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Home » What is a Minimalist Lifestyle? (And What It’s Not)

What is a Minimalist Lifestyle? (And What It’s Not)

Minimalist design has been trendy recently although it’s a concept that’s been all over the world for centuries.

It’s everywhere in the mainstream channels, Netflix documentaries, and it’s seen in many sectors, such as fashion, food, design beauty, technology housing, and many more.

However, when the dust of hype settles on the ground, what exactly is a minimalist way of life?

Minimalists have traditionally been associated with design and art notions. But the concept has expanded to mean more than that.

A minimalist life is about finding what is important in your life and then having the confidence to get rid of the remainder. If you get rid of the useless things, you are freeing your time and energy to focus on the aspects that really matter for you. It’s easier to be less.

Our lives today are not minimalist. Perhaps mediaist or maximalist?

With all the distractions surrounding us, we frequently find it difficult to find the time and space needed to appreciate the things that are simple such as spending time with loved ones, doing some exercise, being creative cooking, or doing nothing.

We’re overwhelmed with digital, physical and mental clutter. This leads to increased anxiety as well as an overall feeling of dissatisfaction.

It’s not just me making this up. The scientific evidence suggests that clutter increases cortisol levels and can disrupt focus.

Minimalism can help you avoid the state of overload.

This is the basic outline of a minimalist life There’s much more to this idea.

In the remaining portion of this post I will dissect the minimalist philosophy as well as the myths about minimalistism, before concluding with a variety of definitions of minimalist living.

The life-changing advantages of having a an uncluttered mindset (including some instances)

“More” is the thing we’re facing as a nation. The ever-present desire to have more is what we refer to as “The more Virus”.

We tend to associate more with prestige, security, comfort and control. However, the more externally you seek, the more you are from your self, and the more you stand to lose.

Instead of thinking about how more would improve your mood minimalistism helps you reduce your expectations instead.

If you’re a little but have the capacity to go far with the things you already have.

Smaller people are more agile and agile, as well as flexible to changes.

If you’re a small person and have less responsibilities and commitments. This frees you to enjoy more enriching experiences and less stress.

If you’re a small company, you’re restricted by limitations, which creates opportunities to create and innovate, which can lead to breakthroughs.

When you’re young and not as big, you’re able to take on more risk.

The small is the best.

If you’re large however you’re dead and aren’t able to move as fast as you’d like.

If you’re a big company you’re required to make more choices.

When you’re large there’s less chance to adapt.

If you’re a big player you’re more likely to lose.

Being small and remaining at a small size can be a challenge. It is about battling social pressures and the enticement of advertising to keep your freedom. It’s about being satisfied with the less. It also means having confidence of what you have. The minimalist mentality.

These are case study examples of those who have mastery over the art of small and are more successful because of it.
More money, more problems

Colin Wright, the founder of Exile Lifestyle, ran a branding studio in LA and earned $150,000 annually. However he was offered an even higher salary from an additional company. However, instead of doing what the majority people do and pursue the huge money, Colin made a drastic lifestyle shift and began to self-publish as an author.

This new career path allowed him to move to the same country for four months and comfortably pay himself with just $3000 per year. He has greater happiness and freedom than when he was earning five times what the salary he earns now.
No car, no problem

Leo Babauta, his wife and six children grew small and walked away from their family car. When they relocated to cities, they consciously bought an apartment that was near to public transportation. The eight members of the family take the train, bus or ride, and walk everywhere. They saved money while improving their health in the process. In addition, a car-free lifestyle gives you more opportunities.

“Walking is awe-inspiring. It’s free, yet you can breathe in fresh air, get to see people, observe the natural world, visit shops and restaurants, houses and plants that you wouldn’t find in cars. You get in great shape. My four-year-old daughter can run for miles, and sing at the same time. She can run up hills. – Leo Babauta, Zen Habits
Reduce the size of your home and your life

Joshua Becker and his family lived his dream of living the American Dream. They bought a 2-story 2200 sq ft house to live their lives. However, once Joshua took a more minimalist approach Three more years after, they were able to purchase a house that was that was half the size and reduced their mortgage payment throughout the process. In addition to making money, they’ve reduced time in maintaining the larger house.

Eight myths about a minimalist lifestyle

While living small and breaking free of “The The More Virus” sounds great, a lot of us are still skeptical about the benefits of a minimalist life.

Many people believe that minimalism is a strange religious cult, whereas others consider it to be too extreme.

They’re valid issues, which is why we’ve created some common misconceptions of minimalism that will help you put your mind at relaxed.
1. Minimalism is the art of throwing everything away

There is nothing gained when you throw everything away.

Minimalism is more about figuring out what is important to you rather instead of throwing your life’s contents into the garbage. It’s about re-discovering your favorite hobbies and interests , and connecting with those who inspire you. It’s about getting rid of things that cause stress.

Minimalists do not throw everything away. It’s not practical. It’s not eco-friendly to produce tons of garbage. Are you aware of the things we can dump into the trash bin? This is a myth.
2. Minimalists aren’t averse to buying new products

My life has been minimalistic for a number of years and still purchase second-hand and new items.

Our wife and I purchase everything from clothes to toys. What makes this purchase different from minimalists is the fact that we’re generally replacing items, not adding to what we already have.

What do you think? Sometimes, we buy new items that make us feel happy. But we shouldn’t purchase something impulsively and without a lot of thought.
3. Minimalism does not happen overnight…or will take time.

Minimalism can be experienced in different ways for every person. Everyone approaches the subject in the same way therefore it’s a mistake to claim that “it’s likely to occur in a matter of hours” or “don’t overload your system, go slowly.”

We’re all different. We must find our own path towards an uncluttered life style. It is also necessary to adapt to a new lifestyle The time frame could be shorter or longer depending on the circumstances.

We’ve discovered that the gradual transition from chaotic, scattered and chaotic to clean life that is purposeful is the most enjoyable aspect of living a minimalist lifestyle.
4. Minimalism is the name of a game.

Maybe you’ve seen extreme minimalists with less than 50 possessions and rest upon the ground. This trend has influenced the belief that minimalism is all about the number. The person who has the smallest amount of possessions is the winner.

It’s a contest among the people in your community. In certain instances it is a case of making people feel ashamed for having numerous possessions.

This must be put to an end.

Minimalism isn’t just about numbers. It’s about making you feel happy and productive. If you have more than 100 items then what do you do?

Your approach to an minimalist lifestyle will depend on your personal style. Some people are driven by the numbers, while some are motivated by aesthetics or feeling.

If you’re certain that what you have is vital (be sincere) and gives you satisfaction Your view of this perspective is doing well for you.
5. Minimalists are robotic machines that lack emotion.

From the outside it’s possible to feel to be a bit cold how quickly minimalists are able to remove things that were previously emotionally significant within their own lives. This is the reason why minimalists are often perceived as uninterested or indifferent.

The majority of minimalists I have met are romantic. We simply preserve memories through photographs and journal entries, not tangible souvenirs.

The fact that we can measure a memory doesn’t mean you have to keep the objects that give us this memories. The emotions we experience are within us and it’s something the loss of a thing cannot take away from us.
6. A minimalist lifestyle is not sustainable.

Many people believe that the concept of minimalism is a temporary thing and not sustainable. As if it’s just a period that we’ll eventually come over.

Minimalism is a mental state and not a trick. If you view it as an hack, it won’t be enough to make a difference enough to continue.

If, however, you are convinced of that minimalism has benefits, it doesn’t matter where you live and your workplace environment or becoming a parent changing cities and so on. The principles will go through your life.
7. Minimalists don’t have style.

The way we think of style is often with more choices as well as being more extravagant and extravagant. If these aspects are important to youthen you don’t reason to sacrifice them as minimalist.

Although the minimalist style is focused on the simplicity of things, that doesn’t mean everybody should look. So long as every item you own has an objective, then take your time and enjoy the fun.

A characteristic I’ve seen among minimalists is the fact that they don’t adhere to trends in home decor or fashion. They don’t respond to the latest suggestions and instead choose to focus on classic items.

If someone says that minimalists don’t have style the truth is that they don’t have a style they recognize and instantly identify with.
8. Minimalism refers to deprivation.

In assessing the true benefits of living a minimalist life I believe we are getting the wrong idea. The experts of minimalism have long argued that minimalism is a way to be more discerning and less.

We believe that minimalism is a method to be ambitious and to do more.

This idea was ignited in an interview we were having in conversation with Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist. By combining our commitments, schedules, unhealthy relationships, and other things, we can free our ability to think and play, as well as serve others.

We create space to contemplate what we would like to achieve in our lives. Additionally we create spaces to act. The bottom line is that minimalism is more about adding than subtraction.