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How can I become a minimalist?
Much more than just a fashion trend, minimalism is a genuine, long-term personal approach that is gaining more and more followers.
From the desire to consume less and better to the acquisition of minimalist reflexes on a daily basis, it’s a long road that’s unique to each individual.
In this article, we explain what it means to be a minimalist and the keys to achieving this without frustration.
Minimalism, a state of mind
A real issue for the future of our planet, deconsumerism is the very definition of the minimalist lifestyle: getting rid of the superfluous to consume less and better. Minimalism is therefore based on a return to what is essential.
Mind you, we’re not talking about not buying anything and not having any material ties. No. It’s about learning to know what makes us happy and what we really need.
To put it simply, minimalism is the opposite of over-consumption and the constant quest to earn more in order to spend more. By being minimalist, it’s not the price of the object that matters but the real impact it will have on you and the environment.
It’s a way of life that responds as much to ecological and social issues as it does to personal research.
Financial gain, for a start. Yes, the minimalist saves money! By consuming less but prioritising quality, a minimalist will above all avoid spending impulsively.
Saving time is also essential. Naturally, by favouring small spaces (like a Tiny House ☺️) and getting rid of superfluous objects, the minimalist will logically spend less time tidying, cleaning, buying or even searching… Advantages that will enhance his or her personal well-being. By occupying their free time with activities that are important to them: reading, travelling, sport, culture, etc. Unlike over-consumption, which mainly compensates for unhappiness such as stress, boredom or fatigue, stopping compulsive shopping will also allow you to come to terms with your emotions.
Minimalist, but without constraints
As you will have realised, becoming a minimalist means deciding to have a healthier relationship with yourself and everything around you. And you can only achieve this in the long term if you are genuinely aware of the issues and have the personal will to invest yourself.
This state of mind will influence all your purchases: shopping, clothing, housing, etc. As a minimalist, your watchword from now on will be “GIVE ME MEANING“.
But complying with them requires us to work on our habits. The important thing is your will! The work will then be carried out step by step, and always without frustration: the aim is your personal well-being.
Why not start by taking the clutter out of your home?
But don’t throw anything away! Sort out what can still be reused and donate it to friends or associations. If you need to, repair it yourself or have it repaired by a specialist organisation. Finally, if you really can’t reuse it, take it to a recycling centre.
Once you’ve cleared the clutter, you’ll see things more clearly and can put in place new consumer habits by following this rule:
- Refuse: what you don’t need
- Reduce: what you need
- Reuse: everything you consume
- Recycle: what you can’t refuse, reduce or reuse
- Return to the soil by composting
This change in consumption must be gradual and personal!
We don’t have the same comfort needs if we are single and nomadic or with a family and sedentary…
We don’t have the same comfort needs if we are single and nomadic or with a family and sedentary… We make do with what we have, but we lack nothing.
In practice: how can you (de)consume in a minimalist way?
As we saw earlier, decluttering is the first step in adopting a minimalist approach.
Still with a view to making this change without any frustration or pressure, start with a thankless task that we often hate doing: sorting through your administrative papers!
It’s not an exciting activity, but you’re not attached to it, so it won’t be hard to do without
Be sure to check the mandatory retention periods for each type of document on the internet beforehand, and then throw out all the ones you can.
Once you’ve done that, move on to a living room. Once again, take it easy. Choose a room with little emotional charge. Like the bathroom, for example, with all those hotel and perfume samples in your drawers!
When it comes to more sentimental items such as photos and books, it’s perfectly normal to find it hard to part with them.
So start by sorting through your books. Keep the more emotional ones and give the others to friends, associations or leave them in a book shed. You’ll really enjoy sharing them with others!
If, however, you’re reluctant to part with something, ask yourself the following question: ‘If I had to leave the house in 2 hours’ time, would I take it with me?
And if, despite everything, you prefer to keep it ‘just in case, it might still come in handy’. And if, despite everything, you prefer to keep it ‘just in case, it might still be useful’, remember that very often you will end up throwing it away…
As far as food is concerned, again focus on what’s strictly necessary.
Treat yourself, of course, as the most important thing is your well-being. But don’t go shopping for anything superfluous!
Make a list beforehand and avoid over-packaged products on the shelves.
For example, no more pre-shredded cheese or desserts in individual jars!
You’ll eat better, enjoy cooking with good raw ingredients and avoid processed products.
Your fridge will be less full, you’ll be visiting your local shops more often, reducing waste and cutting down on waste!
One last piece of advice. Before you buy, use the NISOU method:
- N for Need: what do I need this purchase for?
- I for Immediate: if you have an immediate craving, watch out! It’s a sign of compulsive buying.
- S is for Similar: Do I already have a similar object at home? Can anyone lend it to me?
- O for Origin: where does this object come from? Who made it? Under what social conditions? In which country?
- O for Origin: where does this object come from? Who made it? Under what social conditions? In which country?