Marching Towards Minimalism: Free the Mind by Freeing Up Space

When you think of “minimalism,” what comes to mind? Do you think of an empty, white room with one lonely succulent on the bare windowsill? Maybe you think of a bright cubic and contemporary space. Or, do you think of a peaceful state of mind, a room with a calming presence, and reduced stress? I was immediately drawn-in after beginning my education on the concept of minimalism. It only took one documentary for me to feel inspired to begin my journey of marching towards minimalism.

“The Minimalists,” are two “bros” that were friends for most of their lives, before they began the intentional movement of sharing minimalism with the world. Slightly different than Marie Kondo’s approach of “does this item bring you joy?” Josh and Ryan provoke us to ask the question of “does this item add value to my life?” Personally, I appreciate their less-emotional approach to choosing which items to keep or remove. As a child who grew up in a house of constant clutter and things that would be used “one day!” I know all too well the downfall that comes with emotional decision-making when it comes to “stuff.”

If we are to ever downsize the “stuff” in our lives and begin marching towards minimalism, we have to remove some of the emotional attachments. While I love many aspects of the Konmari method of folding things into cute little squares and utilizing space wisely, I definitely have found greater success with The Minimalists’ approach to sorting through my belongings.

Why Are You Marching Towards Minimalism?

Minimalism has become a point of study for many researchers, and has yielded some interesting results! Minimalism seems to help people improve their focus, reduce overall clutter, save money, and reduce stress. Studies have shown that our mental health is directly and meaningfully impacted by our environment. This even goes as far as to suggest that having a messy desk will cause others to assume you are more neurotic than someone with a tidier desk.

Even before intentionally marching towards minimalism, I have always kept a tidy workspace, mainly for my own improved focus, organization, and preference. (Perhaps having grown up in a clutter-house, I now have a stronger aversion to mess). Also just saying, but I would attest that the messy desk and neuroses correlation seems pretty spot on for most people that I’ve experienced. Maybe you say they’re creatives? Science says they’re neurotic, so believe what you will. (I say that jokingly; there are certainly always exceptions to these norms. If you’re a “messy desk” person, that’s okay. You do you!)

How Does Marching Towards Minimalism Help Me?

There is substantial evidence that clutter decreases productivity for most people. This makes sense, doesn’t it? The person who knows where every organized file is is likely to be a faster worker than the person who is scrambling through stacks of mess to find what they need! Additionally, clutter seems to actually decrease a person’s overall health!

“Clutter has negative effects on your mental and physical health. It can leave you feeling anxious, stressed, or even depressed. Studies have shown that cortisol (the stress hormone) levels are higher in people who have a cluttered home.” (1)

See References

There is strong support that suggests that marching towards minimalism and the decrease of clutter can impact our physical and mental health in many positive ways! Add into that the financial benefit of buying less stuff, selling the stuff you don’t need, and therefore having more financial freedom, and it’s a pretty alluring concept.

Free the Mind by Freeing Up Space

Have you ever walked into a nice hotel room, and felt a wave of peace wash over you? Maybe you’ve experienced this in a neat friend’s house, where surfaces are clean, and every item seems to be purposeful and intentional. There is something really amazing about walking into a room where there’s no junk to move, no stuff to clear, and no chaos to sort through. To enter a room and immediately feel like it is ready for relaxation. This is what primarily motivates me on my march towards minimalism. I love entering my bedroom, seeing the bed made, my plants happy and healthy, and my dresser clear and clean. It gives me a feeling of “Okay, my life is basically together. I’ve got at least this under control.”

It’s very valuable to cater your space to your needs. For those of us who work from home, this has become even more important to the goals of productivity and peace. I probably relocated and/or rearranged my home office space at least five times to get it to its now peaceful, pretty, organized status. Let me tell you, waking up, walking over to my cute and clean desk, basking in the glow of my salt lamp… it’s a huge difference from the fluorescent and highly-trafficked office I worked in prior to COVID-19. I am so thankful for the silver linings that the pandemic offered me, which you can read more about here. So, we know some of the benefits of minimalism, but that doesn’t necessarily make it easy for everyone. Some people wonder:

Wait! What If I Like My Stuff?

Going back to both the Konmari and The Minimalists’ methods: if your stuff brings you joy, and furthermore, if it adds value to your life, then there is no shame in keeping it! There are certain things which I will never get rid of: my coffee bar accessories, my easel, my cozy blankets, my books. However, other things do not bring inante joy, nor do they add value. Things such as: clothing with stains or holes, shoes that don’t quite fit, devices that no longer work, hats that I haven’t worn in years, birthday cards from years ago, documents from my old apartment…Some stuff truly is not worth keeping, but it’s up to you to decide which stuff that is for you and your home.

It is important when embarking on a minimalist journey, not to stress the process. The whole point of minimalism is to reap the mental health benefits (lower stress, improved clarity, etc.) so don’t let the journey overwhelm you! Take it one drawer, one item, one day at a time. Try to revel in the process of reducing clutter, while knowing that better mental health is on the horizon!

If you liked this blog, please share it! More traffic to my site means I can create more content for you. Please subscribe to get notifications in your email of new posts, and I hope to see you back at Travel Therapy, soon. Much love!

References:

1. How clutter affects your brain health. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2021, from https://www.prevagen.com/brain-health-tips/how-clutter-affects-your-brain/#:~:text=Clutter%20has%20negative%20effects%20on,who%20have%20a%20cluttered%20home.