3 Ways Minimalism has Transformed my Life

Minimalism can impact our lives on so many levels. It’s more than the visual appeal, it impacts our relationships and how we handle things emotionally. Minimalism has brought many positive changes into my life, here are just three of them.

 #1. Emotionally

Before minimalism, I was depressed, stressed out, overwhelmed, every negative emotion a person could have –I was having it and I blamed it on my home!
I was embarrassed when I looked around my home. I was embarrassed to have people come over. I didn’t know how to maintain it. I didn’t know how to get rid of the stuff.
Everything about the house was a challenge to me.
And minimalism isn’t the answer to all your emotional problems because sometimes there’re things that we really need help on.
But getting rid of possessions, organizing and streamlining it so it’s easy for you to pick up and maintain, helps you live your life.
Instead of stuff being the reason that you do what you do, your home can help you live a life that you want to live.
Having a house that’s put together and clean and easy means that there’s no stress related to your home, there might be stress in relationships or jobs or stress outside of your home, but your home can be a sanctuary for yourself, not a place that is also overwhelming.

#2. Confidence

Because I finally got a handle on my home, I felt like I was capable of so much more!
“I can handle this, I could handle anything!”
When you get out of your comfort zone, good things happen.
Embracing minimalism is getting out of our comfort zone. It’s hard to be objective and be excited about getting rid of things – you’re getting rid of these things that you collected, and you had a reason for collecting them.
Getting rid of your collections is getting out of your comfort zone, but it gives you so much confidence and changes your life for the better.

#3 My kids are proud of our home

I used to be embarrassed to have people stop by.
I was embarrassed to let the kids have friends over.  I didn’t want the kid’s friends or their parents to come over and meet me because I didn’t want them to see my home.
The younger kids don’t know any different, but the older kids will now bring friends over and show off our home -they’re proud of it!
They grew up with our house being a wreck, and they remember what it was like when they were little.
And they’re proud of me and all that I’ve gotten rid of. They watched the journey.
The basement was the last thing to be fully sorted. And the kids knew that there was stuff in the basement, they watched me go downstairs and tackle the basement and my 20-year-old said, “That’s when I realized that you really are a minimalist.”
The change isn’t immediate, it takes time to go through and declutter everything.
But just because you still have stuff in your basement or your garage or you’re still in the process doesn’t mean you aren’t a minimalist.
If you want to be a minimalist, then focus on it. Make it your goal and go for it.
Don’t feel you have to wait until you’ve gotten rid of everything to consider yourself a “minimalist.”
Minimalism is all about changing the way you think about things and how you make decisions, what you allow into your life.