15 Minimalist Habits that will Transform Your Life

Minimalism and simplicity are words that are often tossed around but rarely fully understood, and yet they are some of the most sought after goals in life.

Minimalism is often misunderstood as the collection of only the most basic, bare necessities in life. But this couldn’t be farther from the truth! Minimalism is not about how much you have or what you own – it’s about living with less so that more of your time and money goes towards living a fulfilling life. 

In order to achieve simplicity, it’s important to focus on cutting down all of the excess noise and distractions in your life – a simple goal, but not always an easy one.

You might also like:

• 15 Good Habits To Adopt For A Healthy and Happy Life
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The minimalist movement encourages simplicity in all aspects of one’s lifestyle by focusing on only the essentials and eliminating any excess.

There are so many benefits that come with minimalism. By implementing some minimalist habits into your life you’ll be able to reduce stress and anxiety while simultaneously increasing happiness levels.

15 Minimalist habits that will transform your life

Declutter

There are several benefits of decluttering your home, but the most important for me is that it creates a calmer space so that you can relieve your mind of clutter also.

While you’re decluttering, keep in mind that less is more – ask yourself if this item brings you joy or does it serve a purpose.

When living with less clutter it’s easier to maintain order within your home, which in turn makes it easier to focus on what’s most important.

For more tips on decluttering, read the following articles:

• How To Get Motivated To Clean When Overwhelmed By Mess
• How To Declutter Sentimental Items Without The Overwhelming Guilt
• How To Be Ruthless When Decluttering Clothes: An Essential Guide
• Why I’m Swedish Death Cleaning In My 30s
• How To Declutter Your House In One Day: Room To Room
• Practical Decluttering Tips for Seniors Reaching Retirement

Get rid of the clutter

Now that you’ve decluttered your space, what exactly are you going to do with all the stuff?

Whether you plan to sell the items, donate to a local charity or hand over to family or friends, it’s important to get rid of them now. As soon as you finish the decluttering process.

You don’t want bags of clothes lying around that will end up making their way back into your closet, or kitchen accessories you never used being put back in the kitchen cupboards.

Read also: Why you shouldn’t sell your stuff after decluttering

Disconnect from social media

Social media is the new “reality” we perceive. When we scroll through our Facebook and Instagram feeds we get a glimpse of other people’s lives, which oftentimes falsely influences how we think our own lives should be like.

Read also: How To & Why We Should Be Using Social Media Intentionally

By disconnecting from social media every now and again you’ll be able to concentrate on the things that are important to you, rather than constantly checking for updates.

It’s important to unplug and focus on real life interactions with friends and family members instead of living through a screen.

Read also: Disconnect to Reconnect: The Significance of a Digital Detox

Leave the car at home

Where possible, try walking or riding your bike to work or to the shops. Not only will you save on fuel and public transport costs, but you’ll also benefit from the exercise.

If you need the car for specific errands, combine them together so you’re only making one trip.

Make mindful purchases

Minimalist living is about having less in order to pursue what’s more important in life. When we buy things we’re only adding clutter and chaos to our lives, which we don’t want when we’re trying to live a simpler way of life.

When shopping, try asking yourself the following questions:

• Do I need this?
• Does it serve a purpose?
• Do I already have something like it?
• Do I absolutely love this?
• Can I borrow this from someone else?
• If I busy this, will I use it?
• Is there something at home I’m happy to let go so that this item can take it’s place?

Read also: How to Shop Like a Minimalist: 12 Ways to Shop Intentionally

Also when shopping, only purchase the things you have gone out specifically to buy. If you see something that you think you really want, take a picture of it, go home and sleep on it before making the decision to buy. This will help you avoid impulse shopping.

Read also: How to Stop Shopping Online for Clothes you Don’t Need

Stick to a budget

When you know how much money you have to spend, it becomes easier to manage your expenses.

By sticking to a budget, not only will you spend your money more wisely but it can also help you save for the future.

In order to stay on top of your finances, track your spending and put aside a specific amount of money.

This minimalist habit can help you to reach financial minimalism, if done correctly.

Read also: 10 Ways to Achieve Financial Minimalism

Be a conscious consumer

Becoming a conscious consumer means being more aware of what you buy and everything you consume.

Read also: 6 Things to Look For When Buying Sustainable Products

A few ways you can be a conscious consumer:

• Buy quality over quantity. It may seem like a bigger expense in the short term, but in the long run it will be saving you having to buy again
• Try to opt for organic produce whenever possible to avoid ingesting pesticides and other harmful chemicals
• Avoid buying from fast fashion brands as much as possible. They’re exploiting workers and the amount of clothes they produce is causing an enormous strain on the environment
• Consider buying second hand before you head out to buy new clothes

Read also: What is eco-minimalism and is it really for you?

Say no to freebies

Have you ever been at a conference or the opening of a new store and you’re handed a goodie bag packed full of useless ‘things’?

In this ‘stuff’ filled world, it can be hard to resist a freebie. But next time you’re tempted by one, remember to ask yourself if you really need another plastic water bottle or piece of marketing material lurking around, cluttering up your house.

Read also: Things I Stopped Buying To Embrace Minimalism

Declutter digitally

We’re constantly getting emails, text messages, notifications on our phones, etc. There’s so much noise in our lives now, which can cause a lot of stress.

By taking the time to declutter our digital habits, we’re actually decluttering and simplifying things in real life as well!

Here are some ways you can digitally declutter:

• Unsubscribe from any lists or groups that you never use. This will clear away pointless clutter and make your inbox more manageable
• Turn off notifications on certain apps that you don’t need to be notified about
• Create folders within your emails so that you can file them
• Respond to emails as soon as you can so they don’t become a constant source of stress. Once dealt with, either delete or file to the relevant folder
• Delete all the emails in your spam folder, junk folder, and the emails in your inbox that you don’t need to keep
• Delete unwanted photos on your phone (you know the ones where we have 30 of the same photo!)

Do a 10 minute clean every evening

Take just 10 minutes every evening before you go to bed in order to put everything back in its place, wash any leftover dishes and clear as much as possible from countertops.

If you do this on a daily basis, it will help to clear your mind and make the following day easier and less stressful as everything is in its place!

Create a capsule wardrobe

A capsule wardrobe is a “small collection of garments designed to be worn together which harmonised in color and line”.

It can be difficult to limit the amount of clothes you have, but having a capsule wardrobe is an effective way to declutter your wardrobe.

Read also: How To Be Ruthless When Decluttering Clothes: An Essential Guide

By building a capsule wardrobe, you’ll be able to rotate your clothes easily and avoid wasteful spending.

Sign up below to follow me on my capsule wardrobe journey, beginning in January 2022!

Practice sustainability

It can feel overwhelming to think about how everything we do has an impact on the environment. But there are some easy ways you can practice sustainability in your everyday life.

Read also: 15 Ideas For Sustainable Living: Ultimate Beginners Guide

The 5 Rs of sustainable living are:

• Reuse
• Recycle
• Reduce
• Refuse
• Rot

By using these 5 Rs within your minimalist habits, you can dramatically reduce your impact on the environment, while also reducing the amount of items cluttering up your home and reducing the money you spend.

Love the space

Once you have decluttered your home and have embraced minimalism, you may be left with areas in your house that have much more space than they use to.

Don’t do anything with the space!

We don’t always have to put something in a clear space. It might look strange to begin with, especially if it was once crammed with clutter, but once you leave it clear for some time you’ll begin to enjoy the space much more.

Embrace experiences rather than things

This is one of my favourite minimalist habits I live by.

We’re constantly being advertised things that we don’t need. We’re being told that we should have the perfect home, the cutest wardrobe and the newest gadgets on the market.

The truth is, material items can never offer you true happiness. They are continuously changing and next year you’ll be told you need the newest iPhone again.

Experiences on the other hand, such as seeing your favourite band live, visiting a new country, etc, will stay in your memories forever.

Read also: The Best Experience Gifts For The Whole Family

Be true to yourself

Becoming a minimalist, whatever that means to you, is something you’re doing for yourself and your family. Nobody gets to weigh in and tell you otherwise.

It might be difficult to become accustomed to all the changes you’re making, but keep being true to yourself.

At the end of the day, don’t let anyone else’s perspective on minimalism determine your happiness and what your definition of minimalism is.

Read also: What Minimalism Means To Me (And What It Really Doesn’t)

Final thoughts on minimalism habits that will transform your life

Minimalism is a way of life that many people live by, myself included.

A cluttered home and mind can add stress and anxiety to anyone’s life, while a more minimalist space can create a sense of calm.

By implementing these 15 minimalist habits into your life, you’ll be taking steps to transform your life for the better. Some will come easily while others might take a little more time, but in the end it’s all about finding what works best for you.

Have you implemented any of these minimalist habits into your life? How did you find they worked for you?

Read also: Why More And More People Are Choosing To Live With Less

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