Are you looking for a way to enjoy life more without the distraction of—and commitment to—superfluous possessions? A minimalist lifestyle may be your answer. People often associate minimalism with a tiny room, barren walls, empty cabinets, and a lonely life.
Fortunately, that’s not the case. The minimalist lifestyle isn’t about forgoing life’s comforts, but rather living a richer and fuller life in which the things we own don’t own us. Follow these helpful tips to begin your journey to minimalism.
One doesn’t have to be the loneliest number.
Duplicates: we all have them. Better quality, seasonal, replacements for things thought to be lost, gifts from others… duplicates come in many shapes and sizes. Walk through your home with a box and fill it with anything you have a duplicate of. If you can put these things away for 30 days without missing them, you don’t need them.
Take a hard look at your wardrobe.
Most people only wear about 20% of their clothes 80% of the time, leaving them with closets and dressers full of clothes that merely take up space. If this sounds like you, consider Project 333, which encourages you to dress with 33 items or less for three months. These 33 items include clothing, jewelry, accessories, outerwear and shoes, but not wedding rings (or other sentimental jewelry you wear every day), underwear, pajamas, home loungewear and workout clothes (only to be worn when working out!). Box the rest of your wardrobe up and discover how much easier and stress-free getting ready in the morning can be.
Ditch the tchotchkes.
It’s easy to accumulate little knickknacks over time—that’s why stores put their small and reasonably priced items in the checkout line. But most of these items don’t add value to our homes or lives, they’re just aesthetically pleasing. Walk through your home and really consider if all of your decorations serve a true purpose. You’ll be surprised at the results.
Take a hiatus from screen time.
The average American watches 3 hours of TV a day, rounding up to 5 hours when you add in DVR time. To put that in perspective, that’s 1,820 hours a year—more than the number of hours the average person works (34.4 hours a week or 1,788.8 hours a year). Combine that with the number of devices on which you can access shows and movies—like multiple household TVs, smartphones, computers, tablets and more—and we’re letting life pass us by while we sit on the couch. Make a concerted effort to cut down dramatically on the amount of time you spend staring at a screen and you’ll be amazed at how productive you can be and what you’ve been missing.
Limit device notifications.
Smartphones are great for a lot of things, including keeping you connected. But how connected is too connected? Receiving text message, voicemail and, in some cases, email notifications keep you in contact with friends, family and work at all hours of the day. But do you really need to know immediately that you’ve been mentioned on Twitter, been sent a Snap or a new song has been added to Spotify? Limit your notifications, and you’ll limit the things distracting you from leading a more peaceful life.
If you’re on your way to achieving minimalist Zen but anxious about letting some of your possessions go, store anything you’re not ready to part with: contact Secure Self Storage today and start your journey.