Guest Post - Minimalism for Beginners

We have been programmed to be possessive in nature. Our parents used to fill our bedrooms with all sorts of things that we may want to use. So we grew up knowing that it is the only way to live. As a result, we end up congesting our homes with too many unnecessary items, yet we are still not willing to get rid of them.

However, some people may see sense in owning less. The challenge is, how to begin and adapt to a minimalist lifestyle. The purpose of this piece is to help beginners get through that. 

Minimalism is a low consumption lifestyle where people deliberately live with fewer possessions. The lifestyle is believed to offer several wellbeing benefits including, happiness, meaning, life satisfaction, and improved personal relationship, though not scientifically proven. That as it may be, not many people find it fun, particularly the beginners. It takes a massive change in life, routine and the way you think, and that requires time to adapt.

The primary process that is involved in achieving this lifestyle is gradually decluttering our homes. Getting rid of unnecessary items from our homes is rewarding. It not only leaves you with a room that is easy to operate in but also helps you feel emotionally lighter. Here are the methods that you can employ to declutter your home.

Declutter by category

This involves sorting out your items by type to make declaring easier. You may categorize them as per the ones you want to keep, the ones you can sell, those that you can recycle, those that you will donate and those that you will trash.

According to Mario Kondo, in her book tidying up by Mario, she focuses on tidying up by category rather than room by room. This category includes clothes, books, papers, miscellaneous items and sentimental items. She clarified that when decluttering, you should get rid of items that do not matter to you based on the mentioned categories. This method is known as the KonMari method, and it is sure to bring you to a clutter-free home that will bring you more joy. 

Room by room decluttering

However, Becker, in his method, preferred the other way. Room by room decluttering. In his approach, he said you start with the easiest, most lived in areas first. Eventually, you will realize the benefit of your decluttering space which will motivate you to work on more difficult rooms to work on.

Becker retaliated that before you start the project, you have to inform your family members. Decluttering should be fun so everyone must be aware and you set goals together. Start with the most comfortable high traffic room then get to the room by room. Once done, revisit your goal and start again. 

Clearing the entire room and rearranging only the necessary items

The Peter Walsh method requires that you remove everything from the room. Decide on what you want for the room; the number of items that you want in that particular room. That will help you know what to keep and what to get rid of. You can donate the item you are decluttering or trash them. As for the important ones, arrange them back to the room as you had planned.

Do a little every day

Decluttering is not a walk in the park. Moreover, it is a recurrent thing, so you don’t need to burn yourself. You have to do it a little day by day. Fly Lady required that you sort your items into three categories: give away, throw away and put away.

Sort out the items you love, or those you frequently use; those will be the put-away. For the duplicates, you can get rid of one and keep the other. By doing that every day, your house will be decluttered in just a couple of months. 

Remove one item a day

Well, you can commit to selling or throwing just one unnecessary item a day. This is very important in two ways. First, you will be able to track your progress with a lot of ease. Secondly, your house will not go empty all over sudden. 
You may organize a decluttering packing party

That will make the whole thing enjoyable. It is a philosophy created by minimalists. Packing party means you put all your belongings into boxes as though you were moving. You may invite friends over to help and prepare them pizzas for celebration. 

After the party, take out your items only when you need one. The ones you accumulate after three weeks are the only items that are important to you. Those that are still in the box, you can donate trash or sell.

Reduce on the items that you purchase

Another important method of creating a minimalist home as a beginner is by reducing on the purchase. It will be pointless to get rid of your items but still draw in some at the same rate. This is common, particularly when you have kids. 

Get rid of all toys that your kids are no longer using. Set a limit for the number of toys allowed in your compound. You may find a method of destructing their mind from the love of toys. For instance, the toys may be gradually replaced by some food that gives them joy when bought. 

Start shopping quality, not quantity. Quality items are hard to buy in bulk because they are expensive. That will reduce the number of items that you draw into your compound.

Final thought

Starting and adopting a minimalist lifestyle is not an easy road. On the other hand however, you are able to help the environment. Thermoforming companies produces plastic bottles which we could use as containers for single-use to fill our loads of stuff in the bathroom, kitchen, garden, laundry and other places at home.  But once achieved, there are three compelling benefits that you are likely to enjoy: you will have a home that is easier to clean; a home that is less stressful to design; and a more appealing home. Most importantly, you are likely to cut on your expenditure. Now you have good reasons as a beginner to love owning less.

About the writer: 

Donna Lee is the operations manager and resident writer at Plastiform, a thermoforming plastics company. She developed her passion for plastics working in her uncle's plastics vacuum forming factory. She made her way to Plastiform where she's been working for 3 decades passionately serving customers. In her spare time, she writes about the wonders of plastics and the power of sustainable packaging.

Guest Post - Different Ways to Integrate Minimalism into Your Home and Lifestyle

Modern minimalism originated as an aspect of interior design and environmentalism. However, since it’s inception, the minimalist movement has developed to include a variety of applications in other areas of life as well. 

While thoughtful decor and sustainable living are still foundational elements for a minimalist, here are a few other ways that minimalism can be integrated into your home and lifestyle.

Destress

Mental health has never been more important than in the information-filled 21st-century. That’s why unplugging and delaying starting your day are regularly championed as ways to help disconnect and decompress.

Fortunately, minimalism is an excellent tool to help with this. Decluttering and organizing your spaces are some of the central activities for a minimalist. As you sort through your belongings and weed out the excess, aim to keep only the items that provide you joy in one way or another. This activity can naturally help you destress and decompress, as it can:

• Provide a sense of control and organization.

• Decrease the cluttered feeling of your living spaces.

• Give a sense of appreciation for the things that you have.

• Help you focus and live in the moment.

Food Prep

Minimalism is often associated with spaces such as living rooms and home offices. However, it can also have a large impact on the way you function in the kitchen.

For instance, you can apply minimalist principles to the way you purchase and prepare your food. When you go shopping, use minimalism to make healthy, thoughtful purchases. Avoid overstocking on junk food and try not to hoard items if you can help it. The latter is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic as food supplies dwindle and everyone is trying to get what they need.

Along with shopping, you can utilize meal prep as a way to organize an efficient shopping list. It can also save you time throughout the week that would have been spent sifting through the cupboard trying to figure out what you can cook up for dinner.

Use the Underused Spaces

It’s easy to focus on the high traffic areas, but if you truly want to apply a minimalist mindset to your entire living space, it’s important to incorporate the less-used spaces, too. For instance, you can use an out of the way closet as a pantry or a little-used bedroom as a minimalist office space.

The point is, don’t just use a minimalist mindset on your belongings, use it on your spaces as well in order to realize the greatest value from everything that you have.

Functional Decor

Minimalism isn’t just about looks, it’s also about function. Tiny houses are an excellent example of this. 

These miniature living spaces naturally require simplistic decorating taste. However, they also strive to only decorate with items that have a distinct purpose, like multifunctional chairs and sofas, ottomans, platform storage beds, and daybeds with drawers, all of which serve as functional yet attractive minimalist decor.

Thoughtful Purchasing

Finally, once you’ve applied minimalism throughout your life, it’s important to cultivate a minimalist attitude going forward as well. This can be done by limiting new items coming into your home, valuing quality over quantity, and consistently decluttering your spaces.

If you can manage to maintain your minimalist mindset into the future, you’ll be able to reap the rewards for years to come.

Truly Embracing Minimalism

Truly embracing minimalism doesn’t consist of a temporary shift in decor or a weekend-long dash to streamline your home in an eco-friendly manner. It requires a genuine commitment to a thoughtfully lived life. 

Real minimalism should trickle down into every nook and cranny of your living spaces. It should infiltrate all of your shopping behavior as well. When properly applied in these ways, you can tap into a destressed, organized, and rewarding lifestyle that can enable you to appreciate what you have, regardless of your past, current, or future circumstances.

Author Bio: Noah Rue is a freelance writer.

Guest Post - Reasons Why Minimalism is a Better Way of Life

When many people hear the word “minimalism,” they believe it is all about sacrificing things. While it does indeed involve sacrificing things, it is not to make life more uncomfortable. Minimalism actually makes life easier and less stressful. A minimalist lifestyle does not mean living in the forest, using a wood-burning stove or living without electricity. It simply is all about valuing oneself above material things.

Minimalism is not exactly a set of rules to live by; it is more a state of mind. Well-grounded minimalists only have the things they really need and they are able to enjoy life with what they have without worrying about the things they do not have. This can make it easier to get through life without getting stressed unnecessarily. For example, choosing what to wear every day can be quite a chore; and it is not due to a lack of clothes. 

It is usually because we have too many clothes and choosing the “perfect outfit” can be hard. We have seen some of the most successful people stick to the same clothes every day. It is because they believe that they do not have to spend valuable time on deciding what they are going to wear to an event or to the office. They already know what they will wear and over time, this “same-clothes” routine becomes a signature for them. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg springs to mind.

Few people will see the benefits of minimalism when you broach the subject. In fact, they will tell you that they have the right to live however they want and yes, they are right. What they do not know however, is that minimalist living will benefit them in so many ways that they have probably never even thought about.

De-cluttering gives you more living space

Minimalism starts in the home, by getting rid of those things that you are keeping but do not need. Get rid of the clutter from your closets, drawers, basements and garages and you will be freeing up more space in your home. You will have more space to move around and some empty spaces to make your home feel more spacious. There is also no reason to maintain or repair things that you don’t need.

It helps you focus on the more important things.

Imagine worrying all the time about how you are going to pay for all the stuff you want and how to maintain the things you already have. Too many material things can make you worry about where to put what, what to do with them or how to pay for them. Reducing all these things will help you focus on more important things like the people around you and even yourself.

Reducing things saves you money

Having fewer things to buy and maintain definitely does your finances a lot of good. Not having to buy anything frees up money so you can indulge yourself in more things of value such as targeted savings, investment etc. It allows you to spend money on more valuable things that can improve your life.

There is more time

When you do not have to spend a lot of money on unnecessary things, you can retain most of your income. This means you can have your finances in check and do not have to work so much. It also frees up time for you to do the things you enjoy and really need to do. Having enough time is one thing that virtually everyone struggles with because we all have to fit so many activities into our day. With less work, you have more time for other more important things.

You save energy

Once you declutter every aspect of your home, you will be able to save your energy for other profitable ventures. Moving forward, you will not have to deal with clutter anymore and thus, be able to use your energy for other activities. People who do not bear the burden of a materialistic lifestyle are stronger, healthier and more energetic.

You will stop comparing yourself to other people

We often find ourselves spending time comparing our lives to those of others. It is not healthy and it does not bring you happiness. When you spend all of your time thinking about the things you do not have, you do not end up not taking stock of what you do have. Appreciating the things you have is the first step to living a contented life. Comparing your life with that of others can create the feeling that you are missing something. With a minimalist lifestyle, you desire less things and find yourself not comparing yourself with other people in terms of material things.

Ease of Travel

Imagine having a trip in 24 hours and packing a day before without leaving anything behind. Bliss, right? With minimalism, you do not need to carry so much with you when traveling. With minimalism, you take less with you and you leave less behind. Minimalism helps you enjoy the experience of visiting new destinations rather than focusing on what you take with you on the trip or what you can take back.

Appreciation

Being a minimalist helps you appreciate little things more and to be grateful for everything in your life. You recognize the things that make life beautiful instead of the material things that everybody craves. Having this mindset helps you take stock of things better with the full understanding that everything is important.

Conclusion

Minimalism is a choice and everyone has the right to choose the lifestyle they want. For anyone who chooses to adopt this lifestyle, they can choose how far they are willing to go with it. But one thing that is certain about adopting a minimalist lifestyle is that the benefits of this lifestyle will increase and you will want more – and that is one thing that you, as a minimalist, are allowed to want more of.

Author bio: Jade is a small business owner who loves to travel. She is passionate about the environment and healthy living.

Guest Post - Less Is More: Guide For A Minimalistic Eco-friendly Home

Nowadays, there’s a lot of talk about climate change and the future of our planet. Different people propose different solutions, and a lot of them sound too difficult or drastic, so ordinary people can actually relate that much. But, turning your home into a minimalist and eco-friendly place can surely have a positive effect on a planet, while also bringing you peace of mind. First, you’d be less concerned with trivial things, and chances are, your home will look better and smell nicer. So, in order to show you how it works, here’s a mini-guide for a green and minimalistic home:

Try not to use house appliances that much

We live in an era where house appliances are considered a norm, so it’s only logical that some people use it whenever’s convenient, without realizing that using too many electrical appliances can increase one’s carbon footprint. Now, if you find this suggestion a bit hard, here’s a different perspective: there are efficient ways to use your house appliances. You actually don’t need to use your dishwasher all the time, instead, you can manually wash those couple of dishes you have left. The same can be said for any device in your home that requires to be plugged in and turned on. Therefore, turning off your appliances and devices when not using them is an excellent way to make your home more eco-friendly. 

Use rugs to conserve heat

Conserving heat can be a life-saving move, especially if you’re struggling to pay heating bills. Insulating your home, double-glazing your windows and using thick curtains are all very helpful (and eco-friendly) tips. But, there are other ways to make your home stay warm, such as using rugs to retain heat. This is great news since in that case, you can use a decor item for something that’s quite helpful and purposeful. Still, it’s important to choose quality and well-fitted rugs, such as rugs made from natural materials from Miss Amara, since they are elegant and environmentally-friendly at the same time. Conserving heat and being careful with your energy consumption is one of the simplest ways to turn your home into your little green refuge. 

Don’t forget to declutter your space

Keeping your home clean and free of any unnecessary stuff is the first step toward greener and cleaner living. You might be emotionally attached to some of your old things, but keep in mind that there are ways to keep them, only in a different place. Renting a storage unit for all unneeded things is a sure way to keep your home clutter-free and tidy. Additionally, using well-designed and elegant storage boxes can make your place look organized, which means you won’t have to spend hours looking for misplaced items. So, if you opt for label stickers, you can bring an extra layer of tidiness into your day-to-day life, which is always a great thing.

Value quality over quantity

Some people prefer to shop for new clothes every week, which isn’t surprising, considering that there are malls everywhere with attractive offers and good-looking stores. But, a lot of these low-end fast fashion has a negative impact on the planet, especially when it comes to plastic and textile waste. So, if you’re looking to go for a more eco-friendly lifestyle, then valuing quality over quantity is a great place to start. Instead of looking for cheap clothes that will get torn after a couple of washes, it’s better to pay a bit more for something that will last you for a long time. That way, you’re actually wearing something of higher quality without wasting your hard-earned money on cheap and low-grade clothes.

Change the way you use cleaning and cosmetic products

If you turn on your TV, you’ll see a lot of ads for various cleaning products, and the truth is, they’re all pretty much the same, except that we’re so programmed to buy them without even questioning our reasons. A lot of these products have quite toxic and harsh chemicals which also makes them dangerous, especially for kids. Instead of buying these overpriced cleaning products, you can actually make your own out of the ingredients that you probably own already. Using multipurpose DIY cleaning products can make your home safer and more eco-friendly. Also, using homemade body scrubs and face masks can make your skin look clear and radiant without requiring any harsh ingredients.

Less is more principle can be an excellent way to start your eco-friendly journey and transform your house. Getting rid of unwanted stuff, buying fewer, but more quality clothes and shoes and using homemade cleaning products will help you live a more balanced, and much greener lifestyle. 

Lana Hawkins is a young architect and a home décor blogger on Smooth Decorator. She enjoys writing about interior decoration and landscaping. Lana is interested in sustainability and green building, and that's where she gets most of her inspiration from.