By 
“If there is one thing that I know for sure, it is that a chaotic space messes with my head. If my desk, office, or really any room within my home is cluttered or in disarray, I tend to avoid it altogether. As soon as I realized I was straying from my desk throughout the day, I began to wonder, “why am I suddenly so distracted?”. I had never had such a hard time focusing or staying focused on my work – and then it hit me. My desk was a mess!
And just like that, I connected this dot to a bunch of other dots. When my clothes overfill my closet, and I have to leave them on a chair or table in my room, I avoid it. Makeup on my bathroom counter? Nope, not going in there. But no matter how much I straightened up, it seemed like the tidying was never-ending. This was when I realized that I simply had just too much stuff!
The Big Declutter
I knew that I needed a completed overhaul of my possessions. When did I accumulate so many things? So, I started with my desk, my office, and other spaces throughout my home. Once it felt like all of the things that I owned had a purpose, I realized I was calmer and more focused – less chaotic as a result of my spaces.
The truth is that there are many wonderful benefits to welcoming and implementing a more minimalist lifestyle. Of course, the most obvious is that you feel much more settled and content within your spaces, but there are also rewarding benefits regarding productivity and focus. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, out of focus, or unproductive, letting go of the things you have that just take up space may give you a fresh perspective and a new start!
Aside from feeling more centered with my new minimalist approach, I realized that many other aspects of my life were flourishing. How could I not share this with others? Here are the ten most noticeable ways that minimizing my possessions has benefitted my life.
#1 Reclaiming Your Time
Whether it was looking for an outfit for work, my tablet, or a piece of mail, I was spending a great deal of time just looking for the things that I needed throughout the day. Some of these hunts were even making me late to my commitments. Even though I was a fairly organized person, I had too much stuff to look through, and it became unnecessarily stressful.
The logic is simple here, minimizing your possessions lets you find things much more quickly, which helps you save time – precious time. Not only will reducing your possessions free up more space for the things you frequently use, but it also saves you time by limiting the number of things that you need to look through.
#2 Improving Your Peace Of Mind
Sometimes it feels like I just do not have enough minutes in the day. Between work, trying to stay healthy and active, and the many other obligations that make up my daily life, it is challenging to find the time I need to focus on the activities and the people that are most important.
Reducing the clutter and possessions we have can symbolize a step towards simplification within our lives. By removing the things that we don’t need, we can replace feeling overwhelmed with feeling lighter and developing an enhanced sense of freedom. So, when you need to be focused, you won’t spend as much time longing for those moments throughout your day that allows you to disconnect and unwind.
#3 Enhance Decision-Making Skills
Optimizing our time and productivity requires us to make decisions. With too much noise (or clutter), the idea of deciding starts to feel exhaustive because there is always something else to work through. The improvement to your decision-making capabilities starts during the decluttering process and continues long after you have created a more minimalist space.
Solving a problem entails quickly deciding what to keep and what to discard. It works our brain and provides us a sense of accomplishment when we complete small problem-solving activities like minimizing. Consider it a series of mini-puzzles for your brain. Is it better to preserve it or not? You could feel inspired to continue on to another task on your to-do list once you improve your decision-making skills.
#3 Lead A More Intentional Life
Leading a life with more intention and purpose certainly requires practice. Going through all of my possessions and determining their true worth and value in my life helped me to better understand what it means to lead a life with intention.
Consider the decluttering process: you go through all of your possessions and pick what is worth retaining in a systematic manner. You’ll most likely ask yourself things like:
- Why do I have this?
- What does this mean in terms of adding value to my life?
- Why should I hang on to this?
Do this repeatedly, and I guarantee you’ll begin to apply this approach to all aspects of your life. What’s bringing value to your schedule, your expenditures, and even your relationships, and what’s not?
#4 Prevent Overstimulation
If there is one thing that is sure to stop productivity right in its tracks, it is distraction – which is often a symptom of being overstimulated. It’s easy to feel driven to buy items you don’t need in a world overflowing with social media, phones, and computers. However, that tendency, together with having too much stuff or attempting to live large, is extremely overstimulating for the mind.
Minimizing and decluttering produces a peaceful, serene environment, which is incredibly helpful for your mind. As a result, we feel more in control of ourselves and our surroundings.
#5 Improve Prioritizing
I often find that the more cluttered my spaces are, the more cluttered my mind feels. When I have too much on my desk or throughout the other places in my home, I have trouble determining how to start my day. Beginning my mornings this way makes it much more difficult for me to decide what I need to get done every day and how I should do it.
Embracing minimalism isn’t always about getting rid of stuff; sometimes, living a more simplified existence involves taking a break rather than cramming your schedule with activities. It’s possible to develop a habit of good behavior if we recognize how minimizing, mindfulness, intervals of stillness, and meditation make life simple and lovely.
#6 Saving More Money
I used to subscribe to the mindset that because I worked hard for my money (as we all do), I should be able to treat myself to the things that I want – books, makeup, clothes, you name it. Unfortunately, this often left me with little money to save, invest, or spend on experiences.
When we choose to make more meaningful approaches to spending, especially when trying to minimize our possessions, we are much less likely to spend frivolously. You will find yourself asking, “do I really need another candle?”, “I already have a dress just like this, how will another improve my wardrobe”? These internal questions often lead to much more purposeful buying, which translates very well for your bank account.
#7 Increased Productivity
If there is one thing I am naturally great at, it is procrastination. While this works well in some situations (some of us work best under pressure), it can make completing tasks feel overwhelming and unachievable.
It is much easier to concentrate on the current task when you have a well-organized desk or workspace. Having clutter, such as multiple paper stacks, on your desk, can only make you feel even more overwhelmed. Once your space is neater and more curated, you’ll develop a sense of focus that does wonders for your productivity.
#8 Decrease Stress
Clutter has a way of reminding me of all of the things I have to do and the things that I keep ignoring. Even though I tell myself that there is nothing wrong with just getting to it when I feel like it, the truth is that it creates anxious feelings and only adds to my stress.
Getting started with decluttering and minimizing your possessions isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Sometimes, it stems from a lack of motivation or simply not knowing where to start. But, if there is one thing that I can promise, it is that once you begin, you will immediately feel the weight start to lift. And let’s face it, there isn’t a single aspect of our lives that can’t benefit from less stress.
Reclaim Your Control
Simply stated, minimizing your possessions is going to make you feel more in control of your spaces and your life! The peace of mind and inner harmony that comes with a more meaningful and cultivated space serves as a reminder that you choose how you spend your days and lead your life.
MEET THE EXPERT
Styling people and sharing stories light me up. Other than that, funny dog videos and weird cats always put a smile on my face. Keep your sparkle, and train your minimalist mindset. We only die once anyways, but we live every day.
What do you think?