Minimalism is a movement that is gaining momentum worldwide and that converts many people. But what does it mean to be a minimalist, and what are the benefits for oneself and for the environment?
What is minimalism and how to become a minimalist?
Minimalism is a phenomenon coming from Japan. It consists in reducing and getting rid of the superfluous in order to keep only the essential, that is to say what we need and which allows us to be happy.
Fumio Sasaki, a Japanese man famous for his minimalist lifestyle described in his book Goodbye Things: The New Japanese Minimalism, defines this movement as “a lifestyle in which you limit what you own to the absolute minimum you need to live”.
To be a minimalist, you have to know how to detach yourself from material things because a good sorting is coming. The main idea is not to clutter up with objects that you don’t use, clothes that you don’t wear, souvenirs and other things. Live better with less.
So how can we become minimalist?
There has to be a beginning for everything. The first step is to want to become a minimalist. It takes time and you shouldn’t rush into it. But there is no right or wrong way to do it. You have to be aware of all the objects that punctuate our daily life and those that remain in our home or our life and that we no longer use. Once you have done your inventory, you must start to sort out the items in order to keep only the essential. We use 80% of our time only 20% of our possessions.
In order to define what is essential for you, you must ask yourself certain questions:
- Did I use it last month?
- How often do I use this object, wear this clothing?
- Is it really useful?
- Does it make me happy?
These questions can help you decide which items to keep and which not. It is possible that you are hesitating for some objects. Don’t panic, try to take a little more time and see over a period of time (weeks or months) if you use it.
You can sort out and give away what you want to part with. Don’t hesitate to go to a flea market, use platforms like Geev to give away everything you have accumulated.
For your future purchases, think multipurpose objects in order to combine several uses to an object and not buy several. You will be able to optimize your home.
What are the benefits of minimalism.
Changing your lifestyle to minimalism offers different benefits. At the same time and mainly for his personal well-being. However, minimalism also saves time, money and helps the planet.
Personal benefits.
Freedom and happiness. Here are some positive points that we can easily associate with this phenomenon. Less objects also means a freer and more airy living space. Minimalists will confirm it, living with less is living better. No longer having the dilemma of choosing between clothes and objects: being more serene.
In addition to these feelings, a large part of your time will be put to good use. As your environment is no longer “polluted” by numerous objects that can be linked to a waste of time due to choices, you will be able to save time and space. Your environment is also less messy. You will gain in productivity.
On the financial side, not to be encumbered with objects also means not to consume as much. A saving of money which differs according to your behavior of consumer. But it can do your wallet some good.
Benefits for the planet.
When you choose a minimalist lifestyle, you can also choose to do good for the environment. First of all, don’t throw away but give away what you part with. A well thought out circular economy. Moreover, by reducing your consumption and purchases, you avoid wasting resources and waste. It’s a bit like going beyond waste reduction. You avoid producing waste.
And if you go even further in the minimalist movement, you will reduce a lot and therefore consume less electricity, limit your connected objects, delete your useless and polluting mobile applications…
To learn more, we invite you to read Fumio Sasaki’s book or to watch Maire Kondo’s series on the art of tidying up in the context of minimalism.
