There are over 76 million homeowners in America, all of whom are feeling the steady rise in homeownership costs. If you’re ready to spend less on living costs, then minimal living might be the perfect solution.
What is minimal living? Do you know how to downsize and simplify your life? Trimming down your belongings can reap benefits that affect your finances and your mental health.
Are you ready to downsize? Keep reading to learn how to begin the transition in a way that’s easy and enjoyable.
The Minimalist Approach: Benefits to Downsizing
Minimalism is a lifestyle trend that covers design, fashion, and even day-to-day living. The essence of minimalism is to reduce product consumption and only focus on essential items that are both functional and enjoyable.
Downsizing and living a minimalistic life allows you to focus on other aspects of life without feeling burdened by possessions. You can relax easier and devote more of your mental energy into your relationships and goals.
Financial Benefits
One of the more obvious benefits of downsizing is the way that it will save you money. Because you’re spending less on unnecessary items, you end up saving more.
Approaching life with a minimalist mindset helps you focus on only accruing physical possessions that you truly need. It helps you find creative ways to choose furniture or clothing that are both beautiful and practical.
Mental Health Benefits
For individuals who are just starting their journey toward minimalism, it can mean downsizing in different areas. You might need to go through your closet and throw out everything you no longer wear. You could sift through your child’s toy box and donate outgrown toys. It might even mean moving into a smaller home.
Whichever you choose, simplifying these things will minimize your finances and take a lot of pressure off of your shoulders. When this happens, you’ll find that it’s easier to de-stress and enjoy life.
Practical Benefits
Pursuing a minimalistic lifestyle brings plenty of practical benefits. You’ll have less maintenance when you only own one car; you’ll have fewer bills to worry about when your home takes up fewer square feet.
No matter how you look at it, simplifying your life can bring many benefits that increase your quality of living. Downsizing your life simply means increasing your potential for joy.
How to Downsize and Simplify Your Life
Are you ready to begin downsizing your possessions but don’t know where to start? Follow this simple guide to making minimal living an easy and enjoyable experience.
1. Start Small
Don’t overwhelm yourself by immediately throwing out 90% of your belongings. Simplifying takes time, and you’ll want to allow yourself to let go of belongings with emotional ties.
Even if you want to tackle your entire house, start by going through one closet at a time. From there, you can move on to bigger projects.
2. Keep It Functional
You might remember how cheap and amazing it was to live in a tiny college dorm with three roommates, but this might not be a functional lifestyle for you in the present time. But you can remain functional by opting for a home that’s smaller but still fits well for you and your family.
You can also try trading in certain items for smaller or more practical replacements. This might mean selling your massive couch for a cozy two-person sofa. Or you might finally sell those pricey handbags and use the extra cash to pay off a loan.
3. Consider Hidden Costs
With any lifestyle transition, there are often hidden costs that pop out of nowhere. If you want to clean out your house but can’t quite get rid of those items for good, you’ll have to pay a monthly fee for storage. If you want to move into a tinier place, there are going to be extra moving costs.
But don’t let this stop you from downsizing into a smaller home that will complement your new lifestyle. One of the benefits of a direct sale is that it allows you a flexible closing date and simplifies the moving process.
4. Look at the Big Picture
As you work hard to make this lifestyle change, it might become easy to feel stressed or doubt your intentions. When this happens, take a deep breath and focus on the bigger picture. You’re doing this to lead a happier, healthier lifestyle.
Creating the Right Mindset for Your Simplified Life
It can be hard to change your way of life and throw out old habits. If your mindset isn’t aligned with your actions, you’ll find it easy to return to your old ways. When this happens, your simplified life will return to a cluttered one.
As you look at how to downsize your life, don’t be scared or overwhelmed by all that it entails. There are simple steps you can take to make downsizing an easy and fulfilling project.
Detach Your Identity from Your Belongings
If you tend to hoard items, now is a good time to evaluate why you hang onto them. Is it for nostalgic reasons? Is it out of fear?
Remember to tell yourself that you are not defined by the items you own. If it’s hard to let go of certain possessions for nostalgic reasons, find ways to hold onto those memories that don’t involve physical objects.
It’s also good to remember that you’ll be okay if you don’t hang onto that extra kitchen mixer you found at a garage sale seven years ago. The more you can let go of, the freer you will be.
Don’t Worry About the Norms
Everyone will have their own way of approaching how to downsize your belongings. But remember that you don’t need to worry about what’s normal or what’s expected. Find a method that works for you.
Change Your Mindset and Rest Easy
Figuring out how to downsize in today’s hectic world can feel like an overwhelming task. But when you’re able to let go of unnecessary belongings, you’ll find that you have more free time, more money, and more mental space. Learning how to downsize and simplify your life might be the best thing you do for yourself all year.
Looking for more ways to lead a happier, healthier life? Check out our newest updates on today’s health trends and stories.
