What do you think of when you hear minimalism? Do you think of "less is more"? Do you think of it as some strange fad? What if I told you that it could help with a healthier life?
I recently watched 'Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things'. This documentary follows Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, two friends who spent ten months traveling the United States to educate people on the minimalist lifestyle and how it impacted their own lives. I used to think that living by "less is more" like these guys did was absurd. I've always been attached to my things, and nesting is what makes me comfortable... or at least it used to. The last few months in association with watching this documentary have changed a lot for me. I no longer find comfort in just owning "things" for the sake of having them. In fact, I feel like I'm drowning in what I do have.
The day I moved away for college, I had two cars slam full of my things ready to haul across the state and start a new life. I made sure I had the necessities: throw pillows, a lamp for my side table, a lamp for my desk, a decorative blanket for the foot of my bed, a decorative blanket to throw over my desk chair (because that was shabby chic), a useless rug to put over my carpeted floor, a ton of wall decor to make this place feel like my own, and even another table for the side of the bed I didn't sleep on. You see where this is going? A lot of this stuff was useless and I could have lived without it, but it made me happy, so with me it came. In my own defense, my first college dorm room looked insanely cute, but looking back... did I need all that stuff?
In a few short weeks, I'll be moving into a new apartment by myself. It makes more sense to me now to still use all of those things listed above since I'll be living alone and furnishing my own place. I've spent the summer absolutely scrambling to find enough furniture and decorations to make my apartment look full and homey with my own personal touch. It has been frustrating to the point of exhaustion and, at times, has made me dread the move simply because I haven't been able to find enough stuff. But that's just it - it's been a hunt for mostly stuff.
Society has sold us the idea and act of consumerism since the mid-1900s. As humans, we are taught that buying and having things is good. But, the problem with that is that we continue to buy, and buy, and buy, never really getting rid of the things we don't use anymore to make room for the things we think we need. Our society always want the newest and the best of everything and will often obtain such when the previous versions of those things we own are still perfectly fine. However, avoiding consumerism entirely would be absurd... the problem lies in overconsumption, which most of us do. In reality, we live in a world where people own so much stuff, they have to buy storage units just to hold all the excess.
The point of minimalism is to only surround yourself with things of value, things that bring you complete joy and happiness. Some people take minimalism to the extreme by only having what they need to survive. As I said earlier, I like my decor and I like to nest. A more relaxed approach to minimalism is what I'm going for. My collections of books and art bring me true happiness, so that's what I choose to have the most of in my life. We don't need to let our attachment be in the things we own. Our attachment needs to be in our relationships with people and the memories we create. A life focused on less really can produce more.
I'm finishing out my summer by continuing the road to minimalism. I won't have more than I need in my home. I'm slimming down my wardrobe to a capsule size of about 30 items (we'll see how that goes). As soon as I don't absolutely love something I own or don't have a true need for it, it will go. By owning less things, I won't have to spend as much time tidying up, therefore allowing me to enjoy my hobbies more freely.
Do some research and check out some minimalist documentaries, books, and approaches to life. Make minimalism your own. You may be surprised what you discover.
