Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
I have always been familiar with the term minimalism but I never truly knew what it was. Honestly I just thought it was an aesthetic people chose to make their homes look more modern. But after reading ‘Goodbye, Things’ by Fumio Sasaki I realised I couldn’t have been more wrong. When reading this book, I found myself agreeing with a lot of what the author was saying. So I decided to adhere to the advice the author was sharing and have noticed many positive changes. So I thought I would share them with you as well as share things I have learnt and my journey towards a minimalist lifestyle.
Introduction:
What is minimalism?
I tried searching for definitions of minimalism but couldn’t find one that was concise and simple. So, I will share the authors definition on who a minimalist is: “minimalists are people who know what’s truly necessary for them versus what they may want for the sake of appearance. And they’re not afraid to cut down on everything in the second category.” Putting this into my own words I think minimalism is just keeping the things you need and actually use and discarding the rest.
Why i decided to become more minimal?
I moved out this year to go to University. Whilst there I began realising that everything I had brought with me from home is all that I really needed. For example, all of the clothes I left at home I never wore and all of the books, stuffed toys and random other things that I left at home I didn’t need (or want). I was also extremely stressed during this time and began realising that all of the things I was hoarding were not only taking up a lot of physical space but also mental space. This got me thinking about the things in my life which were of actual importance. This is when I decided to read the book. And I’m so glad I did. After reading this book I decided that I would begin my journey towards a more minimalistic life.
I am also Hindu and in Hinduism letting go of materialistic things and motives is deeply advised. This is another reason why living a minimalistic lifestyle appealed to me.
The things minimalism taught me
1.the things you own do not define your self-worth
When I was younger I used to buy things just because someone else had it or I thought it would make me seem cooler. I thought that by buying all of these things my self-worth would increase and more people would like me. I would buy all of these clothes to fit in with trends and then realise I didn’t even like them and would never wear them again. In reality, I didn’t actually care what I wore I was just scared that people would judge me.
There are countless other things that I would buy to show people who I was. I think one of the main reasons I did this was because, in a world were we are pressurised to become someone, I thought that I had to make my hobbies and interests my whole personality.
For example, growing up I loved Marvel and began collecting Funko pops. I thought that if someone would come to my room they will see them displayed in my room and see how much of a fan I was. Almost as though I was trying to prove how much I loved Marvel. But now I find Funko pops low-key scary. Unfortunately, my mum has taken them and displayed them in her room so I haven’t gotten rid of them (yet). A little side note: There is nothing wrong with collecting things that you love. However, my issue was that I was doing it to please other people.
I also used to do the same for branded clothes. I would buy them so that other people thought I was stylish. Then I would realise that I had nowhere to wear the clothing or just didn’t like it. Fast forwarding to the present day; I gave some of the designer clothes that I don’t wear away and am planning to sell the rest.
I think the main message with this is that our possessions do not define us. Anybody who is worth getting to know will not base their judgements on the things that you own but on who you truly are as a person.
2. minimalism has the power to alleviate stress
Ever since cleaning out my room and discarding the majority of the things I don’t need I have definitely felt less stressed. One of the things that makes me really stressed is not having a clean room. Recently, because I moved out to Uni, my brother gave me his old (box) room. If anyone lives in London and has a box room you will know that the room is basically the same size as the bathroom. When I’m in my room I have enough space to take two steps in, twirl around and take two steps back out the door. Having only a small space to work with has really helped me cut down on the things I don’t really need as well as making me feel more at peace because I have to clean a smaller space.
Another way minimalism has helped me feel less stressed is by knowing everything I own. Subsequently, it has become easier to find my possessions. When I used to own lots of things I would rush around my room in the morning trying to find this or that and this caused my life so much stress. Now, by cutting down on the amount of things I own, I am able to instantly find anything I want.
3. you can focus more on the present
In the book the author writes ““you’re important, and you’re irreplaceable.” “Go for it. Strive to achieve something.” We know everyone means well, but young people are probably bombarded with these types of messages on a daily basis. They’re constantly being pressured to become someone. I, too, had been under the same same kind of pressure, and was frustrated by my inability to fufill these expectations.”
And I could not have agreed more. As a young people we are constantly told to become somebody and we are told to set all of these goals and prove ourselves worthy. It was the same with me, and I think that anybody no matter your age can resonate with this. I always used to worry about my future career and for the longest time it was my main worry. My parents would always tell me of people who they know who have gone on to be successful and this only used to make me feel more stressed.
This only made the stress worse when I decided to change university course mid-year and received comments like “this means you can’t change again” or “why did you even choose this course then?”, all of these comments did not help. And they all made me focus too much on the past and future.
Minimalism helped me focus more on the present and in turn made me more aware of what was important. Of course having a good job is important too. But I realised there was no point in constantly worrying about the future and things that were (in that point in time) out of my control.
Overall I think that living more minimally has helped me focus on the present. I think it all comes down to not wanting any more than you need. And focusing more on what you have in the present. And all of the actions you can do now for the future.
4. You cannot buy long-lasting happiness
Have you ever felt happy when you originally buy something and then later realise you no longer want it. I certainly have. Whilst we feel a sense of happiness soon after we purchase something, this type of happiness is fleeting. The author even mentioned it in his book by saying “There are emotional limitations to the feelings of happiness that we’re able to experience when we obtain something for the first time.” I even remember buying things and by the time it arrived at my house I would think to myself why on earth I decided to buy it in the first place.
Another big point made in this book is that we should learn to be grateful for everything we have. Consequently, we wont feel the need to buy more things that we don’t really need. This bring me onto gratitude. Gratitude is something that I implemented into my life this year. It really has helped me be more present and appreciate the things that I have. Minimalism has also taught me that I don’t need to buy things in order to make me happy. Instead I buy experiences which allows me to create irreplaceable memories. And that happiness isn’t something that you can work towards but something that you already have, you just have to choose to see it. So yeah, I would definitely say that minimalism has the power to make people more happy by appreciating what they already have.
The challenges
Becoming a more minimalistic person can be hard. I was pretty impulsive with what I gave away and didn’t dwell too much on what I was actually throwing. I had gotten to a point where I had enough of having things I didn’t need. However, there are some things that I was extremely hesitant to part with and things that I cannot part with. And that is okay. I think minimalism isn’t about becoming a specific type of person but about the journey it takes to get there and the process it takes for a person to decide what is actually essential to your life. And everybody knows no two journeys are ever the same. So, take your time and enjoy the process.
There is no ‘ideal’ type of minimalist
I think that the beauty of being a minimalist is that this idea of minimalism is subjective to everyone. People need different things and you shouldn’t feel guilty if you cannot part with everything. There is also no set bar for reaching a more minimalistic lifestyle. What I deem essential for my life someone else may deem unnecessary. And that’s totally fine. Minimalism isn’t a competition between people to see who can live without the most things. It is simply cutting down on the things you don’t need. And we all have different lifestyles so will all need different things.
Minimalism as a student
As young people we put way too much pressure on ourselves to fit in. I felt it too when I first arrived at Uni and everybody I saw was dressed much more nicely and had designer outfits. Before I went off to Uni I went on a massive haul. I brought new clothes and a new bag even though I didn’t need it.
I think I mainly did it because I put so much pressure on myself (especially in first year) to make a good first impression, find loads of friends and socialise more (as an introvert I put so much pressure on myself to be more social). And I thought that the only way to do this was to dress like the person I wanted to be (you know the whole fake it till you make it sort of thing). But honestly I didn’t really care about what I was wearing and nobody does too. I even see people on campus with pyjamas on and feel nothing but pure admiration for them because I wish I was brave enough to roll up in my pj’s. My point is, as young people, we shouldn’t feel the need to buy things to impress anybody else but ourselves.
I also saved a whole load of money by not wasting it on unnecessary things. And everybody at university knows that the struggle for money is real. Nobody ever told me socialising would be so expensive too. So now instead of buying things, I spend my money on experiences, even if they are small ones like going out for coffee.
Conclusion
I hope you guys have liked this weeks blog post and have taken something positive away with you. I’d be happy to hear any of your questions, thoughts or suggestions for future posts (you can comment them below).