The Top 7 Benefits Of Embracing A Minimalist Lifestyle
It seems like everyone is becoming a minimalist. Well, maybe not everyone. Still, enough people around the world are selling their homes (and possessions) and moving into tiny spaces of 600-square-feet-or-less. Each person has specific reasons for making such a drastic change, but many of those reasons overlap.
If you’re wondering what the allure is for becoming a minimalist, here are the top 7 reasons:
1. A small kitchen means less dishes – literally
You don’t have to wash dishes you don’t have. A small kitchen decorated like a minimalist won’t hold a week’s worth of dishes. You’ll have to wash your dishes at the end of the day. That’s what most people do, anyway, so creating a minimalist kitchen is good motivation to stay on top of your chores. Nobody likes doing dishes.
2. Reduction of clutter reduces stress
Lifehacker reports that a team of UCLA researchers conducted a study observing 32 families from Los Angeles. The study found all of the mothers’ stress hormones spiked whenever they had to spend time dealing with their possessions: cleaning, arranging, moving, organizing.
The less stuff you have, the less time you have to spend dealing with it. A minimalist doesn’t have clutter because they don’t have an excessive amount of stuff. They don’t have to clean as often, and when they do, they can detail clean their entire home in less than a couple of hours.
You don’t have to become a complete minimalist to embrace the lifestyle. You can do it in parts. For example, Blindster recommends decorating your home like a minimalist by simplifying your shelves and other display spaces. Empty shelves are easier to clean. Redecorate with a simple color scheme, and embrace white space and emptiness. Use large furniture and artwork rather than placing little pieces everywhere. Most importantly, keep spaces like tables and desks clear.
3. More time to spend with family and friends
Living as a minimalist means you’ll spend less time messing around with your stuff, and more time playing with your kids, spending time with family, and having friends over for lunch.
4. An opportunity to conserve resources
Some minimalists are motivated by conserving resources and want to reduce their carbon footprint. Living in a home that uses less water and is off-grid is the perfect solution for being eco-friendly.
5. No mortgage
Statistics show 68% of tiny home owners have no mortgage. Only 10% of tiny homeowners have a mortgage, compared to the 29.3% of people who own a traditional home and have a mortgage.
Most minimalists who embrace the tiny home lifestyle can afford to build or buy their homes without a loan, or they can pay their loan off faster.
6. More genuine happiness
When you live as a minimalist, your monthly bills will go down, and you’ll find yourself with extra income. Living as a minimalist, you can’t develop excessive spending habits for yourself because you don’t have room for anything. After a while, you’ll realize the best way to spend your money is on other people.
Multiple studies prove that spending money on others can make people happy. People feel good when they’re able to give to others. It’s not the exchange of money that makes people happy; it’s the selfless act of giving to someone else.
7. Stronger relationships
Living as a minimalist, your priorities shift. When there are no more repairs to perform, and there’s no more stuff to collect, your attention will naturally shift. You’ll start using your monetary resources to support other people. You might get involved with donating to non-profit organizations, or buying toys and supplies for various drives. You’ll start spending your money on experiences for yourself and others rather than things.
When you’re happy, you’re more likely to be generous with others. Authentic generosity will create stronger relationships with the people in your life. In turn, meaningful relationships will sustain your happiness. It’s a complete cycle.
