6 Benefits of Minimalism That Will Change Your Life

In today’s culture, we’re constantly fed the message that we need more in order to live a good life. More electronics, bigger homes, newer trucks, more farm animals, nicer boots, more clothes—the list goes on. We’re led to believe that having more will lead to happier and more fulfilled lives.

If you make the decision to go against that norm, some may even look at you sideways, or wonder if there’s something wrong with you.

But the truth is, those who have embraced minimalism and learned to live and work with less often find they’re happier, more content, and living more meaningful lives. But that’s just the beginning.

The Definitions Of Minimalism 

The dictionary’s definition refers to a few other things:

a style or technique (as in music, literature, or design) that is characterized by extreme sparseness and simplicity (Source: Merriam Webster)

Pay attention to these two key words – sparseness and simplicity. Those words lay a great foundation for a minimalist lifestyle.

thinly scattered or distributed: a sparse population. not thick or dense; thin: sparse hair. scanty; meager. (Dictionary.com)

When you learn to run your life with sparseness, you’re letting go and giving up the excesses around you (things you can ‘spare’ and possessions you don’t need), and doing that will lead to a simpler and “stress less” life. 

We can even take this a step further: Letting go of things in excess also means letting go of ‘busy work’ and time being wasted on things that really don’t need to happen.

Let me give you a quick list of the benefits of minimalism then I will expand on the ones that are the core takeaways and if you IMPLEMENT THEM they will change your life in all of these other areas.

• Minimalist living saves money.
• It also reduces stress.
• Having fewer items to clean frees up time.
• A minimalist home is less cluttered.
• Living with fewer things means less clutter in your MIND!!!
• Minimalist living is a great way to start over in life and get a fresh start.
• It teaches you to stop buying things you don’t need, and use money more wisely.
• It could lead you to choose work you love instead of working a job because of the money and freedom from the comparison game.
• Make your home a place of peace, calm and simplicity.
• Not tied to the past. Release the past to make a better future.
• FInd stuff quicker.
• Live in smaller space. OR you will have a more open space to live in.

The Number One Benefit Of Minimalism Is Less Stress

This is a major benefit of minimalist living and personally, I think it is the most important. So it’s worth mentioning first because it can change your daily life.

As you work towards this new way of life, you’ll find that having fewer things to worry about (both material possessions, clutter, and time commitments) greatly reduces your stress level!

Less Clutter

Minimalism is about embracing a simple life and learning to live with only the things you need so naturally there will be a lot less clutter in your environment.

This might sound like a good idea on the surface but maybe you don’t have a clear picture of how it will help you.

• You won’t have a huge pile of things to look through the next time you are trying to find something.
• You will have less to clean. 
• When your brain has less to process through what you SEE your brain doesn’t have to work so hard even when you should be “off” duty.

Of course, this also means that one of the first steps you’ll need to do is go through all the current clutter and get rid of the unnecessary possessions.

Most people living a minimalist life have said this was the hardest part of the journey for them, but that it was worth it in the end.

Just keep in mind your vision of minimalism and why you’re doing it – this will help you stay on task as you purge things. And don’t forget, you can help others by making donations of your non-needed items to local charities and churches.

More Money

By moving away from the extreme commercialism that seems normal in today’s world you won’t fall victim to always needing more, more, more, and more. The result of this means you’ll have more money and reduced debt.

Imagine having the cash to take a fabulous trip, or to invest that extra cash into your farm business— all because you resisted the urge to buy every new toy and gadget your friends or family members bought.

Our culture begs us for more. Time for things that matter most. The more stuff you buy, the more your stuff buys you.

More Time 

Another essential part of embracing minimalism in your life is clearing the clutter of overbooked schedules and too much to do. You’ll begin to learn that saying NO is a complete sentence.

Turning down the things you don’t enjoy doing, or those you feel obligated to do (even though you’re not) means you’ll free up your time.

This will give you the freedom to do with your time the things that mean the most to you – spending time with family, friends, traveling, or volunteering.

As you take steps closer to a minimalist lifestyle you will start to feel a sense of freedom you have never had before. Creating a loose calendar is so good for your mental health and you will start to feel free with even the smallest change.

 The key is to not see the extra time you have and fill it with things that don’t really matter to you without realizing it.

It Enables You To Buy Quality Over Quantity

I started to notice this as I got older and started buying brands that fit me well or brands I actually liked. 

Being tall finding jeans that were long enough was hard as it was. But then to find items I liked was even harder. 

But I found Maurice’s a few years ago and it was heavenly! A brand that had longer clothing items and was feminine but not too flowery or full of ruffles! Daaahhh I thought I had died and gone to heaven. 

When you have a Wardrobe you love you are far less likely to get sick of the items and not what to wear them. 

Spend Less Time Cleaning Your Living and Work Environments

The top two complaints about housework – cleaning in particular – is (1) it takes too long and (2) there’s too much stuff to clean/clean around. The good news is, embracing minimalism means these things won’t happen anymore. It’ll take far less of your time to clean and organize your home and office because you won’t have so much stuff to work with.

Set a Good Example For Your Kids

Just as adults have easily fallen prey to the world’s message that we have to have more, more and more, so have our kids. In fact, most kids now-a-days live lives of entitlement, not knowing what it means to not have things in excess. Embracing minimalism, especially if your kids are little, will be a good example for teaching them about what is and isn’t important.

The Joy Of Minimalism

In other words, minimalism is getting rid of all the excess around us so that we can live a life of meaning and simplicity—a life that brings us joy and happiness. 

Think back to your childhood: Did you need a bunch of stuff to be happy or could you find happiness in a pile of library books, a single bag of building blocks, or adventuring on your bike until the sun went down?

That’s what minimalism is going to help us find again—that happiness from within that we got as kids when we didn’t have all the excess we do now. 

Will Minimalism Automatically Make Me Content?

I think you already know this. The answer is no. Contentment is a whole other battle on its own. Will it help and set you on the right path? YES. 

Here is what I have seen in myself when it comes to being more content. 

The less stuff I have around covering up the things I love. I am able to SEE the things I truly do love.

Having more stuff gives you the feeling of uneasiness and like you don’t have the answer to what you are looking for. Whether that means getting something done or  finding a tool or clothing item

As with any major life change, don’t tackle minimizing your home and business at once. Create your vision and tackle each environment slowly but with purpose. As you make more changes and discover the freedom that minimalism provides, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start minimizing sooner.