Minimalism is a philosophy that took hold in the early 20th century as modernism became popular in art and design. The ethos of the movement revolves around doing more with less. An idea that truly stands the test of time.
In today’s consumerist society, minimalism can be more transformative than ever before.
Are you drawn to the idea of living with less? If you’re interested in switching to a cleaner, tidier way of living, take a look at our 5-step guide to transitioning to minimalism with ease:
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Learn
Before you do anything else, it’s important to research minimalism to understand whether it will work for you. To truly appreciate this kind of lifestyle, you can’t just replace your kitchen clutter with a sleek new high-quality cookware set, or remove old pieces of furniture – there’s more to it.
Try watching documentaries and reading books that could help you gain a deeper insight into the philosophy. Here are some useful subjects to look into:
- Tiny house living
- The history of minimalism
- Consumerism
- Zero waste living
- Clutter and mental health
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Evaluate
Now that you have an understanding of minimalism and you know why you like it, you have to take the hardest step – evaluating your current lifestyle. How deep you go with this is entirely up to you.
You could take a look around your home and determine where the worst areas of clutter are. Or, you could go deep and look at all areas of your life, as they can all be improved with minimalism, from your love life to your work life. Taking a full evaluation and being brutally honest about what you have and what you want to change is a fantastic start to your journey.
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Plan
Once you know what you’re working with, you can plan the big change. Planning is important as it ensures that you don’t feel overwhelmed. You can rip the plaster off and transform everything in a week, or you can make small changes over a year if that suits you better.
The important thing is to make plans with clear intentions behind them. Get that diary, set goals for certain dates, and free yourself of any more research because you, my friend, have a plan!
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Remove/Switch
The removal and switching period is where you act on the plans you made for change. This could mean decluttering, it could mean changing the way you work, or it could involve swapping all your furniture for more efficient and versatile pieces.
Treat this as a period of transition and experimentation. Not every plan you made will work. The point is that the wheels are in motion, and you’re more likely to see a positive change (or even just learn something) because you’re now trying something new.
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Change
As with any new habit, minimalism won’t work without some commitment to long-term change. You could turn your home into a gorgeous minimalist palace, but if you keep buying things without purpose, avoiding decluttering and going back to your old habits, you’ll be back to square one in no time.
The hardest part of the minimalism journey is taking it from a temporary trend to a long-term lifestyle, but it is achievable and totally worth it.
“The things you own end up owning you.” – Joshua Fields Millburn
Minimalism is a beneficial philosophy and way of life that can be transformative if you’re willing to give it a go. By combining this guide with some willpower, you can learn to do more with less for a better quality of life.
