for extra stuff. In the same way, being generous with others makes relationships better and communities stronger.

15. Learn to be mindful

You might feel good for a short time after making an impulse purchase, but that feeling will fade until you make another one. Mindfulness exercises like gratitude and self-reflection can help you figure out what you stand for and resist those urges. They give you room to change how you spend your time and money.

Leave a Comment