You may not think your stuff needs to be reduced- especially if you have lived with a similar amount of things throughout your entire life. You might see your space as normal. With that said- ask yourself the following questions and find out if your home would benefit from a touch of minimalism.
If you feel stressed as you enter your home
Do you feel stress when you enter your room/ home?- If going home fills you with dread because it’s overrun with thigs- this is a sure sign that you need to reduce the items in your space. When you return home after a day at work or from an errand- you should feel a sense of calm as you walk through the door. If you don’t feel this already- getting rid of some things might make you want to go home.
Do you spend a lot of time with your stuff?- How long does it take you to clean your home? If it consumes hours of your time or even a whole day of the week- you probably have too many things. Think of how quickly you could clean if there were no ornaments to move or less furniture to hoover around. If you are constantly tidying up after the people in your home- it’s possible they have too many possessions. If they only had their favourites and the things they use- this would mean less tidying for you.
Do clean spaces bring you joy?- Consider how you feel when you look at a clean, minimised space on Pinterest or in a magazine for instance. If this fills with joy- you may be a secret minimalist at heart.
Do you value/use everything in you space?- If, when you look around- you don’t appreciate everything you see- you know it’s time to clear the path for the things that do make you happy and appeal to you. Give them the space to shine rather than allowing them being buried under things that you don’t really like- or dare I say it- hate.
Do you have things because you feel you ought to?- If your home is filled with items you feel you OUGHT to keep rather than things you WANT to keep- this is a good indicator that you need to minimise. Why do you feel you ought to?
Because it was passed down to you by a family member who has now passed? Would they want you to be unhappy in your home? No.
Because they were gifts? Does the gifter even remember giving it to you? Probably not.
Because these things cost a lot of money? If so- sell them and put the money towards something else you want rather than feel you ought to have in you home.
Do you have the physical space?- Thins about all of the organisational tools you have bought recently. All the boxes and bins to make your stuff fit rather than just cutting it down to an amount that lies comfortably in the space you have. If you run out of room- do you buy another piece of furniture to house the overflow? Are your belongings overflowing from drawers, cupboards, shelves and boxes? If so- this may be the best time to let your space dictate how many things you own.
Would you buy it now?- One of the scenarios The Minimalists suggest is to pretend you are buying the item again- would you pay the same money for it now? If the answer is ‘no’- you likely don’t value it enough to hold onto it.
MORE: Seven ways minimalism helps with creativity
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