Benefits of Minimalism
- benefit #28 – find work you love
- benefit #27 – get out of debt
- benefit #26 – drop-by guests, no sweat
- benefit #25 – less time shopping (more productive life)
- benefit #24 – use less standby power
- benefit #23 – more opportunity for rest
- benefit #22 – less places for your heart to go
- benefit #21 – display what you value most
- benefit #20 – never have to organize a garage sale
- benefit #19 – less work for someone else
- benefit #18 – room to add
- benefit #17 – more time on your hands
- benefit #16 – financially support other causes
- benefit #15 – less luggage
- benefit #14 – visually appealing
- benefit #13 – never have to go antiquing
- benefit #12 – easier to entertain
- benefit #11 – easier souvenir shopping
- benefit #10 – possessions do not equal joy
- benefit #9 – good for the environment
- benefit #8 - less stress
- benefit #7 – minimalism begets minimalism
- benefit #6 – not tied to the past
- benefit #5 – freedom
- benefit #4 – easier to clean
- benefit #3 – you can find your umbrella
- benefit #2 – the example for your kids
- benefit #1 – simple dollars and sense
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I just found your list of benefits today while searching the internet. These are really good!! Thanks.
I would add another benefit that I have found -
In order to minimize, your values come very clear. You look at your things as things and it takes the emotion out of stuff and puts it where it belongs – people. :)
Hmmm. #6 is hitting me…”not tied to the past.”
I have a really hard time getting rid of things from my childhood because I want to be able to share them with my kids when they are older.
However, I am letting go of my chilhood bed tomorrow because we just don’t have space. Maybe I am on my way to letting the stuff of the past go?!?
Regarding being attached to the things from the past. One thing you can do is take pictures of them with your digital camera. If you have an Apple computer, you can use their service to put together a photo book with little quotations next to them. It would make a nice coffee table book! (just don’t cluttered your coffee table with too many books thou:-)
I like benefit #12- Easier to entertain.
This is especially true when living in a small condo. There is not enough room to host any get together’s. Clearing clutter is the best way:)
Great article;)
Com certeza saberei tirar vantagens das lições.
Thanks for sharing. I hear in denmark they live more fulfilling lives because they are minimalists.
Its time i started!!
I suggest you read “Societies without God” for a better understanding about why Danes and Swedes are more content and fulfilled.
Is “societies without god” a book or a post that you wrote? i’m curious about that topic.
Hi
One more benefit of minimalism is earning true friends. Let me explain:
In today’s life, we constantly compete with others in our social circle to possess more, to have more wealth and so on. But this also means we have people around us who see us as their competitors and not friends. Adapting minimalism is like a message to the social circle that “guys, we are out of this race”. That means people start looking at you as ‘no threat’ and a genuine friendship is more likely to come up in this situation.
My experience is that when I give out a message in genuine tone that I am not into possessions or showing off wealth, people suddenly become more open and frank and many a times they too express a similar desire of leaving behind this life of material possessions and deriving a false pride from them.
Well said. How many of us spend money we don’t have to buy stuff we don’t need or want in order to impress people we don’t really care for? NOT ME!
I like benefit #8 and #5 the most . They’ll be of my top priority.
Less stress and more freedom rocks!
Isn’t this list rather excessive?
This looks like a complete list. You can pick and choose within your own compfort zone. Please see this post.
http://thegreenminimalist.blogspot.com/2012/09/minimalism-what-is-it.html
I was wondering if anyone had any tips for living with a boarder-line hoarder? I love my room mate, but she has the tenancy to hold onto ridiculous amounts of useless things. Besides moving out, does anyone have any solutions, or ways to get her to pare the pile down?
Also, her hoarding has made me seriously look at my own relationship with things, and I’ve thrown out almost everything I don’t use on a weekly basis. So I suppose she’s been good for me in that way.
[I was looking for benefits that might appeal to her. None really seem to though.. ]
@ Claire, I had a lot of stuff in university but over the years, and particularly while travelling, learned the virtues of having – much – less. In the last few years I put those skills to good use decluttering for friends and acquaintances. Regarding your roommate, it could be that she has never had to (a) travel light (b) get up and move house very quickly (c) had her stability or sense of home threatened by anything – all things that can breed a lifelong commitment to minimalism, for better or worse. So she probably sees nothing ‘wrong’ with her clutter or hoarding. However, I noticed a distinct pattern among those I worked with regarding their stuff, whether it was piles of papers or random items acquired over the years: despite requesting help, after significant work had been done sorting said items over the course of hours and explaining new organising techniques, I would come back to the person’s house to find…the papers mushed all over the floor or dumped randomly on top of one another…and previously sorted items crowded back together in one room – on which the door was then, literally, shut. Several people had emotional ‘blocks’ regarding items of their property, ie papers relating to a deceased estate (understandable) and, in one spectacular case, entire rooms full of junk, sealed dated boxes of paper, furniture, ‘stuff’, were shuffled from place to place over the course of about a year until the person relocated overseas…and were still being sorted for distribution to friends’ houses, on the street, with the taxi waiting, THE DAY my friend flew out of the country. I came to the conclusion that there are definite psychological issues relating to large amounts of clutter, and the inability to see ‘logic’ in relation to it. Some behaviours are completely irrational and can cause disbelief and distress to those well-meaning friends and relatives trying to assist. Just a cautionary word from one who has been there, good luck! :)
How do I help her get over her insecurity? Because this is getting to an unhealthy level. She finally did some of her dishes she’d kept in her room and it filled the entire sink… I don’t know what to do.
Should I ask her to see a therapist? [Not that she'd go... ]
@Claire, rats, just accidentally deleted my long reply! Sounds to me like a depression or stress issue if she’s happy to live in squalor (dishes in the room), but I am not qualified to say. You could try tactfully leaving Ikea catalogues and issues of interior design magazines about the house and if you are on the lease you would think you would have a right to ensure that living quarters are not a health hazard, but beyond that it may be up to a professional. There is a book called Sorted available here in Australia; otherwise you could try asking some gentle questions about whether she’s happy living the way she is, maybe put your view tactfully (from the perspective of one also in the house) and see what comes out. If you offer to help her reorganise her room to get the most out of it and see how she reacts to the idea of throwing stuff out that isn’t in use you will get a sense of whether it is an emotional issue, in which case: ask a professional! Friends of mine with deep-seated clutter issues are still able to hold down organisation-based jobs, so it has been suggested to me that this home behaviour represents a ‘hidden corner’ of their personality – but I am not qualified to say for sure. Good luck!
I’m 90% certain it’s emotional issues that are causing her hoarding habits. Her parents were divorced when she was little. And I am in no way tactful hehe. Though I like the idea of the book and catalog. And I will probably help her clean, although, it feels futile knowing she’ll have a worse mess in under a day.
She’s very emotional about idiotic things. The soap and lotion in the bathroom by the sink have broken pumps. She insists she’ll get know pumps and they’ll be just like new, but she hasn’t. Meanwhile, we’ve at least three other soaps by the sink now.
How do I find a professional?
And thank you!
@ Claire, that is an interesting view.The soap situation sounds like it is more than an unwillingness to clean up… I had an old damaged work t-shirt that I binned to prevent imposters getting it and running out on the street impersonating the company I had worked for. I subsequently found it hanging on the washing line; it had been removed from the bin, rehabilitated in the washing machine and hung out to dry – for some kind of re-use – by said friend. When I protested that actually I had binned it because it was, ahem, my property, my friend told me emphatically she did NOT LIKE WASTE or something like that and had grown up in an environment where everything was re-used. So these behaviours do extend even beyond a person’s own property! Why don’t you replace the pumps yourself, see if she notices, and gently store all other soaps elsewhere in the bathroom. If all hell breaks loose, I would – depending on the country you are in – seek a counsellor at a college or uni and explain the situation. Or try calling a community helpline number. My friend has had several friends including myself in tears and rage! and disbelief! over her ‘stuff’ and her inability to manage it, as it spilled into their lives and homes as well. If it is an emotional issue, it may not be able to be dealt with until those core issues are dealt with, I suppose. If it is affecting your living environment, though, you have every right to walk!
This is certainly what i am aiming for now!
benefit #17 – more time on your hands
I agree with Christy.
In order to minimize, your values come very clear. You look at your things as things and it takes the emotion out of stuff and puts it where it belongs – people. :)
This is certainly a great read!
It has been an emotional journey for me to downsize the pile of possessions. Even last night I cleared a suitcase of beautiful expensive clothing that I have not worn in years… It was so difficult to let go. But after packing the charity bags, I felt a sense of burden being lifted off my shoulders. Fortunately, all I own is of top quality and beautiful. My problem is, when I give away, I begin to feel guilty that whatever the Universe has given me, by just getting rid, I am not appreciating…technically I know that is not right. I love to share. I can buy new stuff to give away all the time. But somehow I tend to get stuck with stuff that I had bought for my own use. But my room is almost clear now. I think I can still make two more charity bags, and then m done! wow… I am almost there…thank you Universe…luv & peace
Easier to clean, that is my biggest goal. I hate having to clean my house in order to clean my house, if you know what I mean. I wonder if my hubby would be agreeable to letting go of all of our drinking glasses except for our Sbux cold cups. hmmm. Not the most beautiful, but certainly used most often. Think I’ll ask him about that. I’m not ready to let go of our coffee mugs, they are too comforting in the cold weather or early mornings, but we could definitely pare them down a bit more.
Jennifer: I know all about “cleaning the house” so we can clean the house.
It’s horrible, isn’t it. I swear…we are going to get rid of a bunch of meaningless clutter so house cleaning will be easy and fast.
Geez. The silly things we do to ourselves.
Thank you for taking the time to blog about your becoming minimalist journey, it has benefited so many people, including myself (a homeschooling mum of three kids, 3 months, 3 years and 6 years, and also works at home). My mum is a hoarder who has realized she needs to change so I introduced her to your blog, (which she loves) and she has begun her own becoming minimalist journey.
Thank you
Decluttering is a life changing experience. It feels like graduating from a childish buying stage to the mature minimalist stage. I promiss you will love the result. I certanely changed my life.
See my story and blog here.
http://thegreenminimalist.blogspot.com/search/label/Decluttering
Joshua,
This Chinese goes:
Born to this world with nothing, leave this world with nothing.
This is not the perfect translation but this is as best as could be.
Best, Ching
Singapore
Josh,
For the greater part of my life, I have worked as a writer in the advertising business. I have sold many things to many people (most of which they can live without). However recently, I have become a minimalist. I have gotten rid of things I no longer need or want. It’s like an anchor has been taken off my shoulders. Each day I try to live with less. Thank your for your website and insights.
Jim Ferguson
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