"Do you want to change the world? Then change yourself first." – Sri Chinmoy
Recently, the minimalist lifestyle movement has become quite popular. Unemployment, fluctuated wages, falling stock prices, pandemic have urged families and individuals to reevaluate their purchases. Many people have started living on a tighter budget. Therefore, many consumers are choosing to determine the difference between essential and unnecessary purchases. Fortunately, there are no secret formulas or principles to start living a minimalist lifestyle. The main benefits of minimalism are fewer costs, less maintenance, and more accessible choices. All these savings allow you to do more of what you love, whether it is traveling, reading, or spending time with family. But for you to be more accessible to minimalism, I can give you the following nine principles to follow and start a genuinely minimalist life.
1. Note it
Make a visualized list of all the reasons you want to start minimalism. If you are tired of debt payment, write it down. Do you never get any time with your kids? Please write it down. Are you insomnia about overthinking at night? Please write. Do you want to be self-employed? Yes, write it down. Your reasons will provide significant leverage when you think it is too hard to continue. Writing on paper also helps you remember more than not to.
2. Think Before Buying Something
One of the most significant components of minimalist life is to think thoroughly about what you buy or bring into your home. Before you pick up skincare stuff such lotion or moisturizing cream from a cosmetic, try to wonder why you feel the impulse to buy it. Do you need this stuff for your skin? Did you choose it because you saw a 50% discount? Is the reason enough discount to buy it? Ask yourself difficult, unhappy decisions before you add more - and potentially more chaotic - things to your life.
3. Invest In Quality Things
One of the essential principles for a minimalist life is to buy only first quality things. Investing money and time into finding things that are built to last long will save your shopping time to replace your broken personal pieces of stuff.
It would help if you spent more on quality clothes than a cheap one. The longer it will last, the better-manufactured clothes are, whether it is jeans, t-shirts or sleeveless shirts. High-quality clothes are also more comfortable to care for than cheap things. If you have ever thrown a cheap viscose or polyester shorts into the washing machine and it is not like itself, you will know what I am saying.
Like clothing, the prices of some foods and drinks often reflect the quality found inside. Let's use chocolate as a great example. There are different types and varieties of chocolate, and some people will happily spend $7 or more on a bar that they believe is made from cocoa beans sourced from a single place and produced by fair trade labor.
4. Be Grateful For What You Have
Anxiety is a part of life; it has something that we can hardly control. We are only human. But when things get tough, try to find something special to be grateful. When you show gratitude for your belongings, the desire to own more disappears.
Our challenges may become easy when we realize all the good things that can happen to us. Positive and grateful thinking helps us to recognize in every situation we meet. It depends on us whether we choose to seek it and live on it. And when you take the time to count your blessings, even in the darkest places, that tiny light will become your guide to any further point on your journey.
5. Embrace The Power Of "No"
Back in the last time, you refused an invitation to go out. It naturally feels worried about missing out or worried about insulting someone. If you make yourself too relaxed in agreeing to a party you do not want to, are you delighted?
Instead of overloading your obligations, learn to embrace the power of "No." It might be challenging firstly, but the freedom you will gain in the process will make it easier. Taking care of yourself is a crucial element of maintaining a minimalist lifestyle.
6. Dress with Less
It might be a big challenge, but try to dress less than 30 items for three months (shoes, clothes, and accessories). These are some tips for you to begin this challenge
· Get rid of clothes you do not like.
· Do not pick things to take out of your closet, take them all out and choose what you love to wear.
· Do not go shopping.
· Do not watch the shopping channel.
· Do not surf online shopping websites.
· Remember that you can wear it for the next stage if you find it difficult to break up with an item.
· Choose a color pallet and stick to it.
Don't worry! Everything is going to be great!
7. Eat Similar Meals
If you don't have much time to think about what you are going to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you should try to eat similar food for every meal each day.
Studies show that eating the same thing every day can help you lose weight. Researchers show that women who ate macaroni for lunch every day for five days consumed 100 fewer calories than usual during the week, while those who ate it once a week for five weeks would spend less. Consume an additional 30 calories per serving. Psychologists assert that eating the same thing every day leads to psychology as a psychological (or boring) habit, which tends to reduce calories. Dr. Susan Roberts, director of the Energy Conversion Laboratory at Tufts University, said many other foods lead to more food intake.
8. Declutter Every Area of Your Home.
Everyone has a little "trash" lying around the house. No matter how many things we have, we can all benefit from decluttering our lives and homes. If you do not declutter the house, you cannot be minimalist. You don't need fancy tools to declutter your home, but you do need five baskets or bins defined for these five purposes:
· Put Away
· Recycle
· Fix/Mend
· Trash
· Donate
You can use bins, baskets, or cartons to declutter your home. You can bring these bins to each room when you declare them or leave them in the center of the house.
Work Cited:
"7 Minimalist Lifestyle Tips That Save Time and Money." The Portable Wife, 29 April. 2020, theportablewife.com/living-abroad/minimalist-lifestyle-tips/.
Becker, Joshua. "What Is Minimalism?" Becoming Minimalist, 14 November 2019, www.becomingminimalist.com/what-is-minimalism/.
Carver, Courtney. "7 Tiny Steps for the Beginner Minimalist." Be More with Less, 26 December. 2019, bemorewithless.com/begin/.
Freeman, Amy. "Spend More for High Quality or Buy Cheap to Save Money? – Analysis..." Money Crashers, www.moneycrashers.com/spend-high-quality-buy-cheap-save-analysis/.
Gilpin, Daphne, et al. "Admin." Simplify Your Life Maximize Your Space Simply Self Storage, 12 May 2017, www.simplyss.com/blog/top-ten-self-storage-items-and-tips-for-proper-storage/.
Leith, William. "Say 'No' and Change Your Life." The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 18 March. 2018, www.theguardian.com/global/2018/mar/18/the-power-of-saying-no-change-your-life-psychology-william-leith.
Smith, Paige, et al. "Minimalist Living Tips: 8 Essential Rules For Living With Less." Elbow Room, 20 August. 2019, makespace.com/blog/posts/minimalist-living-tips/.
Woman and Home 13 March 2017 12:20 pm, and Woman and Home. "The Pros And Cons Of Eating The Same Thing Every Day." Woman&Home, 5 Feb. 2018, www.womanandhome.com/health-and-wellbeing/eating-the-same-thing-every-day-206919/.
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