You may still be wondering about that word minimalism. Having heard of it by now, I’m sure that some of you often think it’s not the right option for you. Minimalism is the act of being free in our personal lives, homes and even with people. I’ve lived this way for several years now and incorporate it into my blogging as well. I create simple clean designs that make it better for myself and our readers because I don’t do well with complete chaos. Having a lot, is too much. So what is minimalism really? And why is it so important for our well beings.
Minimalism is a tool that can assist you in finding freedom. Freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from overwhelm. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from depression. Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we’ve built our lives around. Real freedom.
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For me personally, I use the less is more. In a lot of my writing you’ll hear me talking about how I get rid of things quite often. It’s been a lifestyle for over 20 years now. I never really thought of this word until most recent years. Decluttering is a way of life for me. If I ever feel stressed about anything, I run around the house with a garbage bag and start throwing things I no longer want away. Never thinking about it for a second. I just tolerate this act because it’s basically a stress reliever for myself.
WHAT IS MINIMALISM AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR OUR HEALTH
Many of you know that I am a professional house cleaner, so I see things all of the time. Classic hoarding, pile ups, overstuffed closets with things that aren’t considered a ‘necessity’ to live. The reason people hold onto ‘things’ is because they have a hard time with letting go. It’s not normal for them to throw something away if they believe they can use it again in the future. You may think you’ll need it but the truth is, you probably never will.
Think of a time when you had to clean all of your child’s toys up before a guest arrived. Or a time when you crunched in cleaning on one day because the rest of the days you’re too busy working, picking up the kids from school and taking them to practice. This is life. And it’s okay. It happens because we have too much stuff. Why does one child need over 100 toys and books. Because it’s a collection. We love to collect. I’m going to share ways you can still collect the things you enjoy and live minimal at the same time.
Healthy living has become very essential in my life. I experience less depression and stress when everything is clean, my home is easy to walk through and my surroundings are clear. What I mean by that is, not having anything blocking entryways, stuff not being where I can stub my toe, not having too many furniture pieces in one room. The more items you have, the more you have to clean. Or in some cases, some people neglect to clean them and the dust is 3 inches thick, things fall behind the furniture and never gets picked up, etc…..etc. This is not healthy. Did you know that the air we breathe inside our homes is more toxic than the air outside. Tis’ true. I learned that when I went with all natural cleaning products.
WAYS TO LIVE AS A MINIMALIST
- get rid of big pieces of furniture and opt for smaller, easy fitting pieces that don’t take up extra space- I love mid century modern because they’re built just for this in mind.
- use the 3 trick rule- as a number to go off, if you have more than 3 pieces to a room or more than 3 bottles of shampoo in your shower, toss them or organize them under the sink.
- declutter at least once a week until it’s maintainable. I take a garbage bag and go from room to room ridding things we don’t use or need any more. This includes dishes, kitchen stuff, books, clothing and beauty products. Food items, drawers that have all those things we throw in there……just toss everything you do NOT need.
- learn more about Feng Shui– this helped me realize that the energy was extremely important in my lifestyle. I wanted nothing but positive and good vibes all around me. If you store things under your bed like most do, it’s bad energy. Your closet space should not be over crowded just because it has a door it can hide behind. These things help you realize that a clutter free home makes such a difference.
I’m a collector, so initially my love for books becomes a problem. But I create unique ways to stack them to enjoy without the stress of hoarding. I take about 4 books and set on a shelf with a plant on top. I also love the look of them being piled on the floor in one straight stack. Even works as an end table if you have enough books. If you love to display things you collect, find unique places to store them. Curio cabinets are much of the past. I personally don’t like them. They’re bulky, collect dust and so instead, use an open shelving appeal. This allows you to hang open shelves in 3’s or 4’s on a wall and place the things you truly like on those shelves.
Living minimal is truly a way of life that has changed and challenged me in so many ways. I used to be a lover of shoes { still am } but do I really need 20 pairs? No! I kept 3 that I like to switch out from time to time and have about 3 pairs of flip flops. I was a hoarder of jeans. But now I only have like 2 good pairs. It’s balance and structure that we create to be creative with what we do have so that the things we can let go give us the freedom we’re searching for.
THINGS TO GET RID OF TO LIVE MORE MINIMAL
- extra clothing you never wear
- shoes you barely get a chance to throw on
- products and cleaning supplies that have practically nothing in them
- papers that have been piling up for years
- kitchen appliances you never use
- old spices and food boxes
- cups and plates with chips on them
- cords and old remote controllers
- your tv’s ( we still don’t have one )
- floor lamps
- empty boxes
- non working gadgets
- nothing sentimental IE: birthday cards, etc…….
- picture frames ( store photos in project books, albums or shadow boxes )
- office supply and craft tonage, scraps and things you think you’ll work on ‘one day’
- old bags and book bags, luggage
- candles that have burned out completely
- excessive sheet sets
- blankets that sit in a linen closet and never get used
- old dress clothes you never wear
- books that are in storage
- those old curling irons
- brushes that you’ve been using for more than 5 years
- sponges ( this is a health thing for me….we don’t buy any sponges because they harbor germs more than anything in the house, so we buy scrubby brushes- my fave: Full Circle )
- cds you don’t listen to
- non working electronics
- if there’s only 2 people in the home that drink coffee and you have about 50 mugs, get rid of more than 3/4
- things in drawers like old crumpled papers, paper clips, scraps and stuff you never use
- old pots and pans
- excessive pillows
- too many pieces of furniture
- wall art that takes up more than half the walls
- stained towels
- old worn out socks and undies
- your handbag collection that has met it’s warranty
- wallets laying around
- glass and vases under the cupboards
- memorabilia
By having less items in your home, you help the flow of energy to move smoothly. You’re less stressed and the coziness becomes really welcoming. I have never left my home a mess at nighttime before we fall asleep because it’s so much easier to maintain with less belongings. My laundry is almost always caught up and I go to sleep better knowing that there’s not stuff I need to clean in the morning.
HOW TO MINIMIZE YOUR BLOG
I’ve been mastering this for years. Coming soon I’ll post creative ways to advertise on your blog without the messy ad business. I consider minimal blogs to be my favorite. Easier to navigate, less stress on the eyes and it’s a better experience overall.
- have a clean, white background
- don’t overwhelm your site with too many ads in too many places
- limit your pages to the most important ( don’t have 50 pages )
- organize your categories and tags
- simplify your strategies
- don’t use colors that we can barely read ( I had a light pink link color that was just too LIGHT….it was irritating me because I actually really loved the color on everything else but no one could read what the link was )
- don’t clog your widget areas with too many things, keep it very simple
- edit and edit and edit and master a clean blog over and over again…..it’s an everyday process! you’ll learn to love things, dislike them the next and edit time and time again until you’re really happy
Minimalism is the practice of freedom. Financial freedom comes when you stop buying things you don’t need. Minimalists enjoy life in different ways. Have you tried this experience. Are you ready. Let’s live with less and be still in simplicity.
The Lazy Moms Guide To Decluttering, Organizing and Cleaning
