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Minimalism in the home has always been popular. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean a minimalist lifestyle is easy to achieve. Many of us start with a minimalist style out of necessity. When we leave home, we often move from one room, into many. We don’t have enough possessions to fill a house, nor enough money to buy them. But over the years, things start to pile up. We’re busy, and things become cluttered. We keep hold of things just in case. Bad habits prevent good cleaning practices, and suddenly our homes are far from minimalist.
What is a Minimalist Lifestyle?
Minimalism can apply to many different areas of our lives. The home is the obvious place to practice, but you can also be minimal in your relationships, schedule, or passions, i.e., giving your all to fewer things instead of spreading yourself thinly.
At home, you might think that minimalism means white walls with no shelving or other adornments. You might imagine a lack of possessions, but also a lack of personality in the décor. For some, this is minimalism, but it’s certainly not the only way to do it.
For most people, minimalism means having things they love that show their style and personality while adversely avoiding clutter, mess, impulsive purchases, and hoarding. Minimalism is intentional; it’s a process that you commit to, but that doesn’t mean that there are a set of rules that you must follow.
What are the Benefits of Minimalism?
There are many benefits of living a minimalist lifestyle. For example, buying less means you’ll have more money. Your home will be easier to clean, and this also means you’ll always be ready for guests. It allows you to focus on the things that you love and improves wellbeing.
Focus on One Room at a Time
Being minimalist is great, but if you’ve got a lifetime’s worth of built-up clutter and stuff, the idea of getting there can be a little daunting. Working on one room at a time can help the job seem less insurmountable while providing you a structure that helps to keep you motivated. Working from room to room means that you can see the results of your progress quickly.
Start with What You Can See
The problem with clutter is that there are plenty of places in our homes for it to hide. You’ve probably got things in cupboards that you haven’t used for years, and clothes that you’ll never wear again. It’s a good idea to start with the things that you can see, such as the clutter piled on tables, and areas like bookshelves that are visible. Doing this gives you more space, when it [ST1] comes to going through cupboards and wardrobes, and means [ST2] that you get noticeable results more quickly.
Recycle What You Can
When it comes to decluttering, your first option should never be to throw things away. You’ll be able to recycle everything from old clothes to bits of paper. Find your nearest recycling center and charities that are accepting donations, and make sure you know what you can recycle or donate before you get started.
Make Some Money
Donating and recycling are great, but you might want to make some cash from some of your old possessions. This is an especially good idea when it comes to clothes, electronics, old furniture and anything that you’ve got that’s in fantastic condition.
Rent a Dumpster
Even if you do your best to give things a new life, there’s bound to be a lot of junk in your quest for a minimalist lifestyle. There will[ST3] probably be quite a bit more than your household trashcan can manage, and you won’t want to be driving it to a waste collection center every hour, so it can be a fantastic idea to look at dumpster rental services. Waste Connections dumpster rental can be the ideal choice if you are planning a huge declutter. They offer a range of options suitable for the task, as well as convenient delivery and collection.
Ask Yourself Questions
Before you clear anything out or decide to keep it, there are a few things that you should ask yourself.
Do I Need It?
Firstly, do you need it? If it’s an item that you need, and use regularly, you should keep it.
Do I Use It?
This one is trickier. There are bound to be things that you answer “yes” to that first question. You might think that you need it, but then ask yourself when is the last time I used this? If it’s been a long time, then, no, you [ST4] might not need it after all.
Could I Manage without It?
Yes, you need it. Yes, you use it. But do you have to use it, or are there other ways you could achieve the same results?
Does it Bring Me Joy?
Of course, we don’t have to need absolutely everything that we own. Anything that you don’t need should bring you joy, make you happy, or improve your lifestyle.
Once you’ve got to the point where you are comfortably minimal, do your best to stay there. Get into good cleaning habits, and never buy yourself anything without first asking yourself whether you really need it.
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