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Practical Minimalism: 4 Ways to Benefit from a Minimalist Approach to Living
Too much of anything is the beginning of a mess. ~ Dorothy Draper
Contents
Four Benefits of Practical Minimalism
Practical minimalism helps us spend our time wisely
Practical minimalism helps us manage our finances more effectively
Practical minimalism helps us pare down and de-clutter
Practical minimalism helps us combat stress and mental fatigue
Often we feel that we don't have enough. Not enough time. Not enough money. Not enough space for storage. And not enough calm in our lives.
In reality, the problem is likely that we have too much. Too much wasted time making mistakes because we are trying to multitask. Too much debt. Too much clutter. And too much distracted thinking and mental noise.
By using simple minimalist lifestyle tips, you'll see that it's much easier to simplify your life than you ever thought possible.
What is practical minimalism?
Practical minimalism is an approach to minimalism that anyone can adopt.
Forget any worries you have about giving away everything you own. Practical minimalism is not about living with nothing, it's about living better by making more intentional decisions about how we use our time, energy, and money.
Let's look at four benefits of adopting a practical approach to minimalism.
Four Benefits of Practical Minimalism
Here are four reasons ways a realistic and practical approach to minimalism can make our lives better.
1. Practical minimalism helps you spend your time wisely.
Time is a precious commodity because it is finite in nature. Unfortunately, because time is limited, it's easy to fall into the trap of trying to squeeze as much as possible into the small amount of time we have.
As a result, many of us have developed a habit of doing multiple things simultaneously, only to find that we've made mistakes, missed things, or simply cut corners to get everything done.
Ultimately, we end up having to redo what we just did, and we spend twice as much time completing the task as we expected it to take. Then we get frustrated because it's taking longer to complete tasks than we expected.
To prevent that frustration, don't succumb to the pressure to say "yes" to everything you're asked to do.
By saying "no" more often, you free up time to do the things you genuinely want to do.
2. Practical minimalism helps you manage your finances more effectively.
Finances are an area in our lives where it's vital to make good decisions. Making financial mistakes can leave you stressed out and dealing with the repercussions of poor judgment for a long time.
It's not uncommon to feel that we should be at a certain point in our lives because of what our friends or co-workers have, where they live, or the type of cars they drive.
As a result, it's tempting to push ourselves to copy our peers' lifestyles and use possessions to define our self-worth.
High-interest credit cards and loans, expensive vehicle payments, or a hefty mortgage can leave you on edge and full of anxiety each time the bill due date approaches. And with that, your self-confidence can plummet.
But there are ways to avoid financial stress and anxiety. Here's a good starting point that applies to everyone, no matter your age or circumstance in life:
Learn to distinguish between something that you want and something that you need. This simple, but powerful, money management rule will completely change how you spend money.
Knowing the difference between want and need will help you put the brakes on a purchase that you'll regret later.
Learning to live within our means by not letting spending define us brings a kind of freedom into our lives. We free ourselves from the financial worries and anxiety caused by overspending.
3. Practical minimalism helps us pare down and de-clutter.
When we spend too much, we often find that our home is overflowing with "stuff."
Paring down is an essential part of practical minimalism. But, to be clear, paring down doesn't mean we have to take drastic steps or live a life of deprivation.
Focus on having enough, not a surplus of objects taking up valuable space in your environment.
Instead, de-clutter your surroundings to simplify your life. Focus on having enough, not a surplus of objects taking up valuable space in your environment.
Sell or donate items that you haven't used for a long time, that don't fit, or don't intend to use in the future.
And make a promise to yourself that you won't accumulate new possessions until you have finished sorting through and paring down your old ones.
To the extent that you are able, choose quality over quantity. It makes more sense to buy one high-quality item that will last for years and take up less space than buying a bunch of inexpensive things that will need to be replaced next season.
Being mindful and intentional about your purchases will prevent you from cluttering your home with items you don't want or need and can't afford.
4. Practical minimalism helps us combat stress and mental fatigue.
In modern daily life, we're surrounded by mental noise. Distractions are everywhere and they make day-to-day life harder. Making decisions, completing tasks, and following through on plans are difficult when your mind is bouncing from one thought to the next.
But life doesn't have to be such a struggle. By adopting a practical approach to minimalism, you can bring order, organization, and calm to your life and surroundings.
When you're not pressed for time, you feel more relaxed. Without financial worries, you feel less stressed because you're not struggling to pay your bills. When your surroundings are clutter-free, you can relax and truly enjoy your home environment.
Bringing practical minimalism into your life reduces much of the mental noise that makes life challenging. As a result, you feel happier and more in control of your life even though you've adopted a minimalist that places a priority on less.
Conclusion
Simply put, there are clear benefits to applying practical minimalism techniques in your life. Give practical minimalism a try and see how your life changes as a result.