Becoming a Minimalist

After moving out, i realised that becoming a minimalist simplifies your lifestyle. we're living in a consumer driven world; the underlying message behind that is that "stuff is going to make you happy"...I'm going to completely turn those thoughts around and tell you that actually having less stuff can make you happy.

When living in an environment that's full of junk and clutter, its gonna make you feel overwhelmed, its gonna make you feel stressed out and i personally feel like a massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders after getting rid of so much stuff!

The second major benefit, is that it becomes so much easier to keep your living environment clean and tidy when you have less stuff... you have less stuff to clean in the first place.

And the third benefit is that you'll find that you're spending a lot less money, at least for me. I just don't want any more stuff, i enjoy having less so have lost the urge to constantly buy stuff just for the sake of having it. Instead of having the "I want it but I can't have it" mindset, I'd switch it to "I don't want it, but i can have it"

So, the first step to becoming a minimalist..

Get Inspired! and really commit
I find that watching videos and visually seeing a decluttered and simplified living space is so
incredibly motivating! The last time i got inspired, was when i looked on pinterest and weheartit i found homes and living environments that really reflected on what i wanted for myself.

So, the second step is by far the most time consuming and difficult part of the process and that is, purging your stuff..

Discard..
I think the best time to do this is definitely while you're moving because you're forced to interact with your stuff and you can make a decision whether you're keeping it or not. If you're not moving you can still go through with this process. What i would recommend is to start with the area that stresses you out the most. If you can tackle and accomplish the number one area that's stressing you out it will give you that momentum and excitement motivating you to accomplish your goal.

How do you know what to keep and what not to keep? Ask yourself, like do I really need this? Do i have something similar that already fills this purpose? Getting rid of duplicates..

The One item in and One item out process.. if you buy a new top for example, think about what you can get rid of or exchange, donate it to a charity.

So, these are some of the things that i followed when decluttering my flat. it has created a much easier lifestyle and i've never been happier in my own home. I feel so much better, i'm so much happier and i feel like i'm now in control of my living environment rather than it being in control of me and overwhelming me and stressing me out