It should come as no surprise that minimalism is such a hot topic these days. After all, our lives, while filled with more conveniences then ever, are also more hectic than ever. Despite all that humanity has accomplished thus far, we still find ourselves more stressed and with less free time than ever before. Luckily, there’s an easy fix that can fit into any one’s life. And that’s practicing minimalism! But what exactly can you gain from minimalism? Here are the Benefits of a Minimalist Lifestyle!
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If you’re not 100% sure you know what exactly minimalism is and what the lifestyle entails, I wrote a whole post answering the question What is Minimalism?
What are the Benefits of a Minimalist Lifestyle?
Before I cover the benefits of a minimalist lifestyle, I just wanted to give a quick refresher on what a minimalist lifestyle entails. It does not require throwing everything out and living in an empty space. And it does not mean you have to quit your job and move to a farm. Minimalism is just about reducing the elements of your life down to what’s important. So yes, it does mean doing a lot of decluttering. It also includes cutting out activities that don’t really add to your life. And it includes changing your mindset regarding needs and wants. Overall, it’s about creating simplicity, and by creating simplicity, gaining the benefits below!
1. Less Stress
Stress is the number one cause of discontent in most people, so less stress is one of the best benefits of a minimalist lifestyle, in my opinion. A traditional consumerist lifestyle is stressful, what with all the things you’re constantly thinking you need to buy and do. But a minimalist lifestyle only focuses on the most important things. If your current cell phone is still working fine, you don’t have to care that another version just came out. And being in your home is a stress-free experience, as you’re not constantly trying to reorganize excess items, or see items that remind you of things you’re supposed to be wanting/doing.
2. More Money
Being a minimalist saves you money, simply because you realize you don’t actually need to buy that much. Minimalists don’t worry about keeping up with the trends in fashion or home decor. Minimalists also tend to have more energy because their days are less taxing, so you’ll see them spending less money eating out. And it’s rare for them to make stress related impulse purchases.
3. Less Attachments
The more things you have, the more attachments you have, the more stress you have. It’s as simple as that. If you have a boat in your driveway, you may worry that someone is going to steal your boat. If you’re bringing your brand new expensive tablet to the coffee shop with you, you may worry about losing it. And of course, a person with a traditional lifestyle has way more to be concerned about losing if they get an alert that their security system has been set off! While you’ll always worry a bit about the things you have, one of the benefits of minimalism is that you can worry a lot less because you have a lot less stuff!
4. More Rest
Another one of the many benefits of a minimalist lifestyle is more rest. That’s because minimalism includes getting rid of activities and tasks that aren’t really adding anything to your life. It’s rare to find a minimalist spending an hour sorting mail that’s been piling up, and you won’t see a minimalist sitting down for a movie marathon that they’ve decided had to happen because their stack of “to watch” DVDs was piling up. Minimalists fill their lives with only the things they need to do and want to do, but not that they feel they have to do (but really don’t have to). When you cut out the “have to dos” you’ll find you have more time than before, opening up the opportunity for reading, napping, or just going to bed on time.
5. Improved Relationships
When you’re not spending all your time trying to keep up with the Joneses or interacting with all your things, you have more time for family and friends. You can be one of those families that has board game night! And you’ll finally have time to call that friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with. So one of the major benefits of minimalism is having a more active and fulfilling social life!
6. Improved Health
Less stress, stronger relationships, more rest, etc. all equals a healthier life! The free time you gain from minimalism alone could be a major factor in improving your health. It can allow you to make more healthy home cooked meals, spend time exercising, spend time outside getting vitamin D, and more. It’s not rare to find people who say they’re feeling better and more energetic after just a month of minimalist living.
7. More Happiness
Not surprisingly, one of the benefits of a minimalist lifestyle is feeling happier. And how couldn’t you be happier with a richer, freer, healthier life? On top of that, minimalists may experience less fear and more confidence. The lack of fear comes from having less to lose if things go south (you could invest more time in a start-up idea if you don’t have tons of expenses), and the increase in confidence comes from learning to be fine with who you are and how your life is (and not constantly comparing yourself to others).
So overall, a minimalist lifestyle gives you a freer, happier life where you can focus more on what you really, truly want to do with your time. It may be a little difficult to get started changing your lifestyle to a minimalist one, but with all these benefits, it’s worth the trouble!
More to Read and Watch About Minimalism
Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism by Fumio Sasaki
Minimalism: a Documentary About the Important Things
The Minimalist Mindset by Danny Dover
Have you ever considered a minimalist lifestyle before? What kept you from trying it?
You might also be interested in: What is Minimalism?
