In our consumerist society, the minimalist lifestyle is one of the most countercultural choices you can make. For those new to the concept, the benefits and the appeal of minimalism seems scarce at best. Yet, once you familiarise yourself with the principles of minimalism, you’ll soon start to start to see how capitalism is affecting our mentality and our environment.
In this article, we’ve listed five of the top benefits that people have experienced when adopting the minimalist lifestyle. No one has the expectation for those who are new to the practice will make a drastic life overhaul which sees you getting rid of 99% of your worldly items. In the beginning, the process is much more about adopting a different state of mind. Minimalism doesn’t mean that you can’t splash out on fashion items, the latest gadgets, or keep adding to your record collection. The principle is much more firmly rooted in the ideology that everything that you welcome into your life should add value.
Whilst a lot of people tend to take pride in the possessions that they have accumulated throughout the years, that pride, could always be better placed somewhere else. The innate desire will always be there to drive the best car, wear the hottest labels and have the latest iPhone. Yet, that desire can be detached from our sense of worth. The old saying of “less is more” certainly applies here, and technology has proven useful in reducing the number of items we actually need. Now that much of the world has been digitised, with a smartphone in the palm of your hand sits a calendar, a diary, an alarm clock, a camera, access to unlimited music, and gaming. Whilst traditionally at home gaming experiences required a console and a significant amount of games to play which were sold individually. The rise in smartphone gaming over recent years has been exponential take, for example, the success of online casinos. Online casino games are now available to play from your PC or handheld device via the app. All you need is an internet connection for thousands of games at your fingertips.
Top 5 Benefits to Owning Less and Pursuing More
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More Available Income
If you often experience buyer’s remorse or make impulse buys which leave you in a financial tough spot, making the active decision to spend less can result in financial freedom. We’re taught to believe that financial freedom will always be in the next pay bracket. Yet, essentially, it boils down to being comfortable with what we have being able to live a rich life with our income. Take a rough estimate of what you spend on non-essential purchases each year, then see where that money could have been better spent. Would you have more money for travel or other unique life experiences? Would you have been able to afford to take a break from your job and study for your chosen career? If you choose to only accumulate the items which are essential, you can soon start to see the realms of possibility opening up.
2. More Time
The amount of time having an excessive number of items takes up isn’t that apparent until you start to consider a life with less. How much time do you spend choosing what to wear each morning? How much time do you spend re-organising your possessions to make your home more inviting? How much time do you spend maintaining all of your possessions? That’s all without accounting for the time spent on websites browsing for more items to welcome into our homes.
3. Less Baggage
The problem with having “too much stuff” usually only comes apparent when it’s time to move. When you’re loading up the boxes wondering why you own so much stuff. So, it’s a great incentive that before you get to that dreaded point of moving to narrow down on how much stuff you need. Many people search for accommodation to buy or rent based on size due to how many possessions will have to fit inside. Imagine if the next time you moved, you didn’t have to. Cheaper living costs and a smaller environment to clean are two major benefits. With letting go of possessions that in reality, we wouldn’t miss all too much brings a greater sense of freedom.
4. More Relaxing Home Environment
Even if you don’t think clutter bothers you, it does. Every time you catch sight of mess and chaos in the home, your brain registers it. By cutting back on the number of items, organising and cleaning your home will become infinitely easier. Don’t let dust settle on ornaments or relics of the past that you no longer care to clean. The best way to cut back on the number of items in your home is to pick up everything in your home and ask yourself
“Do I need it?” and “Do I love it?” If the answer to both of those questions is no, consider finding the item a new home. There are plenty of ways to recycle your goods in an environmentally-friendly way. Such as taking them into your nearest charity shop, listing them on eBay, listing them online on free websites such as Free Cycle.
5. Better for the Environment
It’s no secret that we’re living in a throwaway culture. Especially when it comes to clothing. We make impulse buys that we regret the second we get home, yet we fool ourselves that one day the item will have a purpose until enough time passes and we finally bring ourselves to get rid of it. The throwaway culture we are now so fully immersed in is a direct result of capitalisms influence on our buying habits. Companies such as Primark and Boohoo are now being questioned over their impact of “fast fashion”. Whilst they may be quick to meet the fashion trends, their clothing isn’t likely to stand the test of time, resulting in tonnes of waste that they’ve produced ending up in landfill. Additionally, there is growing concern over the exploitation of workers in their factories.
