How To Downsize And Simplify Your Life
Take a look around your living space. Yes, do it! Right now.
What do you see?
Books, knick knacks, furniture, and a lot of little sentimental items from over the years, right?
What about inside your drawers or storage space?
Even more tiny items that have accumulated over the years and somehow still fit inside when you shove them down *just right*.
You have a good life and an even better collection of things.
But do you need them? Are they really improving your quality of life?
If you no longer have a reason to hold onto something that is taking up space in your home, then it's time to throw it out, my friend.
Don't believe me?
I promise you that once you start to get rid of unwanted items and declutter your living space (and save money!), then you will never look back. All you have to do is get started.
Major Benefits of Downsizing Your Life
The benefits of downsizing are seemingly endless, spanning from mental health benefits, to financial and environmental benefits. If you're still a little hesitant to get rid of stuff in your home, then check in with these top reasons to downsize your life right now.
Fewer Things To Take Care Of, Clean, And Worry About
This is a big one and perhaps the simplest of all.
The less stuff that you have, the less stuff that you need to take care of: That's it. Less dusting, less cleaning, less organizing, less stress.
Once you begin to get rid of things that you don't use regularly, you'll realize how much easier it is to enjoy simple living in your tidy, spacious living area. Cleaning and organizing will become a breeze and impulse purchases will no longer haunt you by sitting unused. It is a truly liberating feeling and will change the way you think about owning things.
More Time And Money For What Matters
Once you toss out things that you don't use regularly or that no longer serve you, you will begin to shift the way that you spend money on items all together. Before you purchase anything, you'll begin to check the price tag and weigh the benefits of owning the new item. By incorporating this mindset into your purchasing habits, you'll naturally begin to save money and time by only purchasing items that are necessary for day-to-day living. As for the rest of your money and time, you can spend it on things that truly matter.
Less Stress
You know that cute saying that people like to throw around on social media, 'mo' money, mo' problems'? Well, it's true. The more stuff that you have, the more stuff that you need to look after. Whether it's family heirlooms, sentimental items accumulated over the years, or expensive gadgets that you were convinced you need, that's a lot of responsibility sitting around your living space.
Eco-friendly, Less Trash
Have you ever thought about all the stuff that you throw away each day? Literally everything we buy comes in tiny boxes, plastic packaging, or some other totally unnecessary wrapper. When you open up your new product, you toss the packaging into the trash. By reducing your purchases and reusing what you already have, you are helping to reduce pollution, reducing the need to harvest natural resources, saving energy used to create those products, and saving money. If you want to live in a way that supports this beautiful Earth, then the easiest way to do it is to live a minimalist life and consume less.
5 Tips To Downsize Your Life Today
Simplifying your life really does not have to be a major process. In fact, you can begin downsizing your life right now just by being more mindful of which items you bring into your home and organizing your life. The process of downsizing begins with your mindset. Here are a few tips for getting started.
1. Start Small
You don't need to go through your house and rid yourself of all material possessions in one big sweep just to start simplifying your life. Instead, try starting with smaller items with no emotional attachment. Go through your home and throw away any items that you don't use or need, like expired food, decade-old beauty products, or old mail items like paid bills and outdated magazines. Starting small on the process makes life easier when you're transitioning into a minimalist lifestyle.
2. Be Decisive
Once you get it in your mind that you are on a mission to declutter and simplify your life, you will be able to make decisions a lot more quickly about which items to keep and which to toss. When it gets tough, though, just remember your end goal for the process of decluttering.
If an item is not used regularly, does not spark any happiness or joy for you, and is not essential to your day-to-day living, then you can reasonably toss it or sell it.
Remain clear about your goals and the ability to decide will also be clear.
3. Expect It To Be Emotional
Our big, beautiful brains have made our lives even more big and beautiful, thanks to the ability to attach meaning to any given moment or item. But you know what? All of those memories and emotions are stored in your big, beautiful brain, not the piece of clothing or random little gadget that you've been hanging onto for years. Rather than making it more difficult than it needs to be, consider embracing the emotional experience as you get rid of stuff. With each item that you part with, think about the memories attached to it. Thank the item for bringing those memories back up and then release it. It can be especially cathartic and healing if you let it be.
4. Digitize What You Can
Listen, it's the 21st century. If you can digitize something, then do it. If there is something that you are considering buying at the store that can be easily made a digital experience, such as with books, recipes, or music, then keep it in digital format. A major part of tidying up is learning when to and how to transition to the digital world. Get yourself a Kindle, subscribe to Spotify, create a 100% digital filing system, bookmark your favorite food blogs, and stop bringing stuff into your home. Trust me, it will free up lots of space very easily.
5. Use Automatic Payments And Paperless Billing
One of the easiest ways to clean up clutter is by switching to paperless billing and signing up for automatic payments. Rather than holding onto old mail and stacks of bills over the years, enroll for paperless billing. It will make your life much easier and likely improve your credit score, too!
Top Areas That You Can Easily Downsize
Okay so we know the benefits of downsizing the a few tips for making it happen, but what about the rest? Here are some of the top places in your home that can easily be downsized without much effort or thought.
Clothes
If you haven't worn a piece of clothing in the last six months, then it's a good idea to toss it. Either donate it, sell it, or toss it in the trash, depending on the quality of the garment. Tank tops tend to get ragged pretty easily, so check for any that have holes or stains and throw them in the trash. Take a look at how many pairs of jeans you have in your closet and then seriously consider which you actually wear on the regular. The rest can likely be sold to a consignment store or thrift store. Same with nicer pieces of clothing, like silk blouses, dresses, work clothes, and tops still in style. Just because they're cute or they were expensive does not mean that you need to keep them! A part of downsizing your wardrobe is letting go of items that no longer serve you. So get to it!
2. Books
There is nothing like a good book. And perhaps more important than that, there is nothing quite so satisfying as seeing all of your favorite books prominently displayed in your home. As much as I totally get it, let's be real: there is no need in 2019 to have so many physical books. They may be satisfying your ego in a totally understandable way, but they are also taking up space, collecting dust, and contributing to an ever-devolving state of the planet. Your bookshelf is a good place to start simplifying your life. If you begin feeling overwhelmed, then take a break. Keep the books that mean the most to you and donate the rest.
3. Equipment (Sports, Music, Cooking)
We've all been there, jumping into a new hobby or sport full on only to lose interest years, months, or even weeks later. Rather than hanging onto everything just in case you pick it up again, sell all of your equipment and make space and extra cash. Check Facebook groups in your area to see if anyone is interested in buying your equipment or put it up on Facebook Marketplace to see if you get any buyers. Spend time each day adding one item to the marketplace to keep things from getting too complicated. Before you know it, you'll clean our your garage or storage of things that you simply don't use anymore!
4. Keepsakes
Keepsakes are pretty tough to get rid of for a lot of people because they hold a lot of sentimental value. But (and of course, there is a but) they only serve as distractions from the priorities in your life. This doesn't mean that you need to throw away everything in your life, but make it a habit to go through your keepsakes on a regular basis and consider which you can keep and which you can let go of. Taking small steps like this makes the entire process a lot easier.
5. Decor
Decor is perhaps the easiest place of all to begin your lifestyle of voluntary simplicity. Each week, choose an area in your home to focus on and then toss, donate, or sell any items in that area that do not serve you. As cute as all of the little knick knacks may be, they aren't making your life better or easier. Go through your home decor on a regular basis and see where you can downsize and simplify your life.
6. Unused Furniture
If you aren’t using it, then what purpose does it serve? To look good? If that’s your only reason for owning something, then consider letting it go. Of course, you don’t have to, but if you’re truly committed to living a more simplistic and minimalist lifestyle, then this is a great place to start. Plus, you can make a lot of extra cash by selling your unused furniture.
7. Bulk Items
Our society has somehow tricked us into believing that bulk is best and that a great deal necessitates a purchase. All it does, however, is clutter your home and make you spend more than you need to. If you bought a bunch of stuff in bulk, grab what you need from it and see how you can get rid of the rest. Sell it to your friends and family who might be interested or donate it to a soup kitchen. Free up the space in your home and do good around you. It’s a win-win!