How to Live a More Minimalistic Lifestyle

Is your life better off with less stuff? According to many scientific studies, the answer may be yes. The ability of clutter in a home to raise cortisol levels unnecessarily should come as a surprise to no one. After all, how many times have you looked around at all of your clutter, only to end up anxious and stressed? The key to eradicating this stress is to eradicate the stuff by leading a more minimalistic lifestyle. Curious what minimalist home living is all about? Keep reading.

Important benefits of minimalist home living

It frees up your time – From thinking about stuff and buying stuff to cleaning stuff and organizing stuff, how much time do you think about “stuff” on a daily basis? If we had to guess, it’s probably a lot. Imagine if you could channel that energy towards something else (anything else). Suddenly, you’d have more time to focus on things that really matter, such as relationships, health, family, education and hobbies.
It gets you out of the house – If there’s not much to explore or do at home, then you’re more likely to spend time outside the house. In addition, the less time you spend inside your house cleaning up clutter, the more time you have to spend outside the home enjoying things you love. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, exploring museums or just walking your dog, time spent outside the home is sure to be filled with more enriching experiences than simply cleaning your home.
It improves your finances – Living a minimalist lifestyle will likely help your bank account. By not spending money on household items, you’ll be able to save more money in the long run. Having money saved up allows you to pay off those credit cards, that student loan debt or even your monthly car payments. It also allows you to spend on experiences (think: vacations and traveling) as opposed to material possessions.
It decreases your stress – Oftentimes, more stuff equals more stress (not to mention, more clutter and more cleaning). To decrease your stress levels, simply take the clutter out of the equation. By eliminating unnecessary belongings in your space and focusing on minimalist home living, your stress levels are sure to decrease dramatically. After all, a clutter-free home means a clutter-free mind.
It benefits the environment – Not only does being minimalistic help your mind, but it also helps the environment. How so? The fewer products you consume, the less waste you produce. Think about it: every time you purchase something, it typically comes packed in some sort of material – whether it’s cardboard, paper, plastic or even foam. Much of this packaging is thrown away and ends up in various landfills. By consuming less stuff, you’ll be creating a more sustainable lifestyle, which will only benefit the environment.

7 tips for minimalist home living

Ready to embrace minimalism? Here are seven tips for living a more minimalistic lifestyle in your everyday life.

Consider what you really need

Declutter your home

Downsize to a smaller home

Make sure items have multiple uses

Be intentional with purchases

Get a storage unit

Focus on other things besides stuff

Moving soon?

Fortunately, Moving.com’s extensive network of reputable and reliable movers makes it easy to find and book the best moving company for the job. All relocation companies in our network are licensed and insured, so you can rest assured that your move will be in good hands. For more help planning your move, check out our Move Planner tool, a comprehensive moving checklist that will meet all of your organizational needs this move. Best of luck and happy moving!