The word minimalism might initially inspire thoughts of living lightly strictly in the physical or aesthetic sense: buying less and purging more material items. Decorating our homes lightly and making do with fewer clothes, makeup and products.
But minimalism can transcend the physical world. It can be applied as a filter through which we view many other aspects of our daily lives. Once the right mindset is in place, minimalism can become a personality trait. This new mindset can be applied to intentional living in the below areas.
AREAS OF LIFE WHERE WE CAN GO MINIMALIST
Personal finances.
Saving money never goes out of style. Staying home for two full years of the pandemic and not spending on eating out, travelling, shopping for clothes and other things helped to boost our bank accounts. I really enjoyed this new perk of the pandemic (of which there were few, I might add), and I hope to continue to exercise intentionality with where my money goes.
Financial minimalism can look like making and sticking to a monthly budget, limiting your disposable income, and reevaluating whether you need to buy certain things or if you could rent them – e.g. Furniture, clothing, books, appliances etc. Saving small amounts can add up quickly over time, and soon you’ll be able to meet a more valuable financial goal.
“Take care of the pennies, and the pounds (or dollars) take care of themselves” – as my mother would say.
Socializing.
How many people in your life do you think deserve your time, energy and, in many cases, money (if you’re going out together) consistently? Socializing and spending time with friends are undoubtedly needed and beneficial for our wellbeing, but do we need to say yes to everything we’re invited to? Most likely not.
There’s socializing to deepen connections and relationships, and there’s mingling simply for the sake of not upsetting work colleagues or certain family members – Feel free to choose wisely.
And with the newfound popularity of video calls, you can still connect with loved ones in near and far away places without leaving your house, so why not make the most of that?
Mental and emotional well-being.
The amount of external stimulants we are exposed to daily exceeds the thousands. From the time we wake up until we go to bed, we endure social media use first thing in the morning to caffeine consumption, traffic, work deadlines, meetings, and interactions of all kinds that take their toll by the time end of the day comes around. Besides the stimulation, we also have to make endless small and large-scale decisions daily. I’ve written more about decision fatigue in detail HERE.
Because of this, it’s crucial to make time to disengage from the noise and take steps to reduce mental clutter. Emotional and mental minimalism can look like taking a digital detox (more on that in the next point below), meditating, exercising, taking nature walks, time with your pets and much more.
It can also be reducing time around stressful people and situations that drain you and leave you feeling depleted after you come away from them.
You can read about tips to mentally declutter HERE.
Technology and digital use.
The time spent managing the screens, devices, social platforms, and mainstream media outlets we encounter daily is probably equivalent to the time we spend in our full-time jobs. As a result, our brains feel scrambled and exhausted. It affects our attention spans and ability to focus on tasks for extended periods, also known as doing deep work.
We can implement digital minimalism by disconnecting from all the technology, as mentioned above, for at least a few hours (if not days) each week. I’ve spoken about my experience with digital minimalism HERE. It serves to reset and energize our brains and created mental space which can be better applied to other activities.
Fitness.
A perfectly sculpted fit body has been sold to us in every form of media for over a decade. The ideal body type (in the Western world) tends to be one of visible muscle definition, zero belly fat, and absolutely no jiggle.
To achieve these body types, we are then sold the methods that attain them: Expensive gym memberships, trendy group classes, fancy equipment, and the notion that we’re supposed to work at our fitness vigilantly and tirelessly until the end of time.
This doesn’t have to be the case. All you need to do to look and, more importantly, feel your best is pick a physical activity you can see yourself HAPPILY doing at least three times a week. Whether it’s YouTube yoga videos with a mat in your living room, daily walks around your neighbourhood, or squatting and lunging repeatedly in your backyard – do what feels best because life is too short to be hating ourselves while we try to get and stay fit.
Leisure time.
Guess what? Your evenings and weekends and any other free time you have do not have to be spent doing things all the time. Even your vacation time can be spent in the comfort of your home and city if you ignore the pressure of social media to hop on the next plane to Europe.
We are constantly being marketed to about things, places, events, and activities on which we should spend our precious time. The FOMO is real and needs to be stopped.
How to be a minimalist with your leisure time, you ask? Engage in exactly what your initial instinct leads you to do. Whether it’s sleeping in, cooking and eating all your meals at home, catching up on your favourite shows, or not talking to anyone but your dog for a whole weekend. Just do you, okay?
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope that what you have read has somehow educated, informed, or inspired you. You can sign up for the mailing list below to receive special announcements directly to your inbox no more than once a month (We won’t spam you!).
Click on this link to follow the Minimal Instinct digital magazine on Instagram for new blog post announcements and other lifestyle content on living lightly.
Comment down below with your thoughts about this post. I always love hearing your feedback and if my articles have helped you!