Minimalism: why and how?


If you sometimes get the impression that you do not have time for anything, let alone reflection on the questions "why" and "how"... I hope that after reading this note you will find a moment for it. Thanks to minimalism hopefully you could understand (just like me) how crucial is this basic activity. I will tell you my story by answering those two essential questions.

Why did I choose minimalism?

The reason was untoward, really. Minimalism came into my life because of superabundance. Because of excess. Excess of things around me, excess of my own requirements set for myself but also because of some lacks... Lack of "my own thing" that I always pursued, but could now really name it/ Lack of a true passion that could bring more value to my life and give me the stamina and perseverance to act.

The reason was depression. Depression that suddenly appeared in my life, seemingly without any special reason. I just felt that I had to slow down. The calmness came to me when I limited the number of stimuli around me and when I realised that cutting down on  unimportant stuff will give me more space (and time) for more valuable experiences and feelings. This is how, step by step, I started to minimise.

How does minimalism affect my life?

I reduced my wardrobe, negative relations, negative thoughts, and negative substances in my food and everyday products. Minimalism brought about tranquillity and gave birth to the new energy reserves. It also gave me a passion that I'm genuinely proud of.

I manifest this philosophy at work, where I try to simplify the communications that I am creating and by reducing the distractions around me.

Minimalism also equals more time for my family and friends as well as... for myself - I read more, I write more, and I dance more. I feel that I am progressing. Was it not for minimalism, I would not have become passionate about zero waste, slow fashion, or mindfulness.

Thanks to minimalism I have come to realise that I do not want to pursue an "American dream" or any kind of consumerism-centred life. Additionally, I learned that possessions... are just things. For me minimalism is like a door for a new, exciting life of staying true to myself.

Ask yourself: why and how?

Why not try to find a second for this simple reflection: why did you choose minimalism? Or, if you haven't done it yet, how could it possibly help you? Maybe it will be worth your while to try being a minimalist in some are of your life and check for yourself how it pans out and changes your life.

Popular posts from this blog

Experiences, Not Things vol. 1 | Floating

Image
( PL ) Imagine slowing down for an hour… being just with your breath and your thoughts, no distressing or distracting sounds and views. Imagine feeling light as a feather, with no care in the world. With floating you won’t have to imagine any more – it makes it happen! What’s it all about? Floating is simply drifting in a capsule/huge bath (bigger than an average jacuzzi) filled with water with high concentration of Epson salt/Dead Sea salt. The temperature of water is adjusted to our bodies – it is about 35ºC/90ºF. You float without any effort and there can be relaxing music and soft lights in the background. You can also opt for no music and minimal lighting, making you deprived of 90% of external stimuli. It makes you feel at ease, free, levitating. You can practice mindful breathing or just get your mind off things. All of them. What to take into account?          I recommend taking your own earplugs and oiling your hair if you are afraid of its saltiness. Wea
more...

I deleted all of my emails today.

Image
PL Once read and answered, I usually did not return to reread them at any point. I am also not a fan of newsletters and I had unsubscribed from all SPAM that brings no value. And yet there I was, hoarding about 2,000 emails in my inbox. Today I decided to put an end to it. First of all, I flagged all of the important emails and resolved to keep them. I made use of "mark all unflagged" option (what a great tool it is!) and started deleting. Then I did the same with SPAM and Sent folders. The remaining 9 "important" emails were lurking in the inbox. Little did they know that they were going to get expelled as well. I looked into them and realised that what I really cared for were the attachments (electronic invoices, tickets, music). This is where my cloud disk came in handy. I moved the files I wished to keep there and completely cleared my email account. Then I took a deep breath. Digital clutter can be so overwhelming at times... And digital declu
more...

Project 10x10

Image
PL One of the minimalist challenges that I recently resolved to undertake is Project 10x10. I learned about it on a Polish slow life and slow fashion blog Kameralna.com.pl . So, what's Project 10x10 all about? In short, it's about selecting 10 items of clothing for 10 days. Nothing more, nothing less. 10 clothes include tops, bottoms, dresses, and shoes. 10 clothes DO NOT include outerwear, lingerie, and accessories.   This is, for me, another level of a capsule wardrobe. We need to think of pieces of clothing that match each other and are suitable for our activities and season.  What is more, the clothes list can be amended if it originally it pans out incompatible with the weather. It perfectly addresses some problems that I had when creating my Project 333 capsule wardrobe for work . Also, it perfectly corresponds to The Minimalist cheeky take on challenges: You can do anything for ten days, right ? So, this time my slow fashion community is taking part
more...