Hey everyone, it's Vera from Simple Happy Zen.
And if you're interested in minimalism and that less-is-more lifestyle
then you've come to the right place. Because today's video is going to be a beginner's guide to minimalism.
I talk a lot on this channel about minimalism and simplifying life and
I've been living a minimalist lifestyle myself for around six years now.
And during that process, we have gotten rid of around 60% of our stuff. And it has had such an amazing impact.
So if you're thinking about starting minimalism
Or maybe you already started but you're kind of stuck what to do next, then you're going to get a lot of valuable information here.
Minimalism is not about having very few items, or living in a room without any stuff in it.
It's more about identifying what adds value for you.
What makes you happy. And then eliminating the extra's, the burden, the clutter, the stress, that's keeping you from enjoying
what matters. For most people, the path towards a minimalist lifestyle starts with decluttering your home, so
downsizing your stuff. And then also changing your consumption habits
So you're being more mindful of what you're bringing into your home, and into your life. And lastly, also
reprioritizing what's important in your life. And where you want to focus your time and energy.
The first minimalism for beginners tip that I can give you, is to know your why.
Know why you want to do it, and set a goal for yourself.
Changing your lifestyle is always challenging.
Especially in the beginning. So it can really help to have it clear for yourself what you want to accomplish by living with less.
Whether it's about creating more space, or saving more money, or
reducing your carbon footprint, spending less time cleaning, having more free time
Or maybe it's more than one reason. If you have this clear for yourself, you can even write it down for yourself
It'll really help you to stay inspired along the way.
Don't try to be a superhero.
I've talked about this before in my veganism for beginners video, and it applies to minimalism as well.
So don't try to everything all at once. Because big goals are achieved by taking one small step after another.
So, let's say you want to declutter your home and downsize your things.
It's amazing how much stuff we accumulate in our life.
So if your goal is to go through each and every item in your home
know that it's going to take some time. And that's okay.
Think of minimalism more as a lifestyle change that will help you live your best life, instead of a project that you have to finish.
So take small steps. And for some people it's just starting with
opening up your wallet and going through that. And then, maybe a drawer, and then maybe a closet, and ultimately maybe a room, and
before you know it, you will have gone through every item in your home. But take it easy.
Take your time. So you don't get overwhelmed.
Now about the actual decluttering and downsizing, and deciding what items to get rid of. There are actually a lot of different
decluttering methods out there.
So for example, there is the chaos method, where you basically just dump everything that you own in a really big pile.
And go through that. And things will get a lot messier before they get organized. But for some people that works. And then there's also
KonMari, the minimalist game, the closet hanger method, Swedish death cleaning, and so many others.
So I imagine, this can all seem a little complicated maybe, or
overwhelming. Like where would you even start, and which methods should you use? And also
Just deciding about which items to keep and which items to get rid of. And I actually made an entire video about how to declutter your home
that basically goes over everything that you need to know. And I will link it in the description down below.
And in that video, I go over the methods to use
Where to start, and how to know which items to get rid of, so definitely check that out.
When you've got items that you want to get rid of, then try to declutter them responsibly.
I know that just throwing things away in the trash is a lot easier and quicker. I get that. But I also believe that if
you bring an item into your home, it's also your responsibility to
declutter it in a responsible way. And I know for me, that also helps me with thinking twice about buying new things. Because I'm already
considering the fact that I might have to put effort into decluttering it later on.
So when I've got something to declutter
my favorite go-to move is just to give it to someone that I know personally, that can use it. And if that's not possible
I donate it or I sell it if it's more valuable. And if that's not possible
I recycle it. And only if it is something that cannot fit into any of those boxes
Those are the things that I'm actually throwing away. I think it's really helpful to start decluttering somewhere
that's easy and fun in your home and that gets you excited and inspired.
Something to gain momentum.
For me, decluttering my closet was the one thing that I was dreading the most. And if I were to have started there
I don't know if I would have been able to finish and push through.
So if you start somewhere that's easy and fun, maybe play some music
It'll really help you to get into that mindset. And it'll make a big difference.
Also, I recommend saving sentimental items for last. If you declutter a bunch of coffee cups
then it's always easy to get a bunch of new ones
if it turns out that you need more. Preferably you won't have to do that of course.
But it can happen. And with sentimental items, they're not replaceable.
So you don't want to get rid of things that you might regret later on.
That said, if you have a lot of sentimental items
It can't really help to declutter them and keep only the important ones.
Because then, you will be more likely to actually look at them every once in a while and go through them and enjoy them.
So if you leave them for last, you will have decluttering experience and you will know which ones matter the most.
As you go through your stuff, or even just taking a look around your space right now, and seeing everything that's there
All that stuff came from somewhere.
It has been accumulated over the years. And so at one point, those things came into your home and into your life.
Either you bought them, or you got them as a gift, at one point
they were there. And when you realize that, it's a great way to start looking at the flow of things coming into your home.
And changing your buying habits or your consumption habits.
And really there's no judgment here, and you are the only one who can decide which things you want to bring into your life.
But what minimalism does teach us is be more intentional with buying new things.
So, as you start to let things go and increase that flow of stuff going out of your home
it can really help to also look at the other side and decrease the flow of stuff going into your home. And that
way, you will actually end up owning less and really living that less is more a lifestyle.
I have an entire video about minimalist habits that really focuses on this part of minimalism. So shopping, etc.
And I will link it for you in the description box below to check out.
I often get questions in the comments about living with people who don't want to add a more minimalist lifestyle.
So living with kids, partner, parents, etc. And I realized that that can be really tricky.
So what I can advise you is, to focus on yourself.
Focus on your stuff, focus on the areas in your home that you have control over.
Because you cannot force people to join you.
But if you show them how nice it can be, and keep things really positive and exciting, you might inspire them as well.
Things are just things in the end. And though most of us know this, and we
intellectually understand it, we do attach more value to them.
So it can really be helpful to remind yourself that that small satisfaction you get when you buy something new
It only lasts for a really short time. And it's not going to make you any happier in the long run.
So be grateful for the abundance of things you already have. Be grateful that you have a home, shelter from the rain
food to eat
clothes to wear, and things to use. And this will help you to realize in your heart of hearts that you don't need anything extra.
As you go through your minimalism journey, you will practice that action of evaluating things.
Do I really want to own this? What purpose does it serve?
Do I really want to buy this shirt
if I already have eight other shirts in my closet?
And as you ask yourself these questions more and more
You will start to notice that you start wondering these things about other things as well.
So not just the stuff in your life, but your life in general. And if you ask me
This is where the magic of minimalism really starts. Because then, you realize that
your life is for you to design. You get to be in the driver's seat and
create a life that you love, filled with things that give you joy.
And minimalism will provide you with more time, more money, and more space. And those three things are
way more valuable than anything you could buy. So think outside the box and think about things other than
decluttering your home. And you will start to see a lot of areas in your life where you could also simplify.
Large part of our life is now digital. And a lot of us have a lot of digital clutter as well.
So take that into consideration.
Delete apps that you haven't used in a while, go through your contact list, go through your
folders and your photos on your computer and keep only the best ones. And it can also really help to organize your email.
So unsubscribe from newsletters you never read, create folders for everything, etc.
Now, after you're finished with the process of decluttering your home and downsizing your things
What will you do then? And how will you make sure that your home stays clutter free? Something I recommend is keep decluttering seasonally.
I also still do this.
And every time I do, I always find some things that I
haven't used in a while, or that I'm now ready to say goodbye to. And I have more tips about keeping your home clutter free
in this video. Again, I will link it for you in the description.
Lastly, I think it's important for us to keep inspired about minimalism. Because we live in a society
at least I do, that's kind of working hard to make us spend more money than we want to, or even realize.
So for me, watching YouTube videos about minimalism, reading books about it, is a great way to keep inspired and stay motivated.
I have an entire playlist on minimalism videos right here.
And right here is a playlist about decluttering and home organizing.
So definitely check those out if you want. If the video helped you
please give it a thumbs up. It would mean a lot to me. And subscribe to the channel for weekly videos.
Happy decluttering. Have a wonderful day, and I hope I will see you all soon. Byebye!
