Minimalism or Minimalistic living! These two terms are making headlines for quite some time now. What do they mean exactly?

Minimalism is all about living with less. It’s ironic though that mankind is discussing this term in this era of excesses. But then, this changed viewpoint does carry quite a lot of weight. The very concept of living a life that is free of debts, extra expenses, based on experiences rather than material possessions, has started making a lot of impact on society.

If you think that minimalistic living is about neglecting your necessities, then you’re absolutely wrong. It is more about the judicious use of your resources and making the right choices. You do need your basics…a roof above your head, food to keep yourself going, and clothes to wear. The questions you need to ask yourself are

“Do I own multiple versions of the same item?”
“Do I feel stressed to choose a dress, as I have many in similar design?”
“Is my closet overflowing with clothes I don’t wear?”
“Do I need to spend minutes in the kitchen to search for the right lids to go with the containers, which are perhaps empty?”
“Is my fridge stocked with stuff, which I end up throwing away in the long run?”

If all the answers are affirmative, you need to look at your lifestyle for sure. Do you really need so much? There are certain items, which we just can’t part with. There are emotions attached to them, which are valuable for us. But then, there are plenty more, which is just not required by us. We can give them away to those, who would put them to good use.

Minimalism is the art of controlling this urge of excess. You start practicing being grateful for what you have and feeling content with less. As you put this into a habit, you automatically think twice before purchasing something you may not need. You would start evaluating your belongings and purging on a regular basis too.

Not only this declutters your spaces, but it is also found to declutter your mind. You start detaching yourself from material satisfaction and put more stress on experiences and relationships, which matter more.

As Jackie French Koller had aptly put, “There are two ways to be rich: One is by acquiring much, and the other is by desiring little.” Yes indeed! Do start focusing on your basic necessities like home, food, and clothing and try to minimize your other needs. Life will get enriched with bliss.