How to Start a Minimalist Lifestyle in 6 Easy Steps
So you want to how to start a minimalist lifestyle, but you don’t know where to start. I’ve been there before. But with everything in life, there’s a way to make it easier. Here are 6 minimalist lifestyle tips for a beginner to start practicing minimalism today.
How to Start a Minimalist Lifestyle
1. Write down what you enjoy in life
Minimalism is about becoming more in tune with what brings you joy. For me, one of my greatest joys is writing. I like to write these blog posts, I like to write songs, and I just like to write my thoughts down in general. So I make writing a central part of my minimalist journey. What are the things in life that make you happy?
Write it down as a reminder of what you need to make the central part of your minimalist lifestyle. Keep going back to that list to make sure you’re getting enough of what you wrote down. Add something else if you need to. Minimalism is on your terms.
2. Prioritize your time
Cut down on the activities you don’t enjoy and replace them with the ones you do. For example, I spend time on social media promoting this blog. It used to take up so much time from my writing that I’d get frustrated. Thankfully, a friend of mine came up with a method to make the process more efficient. As a result, I get to write more, and I’m happier.
Find a similar way to make the less enjoyable parts of your life more manageable. And even better if you can eliminate them entirely. Activities such as prepping your meals for the next day, setting your clothes out, or getting other minor tasks taken care of will free up your time for more happiness.
3. Throwing away one item a day
Minimalism isn’t a 24-hour race. It’s an ongoing process. The typical minimalist photos you see online with clean countertops and organized space took time. All those people had to spend weeks and months cleaning up. Maybe even years. So don’t try to get your place the way you want it to be overnight.
Take the easy approach! Throw one item away a day. It’ll be a lot less stress for you. And if you feel like only throwing away one item is too slow, then try 2 items a day. Or 3! However many you feel motivated to do in a particular day, do it.
4. Pick a room to work on
Don’t let your house overwhelm you. I put all of my time and energy into my room first and I felt a lot more relaxed about getting started. When you make life more manageable, you feel more relaxed. Make your minimalist lifestyle more manageable by just focusing on one room you’d really like to start decluttering. When you’re done, give the next room a shot. Simple!
5. Declutter your Relationships
Minimalist lifestyle tips you find online mention decluttering the home all the time. But decluttering should also include your relationships too. As a minimalist, I only want relationships in life that give me happiness and peace. That’s how life should be! But first, it starts with you. Taking care of yourself mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
Mentally – More positive thoughts, less negative thoughts. The negativity only slows you down in being happy. Relax your mind through meditation too.
Emotionally – Whatever’s hurting your feelings, learn to cope with it. Write them down, talk to a friend, do anything constructive to make yourself feel better.
Physically – Whether you walk, run, or dance… do something you enjoy that gets your body moving. It’ll make you happier.
Spiritually – Believe in a bigger purpose. If that’s God for you, cool. If that’s saving the environment, awesome. Believe in something and live for it.
When you fix your relationship with you, you can fix your relationship with others. Think about whether the people in your life make you happy most of the time. And if they aren’t, then it’s time to have a talk about your relationship with them. You have to tell people what you need. If they’re not willing to compromise, then you have to cut them out of your life. Might sound harsh, but your happiness comes first.
6. Join a Minimalist Community
Don’t start your minimalist journey alone. Thousands of people are trying to be a minimalist just like you. The easiest place you can find them is Reddit. Check out this minimalism community. There are lots of people who share their stories and give encouragement to everyone. They also offer tips and advice. Got a question, ask away!
Joining a minimalist community is the best decision you can make to stay motivated and inspired to keep practicing minimalism.
Follow these minimalist lifestyle tips one step at a time. I know from firsthand experience that’s made my minimalist journey less stressful. You do a little each day, you get a lot done over time, and you have a happier life in the end. I hope
Blog posts with minimalist lifestyle tips
Digital Minimalism: Cutting Down on News and Social Media: Technology has us more addicted than ever. We need to reconnect with ourselves by disconnecting from our machines. You’ll read some great tips on how to do that.
Decluttering Tips from a Messy Minimalist: I’m not a fan of decluttering at all. But I figured out a way to do it without feeling like I was doing it. If you’re messy like me, this is the decluttering guide for you.
7 Items That Not Every Minimalist Needs To Buy: There’s a lot of stereotypical ideas of what a person needs to own to live a minimalist lifestyle. Learn about 7 items that you don’t need to buy to practice minimalism.
This is an excellent article! All of it speaks to me.
The most difficult thing for me about minimalism is living with people who are “collectors”, messy, too lazy/busy…you get the drift. They know it stresses me out. So I control what is exclusively mine: my bedroom, my car, and my cubicle at work.
Hi Lucy. So nice to hear that this article spoke to you. I’ve been fortunate not to live with collectors, but I can imagine that would be quite challenging. It’s good you can at least control your own space.