The Ultimate Guide To Minimalism: How To Become A Minimalist

Over the past years, minimalism as a lifestyle has become popular. There are more people wanting to learn about minimalism and how to become a minimalist.

I wanted to research and learn more about the lifestyle; writing a detailed post gave me the motivation to do so. I hope it can help aspiring minimalists or help you to learn something valuable. Enjoy!

What Is Minimalism?

Let’s begin with understanding what minimalism is. In this context, we’re talking about minimalism as a lifestyle, rather than an art or creative style.

Different people have different meanings for minimalism. Your definition and approach to minimalism will be different from mine.

Minimalism has different extremes and is not one-size-fits-all. One extreme includes minimalists whose possessions can fit inside a backpack.

On the opposite end, there are people who are clear and mindful about their belongings. They only keep items that are of true value to them.

Here, ‘value’ is different for anyone. It can be any type of value you decide. This could be:

Sentimental value
Physical value
Emotional value
Monetary value

How serious you take minimalism and how strict you are with the lifestyle is up to you. The simplest ‘minimalist’ thing you can do is considering if an item brings value into your life. If not, let it go.

So far, this definition is seeming very generalised. Don’t worry, now we’ll get more specific.

Minimalism has some underlying themes common across the lifestyle. This includes different ‘rules’, ‘habits’, methods, and approaches.

We’ll look into specific rules and habits later on. For now, here’s how The Minimalists define the lifestyle:

Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important—so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.
The Minimalists – theminimalists.com

Sounds quite simple, right? This definition sums up the lifestyle well.

If I were to reword that definition, it would sound something like:

Minimalism is the act of having less in exchange for an increase in quality of life.

It’s not about where to begin, but when.

Minimalism, and particularly becoming a minimalist, isn’t about where to begin.

It doesn’t matter what area of your life you want to ‘minimalise’ or what belongings to let go of. The important thing is when you get started.

Like many things in life, the best thing you can do – rather than plan or hesitate – is to begin.

Once you’ve begun, the momentum will carry you forwards. Decluttering will become much easier once you start. The same is true of tidying and organisation. Once some things are tidy and sorted, the rest will seem more manageable.

The Core(s) Of Minimalism

The way I see it, there are two core parts to minimalism, which are both needed to maintain the lifestyle. Letting go and bringing in. These go hand-in-hand and are both necessary.

Letting go of lots of stuff is great. Getting rid of old things or items that serve no real purpose is integral to becoming a minimalist. It’s difficult to live the minimalist lifestyle without doing so.

But, if you’re going to replace the things you get rid of with useless belongings, what’s the point? This is where the second core of minimalism comes in.

Bringing in means being more conscious and mindful of what you consume, buy, and use. This means following rules like the 30/30 rule, which we’ll look at later. Rules such as this will help you understand if an investment is worthwhile.It also means bringing in less than normal.

You can follow rules such as the ‘One In One Out’ rule to help maintain how much you have. Though, the essential part of this Core is thinking about what you bring into your life and why.

Approaching Minimalism

Like I said earlier, how you approach minimalism is up to you. Everyone approaches it in a different way. Using habits and rules can help with this though, so read on to learn more about that.

One way of thinking about minimalism is through relating it to your goals and ideal life. Does living like a minimalist align with achieving these goals?

An item may not help you to get where you want to be. It may not serve any purpose. It may not be integral to your ideal life. In any of these cases, get rid of that item. This will free up mental space and focus to help you get there.

Remember that things are just things. Not everything has value, and fewer things than you think serve an actual purpose.

Toys and collectables might show your interest or dedication to a specific interest. But, wouldn’t knowledge and passion be more useful? Choose the one collectable that you treasure most and keep it, letting go of the others.

Our culture influences us to buy things we don’t need. Sales and discounts encourage us to spend money where we never before considered.

‘Buy one get one free’ can get you to buy two of an item that you never needed in the first place! It’s no wonder that it’s so easy to ‘collect’ lots of stuff in modern life.

Through this culture and marketing influence, we have begun to associate items with happiness. But that association is not true at all – items do not bring lasting happiness.

Since living more like a minimalist, I’ve actually felt happier. You can begin to disassociate happiness with material goods by becoming a minimalist. Living with mindfulness helps too. Instead, you begin linking happiness to experiences and life itself.

Many people see minimalism as ‘freedom’, or at the very least as a way of finding freedom.

Freedom from modern life and culture.

Freedom from all the ‘negative’ things about living.

Freedom from fear, worry, overwhelm, and even depression.

If you weren’t already sold on the lifestyle, here are some of the main benefits of minimalism.

General Benefits of Minimalism

I wouldn’t recommend a lifestyle change without sharing with you the benefits of doing so. First, here are the more general benefits.

Minimalism helps get rid of financial worry

The act of having less and buying less frees up space in the mind. Space in the mind associated with finance and budgeting benefits most from this.

By being conscious about what you buy, you’ll begin buying items that are actually meaningful. This becomes easier through following some of the rules shared later.

There’s also a particular approach to minimalism that can help you to save money and increase happiness in the long run.

When considering what to buy, be more conscious of this process. It can help to ask if a more expensive version of the item, which would likely last longer, would be a better buy.

For example, say you want to buy a blender. You’ve been looking at some cheap £15-30 blenders on Amazon, which would do the job fine.

But, consider the benefits of having a more expensive blender. What are the drawbacks of a cheap blender, too?

A cheaper blender is likely less efficient than an expensive blender
A cheaper blender is likely harder to clean
A cheaper blender might make more noise and take up more space
A cheaper blender will have less functionality than a more expensive blender

The result of this consideration can only result in a win-win. You might decide that you don’t need extra efficiency or functionality. that’s fine. Choose the cheaper option and save money in the short term.

But, if you think a more expensive blender will be of more value to you, buy that instead. Your quality of life will improve, you’ll likely be happier, and it will last longer.

You’ll have more money for experiences

By following minimalist financial rules, you’ll have a little extra money to spend on unique experiences. Spend time with friends, loved ones, and even yourself.

Using this money for experiences, rather than stuff, will be more meaningful, enjoyable, and fulfilling. It will also make your life more interesting and unique.

Improved mental health

I’ve decided to group together the improvements to your mental health. There are so many mental benefits that result from becoming a minimalist that it made sense to list them.

First, you’ll be happier. Detachment from material possessions also means detaching your happiness from items. Natural happiness isn’t something that comes from belongings and buying stuff.

Instead, experiences and spending time with people you care about bring happiness. These experiences will enrich your life and feel better than they did before.

You’ll be less stressed. The more things you have, the more things you’ll have to think about. This includes maintenance, tidying, organisation, cleaning, etc.

Each of these tasks weighs on your mind, increasing stress – whether you know it or not. The ability to ‘let go’ of items – much like thoughts in meditation – becomes a valuable skill. You can use this skill to lower your stress levels.

Your mind will be less occupied. This is a nice follow up to the previous benefit – fewer items means fewer things will be on your mind.

I like to think about your environment – your outer physical space – as a reflection of your mental inner space.

Considering this, the more things you have, the less space is available in your mind.

The same principle goes for keeping things tidy. If your physical space – your home or bedroom – is a mess, it’s likely that your mental space won’t be in perfect harmony.

Take a look at people who suffer from depression, anxiety, or other mental health problems. More often than not, you can see the commonality of a messy physical space.

Clothes thrown across the floor. Items left where they don’t belong. Dirty plates and mugs everywhere. These people also seem to have a lot of stuff.

If you suffer from mental health problems, tidy your physical space. Get rid of things you don’t need. Keep things tidy and organised.

In a sense, the minimalist lifestyle can help people who suffer from mental illness.

Minimalism helps you to be more eco-friendly.

Minimalism leads to becoming more eco-friendly. Having less, being more mindful of what you and use, and reusing items all help with this.

It’s likely you’ll be using less plastic, buying less, and having a lower carbon footprint. The only real exception is when you’re getting rid of items at the start of your transition.

When this happens, try and bin as little as possible. Instead, sell or give away items that others might find value in. Give stuff to charity shops or to friends. Only bin things that serve no purpose or aren’t recyclable.

Benefits of Minimalism for Graduates

Minimalism is one of the best tools that a graduate can use. Owning less stuff makes your future decisions much easier to make.

Consider moving out of your parents’ house. Having fewer belongings makes the move much easier. It also allows you to move into a smaller place or have a smaller room – fewer belongings need less space.

It opens up your options of where you can move. It’s much easier to move to somewhere across the country – or to a new country – if you have less stuff. If you can fit everything you own inside a small car, relocation will be cheaper and easier.

Further, getting rid of stuff feels better than leaving things behind. Pursuing opportunities around the world becomes easier when you have less.

Leaving behind random bits and bobs that serve no purpose will weigh on your mind. Letting go of them, though, makes travel easier and more enjoyable. You’ll also further appreciate your time away.

The free mental space can help you progress towards your goals. Greater mental space and cognitive acuity benefit both your career and lifestyle goals.

Fewer things on your mind means you’ll have more mental energy. You can use this to focus on relevant tasks and take steps towards your goals.

As discussed earlier, living as a minimalist will save you money. As a graduate with student debt and little income, this can be useful. You’ll have more money to pay off your student loans, as well as more money available to save towards moving out.

Now let’s look at some habits that many minimalists share.

Minimalist Habits

You can follow minimalist habits to make the lifestyle easier and more consistent. Repeat these often to make minimalism more manageable.

Minimalism is a journey, not a destination

The ‘journey, not a destination’ saying is particularly true of minimalism. If you think about it, what would the destination be? Having no belongings?

Sooner or later, you’ll need to get rid of something old or bring something new into your life. So, minimalism can’t have an end or be a destination.

As a habit, this means to repeat minimalist practices. Don’t do them once and call yourself a minimalist; that’s not how it works. I’ve put this particular habit first as it helps to frame the following habits.

This habit is ensuring you repeat the other habits.

Decluttering

Decluttering is the process of getting rid of clutter. It’s letting go of old items, or items of little to no value. It’s also keeping your space tidy and organised.

Doing this once a week is best. I don’t mean choosing items to get rid of once a week – that’s something that you can do as and when. Whenever you notice something you rarely use or have forgotten about, that’s the optimal time to consider getting rid of it. You can use some of the rules shared later to help with this, such as the 90/90 rule.

What I mean by once a week is regular tidying and organising of your space. Sunday is the best day for me to do this, as that’s when I do all my chores and preparation.

Following this practice will help with knowing what’s useful. You’ll learn what you rarely use, what’s of value, and you’ll learn to let go of certain items.

I like to assign all items in my home a specific place. This helps to keep things tidy and organised, and makes it much quicker to get things back in order. It also helps to find items when I’m looking for them.

Considering this. it’s useful to put things back in their dedicated place once you have finished with them.

One of the best cheap investments you can make is getting an EDC tray. This is a small tray where you keep Every Day Carry items, like your phone, wallet, and keys.

Digital Decluttering / Digital Minimalism

A nice follow up to decluttering – which I also do on Sundays – is doing a digital declutter. Go through your digital files and folders, organise them where appropriate, and delete unneeded files.

For myself, the downloads folder is what needs the most management. If I don’t declutter often, it becomes a mess and is difficult to find anything. Some people have the same issue with their desktops.

Here, you can move files out of the downloads folder and into relevant folders. These could be for work, leisure, images, etc. Delete any duplicate files. Do the same for any one-off files.

Software installation files are also something that can stack up. It’s difficult to know exactly what to do with them. I used to keep an ‘Installation’ folder in my downloads folder. This would contain all my installation .exe files.

But, you don’t need this at all. If you want to install software, go to your web browser and download it again. The version you’re keeping is likely outdated anyway. A fresh download not only saves on clutter but keeps your system and software running best.

Further, ensure you check your screen time. How much time do you spend each week and each day staring at screens? Which device is the worst culprit?

Using technology is essential to most of our work. But, if for most of our lives we’re plugged in, poor health issues can arise.

Digital minimalism is a topic on its own, which you can read about using the provided link.

Focus On Yourself

This is a great life habit anyway, but particularly useful for minimalism. Focusing on yourself means not comparing yourself with others. It means seeking to become a better version of yourself.

Nobody else is in your exact situation. Nobody had your exact upbringing or has your exact genetic makeup. So, it’s literally unfair to compare yourself to others. If you must compare, compare yourself with who you were yesterday. This ensures you make progress each day.

Focusing on yourself also means saying ‘no’ to others and saying ‘yes’ to yourself. Again, this relates to being conscious of what you bring into your life. This may include saying no to gifts or potential experiences which you know will be of little to no value to you.

Keeping yourself in mind is also applicable to managing physical items. Letting go and bringing in items are both done with your best interests in mind. Look out for your own wellbeing and happiness – focus on yourself – and make decisions according to that.

Embrace Emptiness

Appreciate the ’empty’ space around you. You can associate freedom with space.

In theory, where would you feel freer: in the middle of an open field, or in a small apartment filled with random stuff?

The more empty space that is around you, the more free, independent, and happy you will feel.

Consider how prehistoric people lived. They didn’t have belongings, collectables, or knick-knacks. Shared experiences were the main thing appreciated.

Think Quality Over Quantity

Spending less on random items is congruent with having more money available.

Earlier, we looked at how minimalism benefits your finances. The reasoning is the same here. High-quality items will last longer, and provide more value than low-quality items.

Instead of buying the cheap version of something you want, pay more for something upfront and get a better version.

You don’t need to get higher quality items because you’re a minimalist. By having less, the items you do own have more value and quality to you.

Being Mindful and Intentional Of Purchases

Whenever buying something, keep in mind what its purpose is. Wanting something is not enough reason to buy it. If it will make you happy, fulfilled, or advance you towards your goals, it’s likely worthwhile.

But, if you’re buying it for the sake of buying it, or because it ‘looks cool’, your reasoning is off. Think like a minimalist! Use the 30/30 rule and consider how this item, in particular, will change your life.

Be Grateful

What I mean by this is appreciating the things we already have. We are lucky to have access to food, clean water, shelter, technology and the internet.

You don’t need things to survive; you need food, water, and shelter, and we already have these things. Be grateful that you have access to the things we take for granted.

Minimalist Habits Overview

You can see many minimalist ‘habits’ as different approaches to life. The above habits can help give your minimalist lifestyle some structure. But they are by no means essential.

You can transform some of these habits into rules of their own. Decluttering can become ‘declutter once a week’ or ‘declutter before you see things piling up’. This makes said habits much easier to follow.

The reason I’ve separated habits from rules is that rules are more generalised and one-off. Habits are more frequent.

We’ll be learning more about minimalist rules and how to actually become a minimalist in part 2 of this post.

Thanks for reading so far. If you’d like to learn more, continue to part 2 of this post.

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