Trying To Live With Less When Minimalism Sounds Horrifying

Blogging, for the most part, is an industry built on consumerism, there is absolutely no denying that. And I love indulging in it too from time to time but my relationship with material items has changed so much over the years. The likes of the anti-haul and minimalism have been on the rise for years and I'm pretty sure the majority of us are trying to incorporate the mindset of a little less as of right now. But there is a large part of me that thinks this movement can be very overwhelming and seem very strict like you need to live in a house filled with only the essentials that you truly cannot be without. Taking a more conscious mindset to what you're buying doesn't have to be a certain way and I've found the easiest way to do is small steps and here they are;

MINIMALISM IS WHAT YOU WANT IT TO BE

I'm not sure there is a strict dictionary definition of what minimalism is but whenever I used to see it talked about online it all seemed very strict and you couldn't buy anything. And your living space had to be super clean white, stark and bare which isn't the case at all. For me, the whole minimalism movement has always meant a mindset of a little less and not having so much stuff that I'm not using and just generally being more mindful when I'm buying something. Just like everything in life people do things differently in a way that can work for them and it's exactly the same for this current movement.

CHANGING MY MINDSET WHEN IT COMES TO SHOPPING

For a long time, I was all about the emotional shopping trips. Whenever I was sad or stressed I would go shopping even when I couldn't afford it. And it's taken me years to properly get out of that vicious cycle. Now I shop through necessity or because I want to not because it's an emotional crutch. There can often be a lot of judgement when it comes to how people choose to spend their money which is ridiculous as it's no-one else's business how others choose to spend their hard earned cash. As I've known for a while I wanted to stop consuming less I had to completely change the way I thought about money and the emotional attachments it can hold. Whilst having a good clear out and starting to understand why you yourself want to live with less rather than what other people are telling you it can be really helpful to look at your relationship with money.

YOU CAN STILL ENJOY MATERIAL POSSESSIONS

It's all too easy to believe that leading a life of less and not consuming a vast amount of stuff means that you don't get any happiness from material possessions. And basing your happiness solely upon items isn't something I believe is wise as it can be a slippery slope. But getting some sort of happiness from what you own is an awesome feeling, of course, things do need to be functional and serve some sort of purpose but there is nothing wrong with having a few things around just based on the fact that you enjoy them.

USING THINGS UP & HAVING A GOOD CLEAR OUT

Even before minimalism was really a thing I've always enjoyed having a good clear out. It's something that I find very cathartic making sure I've not got anything hanging around that I don't want. As well as making a really conscious effort to have a clear out I also need to use things up, of course, like the beauty lover that I am this is the area where I own the most so naturally need to get rid of the most. And now I get so much joy from using things up and it's almost a little race to get things finished. Buying something that you've worked hard for is a wonderful feeling but there is also something so satisfying about seeing something till the end.

WE ALL START SOMEWHERE

Now that minimalism is more commonly known and a conversation that comes up a lot I think it's sparked the interest of a lot of people. Especially when they see that it doesn't have to be super strict and sucks all the fun out of life. It's all too easy to feel put off from doing something in fear of doing it wrong but we all start somewhere and just taking small steps in the direction that you want to go is so valuable.

SMALL STEPS TO TAKE

Figuring out why you want to live with less rather than what the internet is telling you.
Looking at your relationship with money, why do you buy the things you do?
Getting rid of anything that is just clutter and doesn't bring any value into your life.
Making a plan of where you think you could be more minimal.
Having a mindset of less doesn't have to just be about material items.