Minimalism, and the minimalist lifestyle

[Maigs]

Just looked at her site and remembered another reason I was turned off; she wants you to put on shoes! Like all the time. That's torture!

 

 

2 minutes ago, TMedina said:

*grin*  It isn't her idea specifically - I've heard other clutter/organizational specialists tout the same idea, with varying interpretations.

 

This is one site I visit periodically - a little salty, but good information: http://www.unfuckyourhabitat.com/

 

Oh, I've heard but not visited that one too. Need to check that out....tomorrow since it's bedtime and I still need to stretch out my poor legs so I can walk tomorrow

[Raincloak]

You don't HAVE to wear shoes.  FL just recommends getting fully dressed (as does Marie Kondo, for slightly different reasons) to get yourself in the right frame of mind.  FL began as a depressed housewife and she tells people to get dressed and polish the sink every day as a starting point for not being a hopeless pile of sweatpants.

[Emmi]

Minimalism is something I'm slowly but steadily trying to implement in my life. Inside of me is already happening more than enough, so it's nice not to need to worry too much about things directly around me. 

 

I'm already a minimalist in buying stuff. I rarely buy anything I don't need, this is mostly out of the fact that I grew up in a family that for years didn't have enough money to buy things like that. I wear shoes until they break, wear my socks until they get holes. I just don't see why I should buy something new when what I have is already working well enough for me! I also want to try and buy more clothes second hand when I need new jeans or shirts, I think we collectively already consume more than enough clothes.

 

It's funny to think that this is now a lifestyle and how it has a specific name attached to it. Says a lot about how consumerism has become the standard.

[alienjenn]

@alienjenn Kudos on the bedroom, it looks fab! But how come you're moving around so much? 

I took a position as a travel nurse. I've been in Dallas since November. I'm going to move every three or so months. Going to tour the US

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

[Ahyar Dreamspark]

On 2016-04-02 at 0:52 AM, TMedina said:

 

The "money invested" or "not wasting money" scheme is one of several pitfalls that lead us astray.  The counter argument is, how much is the Stuff costing you in space, energy to straighten, clean, and maintain?  

 

They're not "hard" costs, like money spent, but once we start contemplating the on-going "soft" costs, it becomes easier to let go - at least it did for me.  Particularly if you can recycle, or gift, your Stuff to someone else who might need/use it.

 

^ This has been the most helpful thing during my recent (and ongoing) decluttering efforts.

 

 

On 2016-04-05 at 10:49 PM, Maigahane said:

 

Once we're done with the remodel my plan is to pick a room every month to thoroughly clean/de-clutter. This would also help me keep up on things I forget about like dusting ceiling fans and tops of doorways and moving furniture to vacuum behind. Since my house is so small, picking one room a month lets me get to every room twice a year

 

The one room a month sounds like a great strategy to keep things maintained! Or one room every 6 months for our house, since we're slow lol.

 

 

Re. FlyLady and UFYH: I've read both sites but was not able to stick with either one for more than a day...if that lol. There's nothing bad about their cleaning and decluttering strategies, it's just that they don't work with the way I generally do things. My problem is mainly with starting things, and I've never worked well with timers at all. Not only do I always end up ignoring them, in the case of the 20/10 productivity tactic the times also makes me stop being productive. Once I've got my productivity momentum, I stop for absolutely nothing save for having to go somewhere (work, gym, etc.) because if I stop then I'll have to start again, which can take a while ;P

 

The other issue has to do with Willpower Point. "Make your bed", "Polish your sink" ...no. I'd rather use up my willpower points to do something that actually NEEDS to be done :\

Maybe once the house is fully de-cluttered, I'll be able to use the tips from FlyLady and UFYH to keep things tidy, but until then I'll remain a fan of the "Get momentum and declutter the fuck out of everything" approach. Little bit by little bit at a time.

[pureleeawesome]

On 1 April 2016 at 11:37 PM, Emma said:

Apartment therapy just posted a house tour of Marie Kondo's home.

Lovely.

 

I've been reading her book and tidying via her suggestions and it's been good. Got rid of a lot of baggage so far

 

But gosh her house just looks... dead to me.

[namelesswonder]

Hullo, jumping in here because this is an interesting topic to me. I've done the KM declutter once or twice. I don't think I've been as strict/critical with it as I could be, but hey, it's a process. I've been meaning to restart the process but life keeps happening and I am struggling with depression on top of job woes. It's just not a priority right now. I can't even clean my tub (though that's due to wrist pain). Step 1 was finally getting rid of a bag of clothes to donate and I did that! There was a drop-off box near my gym. Step 2 will be addressing all of my clothes in my closet and dresser.

 

Lawl KM's house really lacks personality to me. I guess not everybody needs that in their home. I like having photos and artwork on display. The lack of color kind of creeps me out.

 

And ONE kitchen knife?! Geez. Having small, large, and serrated is freaking wonderful and I would never change that. Plus my knife handles make a rainbow :3

[curryfiend]

After skimming through this thread, I am so excited for when I get home tonight cuz I'm gonna purge my closet and dresser! Why bother hanging onto things I cannot use or I do not feel good in.

[Raincloak]

I'm notorious for never making my bed, but I gotta admit it makes the place look nicer, and if you're like me and you don't have a sofa to lounge on, it's way nicer to lounge on a properly made bed.  Someone actually did a study and found people who make their beds have better mental health than people who don't.

[Jonesy]

32 minutes ago, Raincloak said:

I'm notorious for never making my bed, but I gotta admit it makes the place look nicer, and if you're like me and you don't have a sofa to lounge on, it's way nicer to lounge on a properly made bed.  Someone actually did a study and found people who make their beds have better mental health than people who don't.

 

I agree that a made bed just makes a room feel better. 

 

I would make my bed everyday if it was a place I hung out and relaxed on. Currently my bed is pretty much just a place I see in the early morning and late night, so it's never made and no one else ever sees it. 

[Tomu-san]

57 minutes ago, Jonesy said:

 

I would make my bed everyday if it was a place I hung out and relaxed on. Currently my bed is pretty much just a place I see in the early morning and late night, so it's never made and no one else ever sees it. 

Exactly! It's a reminder of the futility of life. Busywork for no apparent reason.

If company's coming, yeah, make the bed. Otherwise... why?

[namelesswonder]

Making my bed is a habit I've never had a problem with. It takes about 3 seconds. I'm not crazy about it, just pull the sheets up and straighten them out a little.

 

I like seeing my bed tidy [[shrug]]. It's like when I come home to an empty kitchen sink, it makes me feel less stressed.

[TMedina]

4 hours ago, namelesswonder said:

Making my bed is a habit I've never had a problem with. It takes about 3 seconds. I'm not crazy about it, just pull the sheets up and straighten them out a little.

 

I like seeing my bed tidy [[shrug]]. It's like when I come home to an empty kitchen sink, it makes me feel less stressed.

 

Pretty much this.  It's a little ritual that ripples out.  

 

Admittedly, not everyone feels the same way, but for some of us, it sets the tone for the rest of the house, or maybe just the morning.

[TMedina]

8 hours ago, namelesswonder said:

Lawl KM's house really lacks personality to me. I guess not everybody needs that in their home. I like having photos and artwork on display. The lack of color kind of creeps me out.

 

And ONE kitchen knife?! Geez. Having small, large, and serrated is freaking wonderful and I would never change that. Plus my knife handles make a rainbow :3

 

Welcome!  And that's why "minimalism" will always mean something different to someone else.  I have to imagine a chef - or even just someone who takes joy in their cooking - would have a very different view of minimalism than someone who could live off chips and Ramen (guilty).

 

I think the key element is to ask yourself objective questions and answer them honestly.  And accepting that your needs will be different from mine, which are in turn different from Raincloak's and, well, so on.

[namelesswonder]

Whenever I see threads like this, I want to go home and clean.

 

But that may also be because I don't want to be at work

[curryfiend]

53 minutes ago, namelesswonder said:

Whenever I see threads like this, I want to go home and clean.

 

But that may also be because I don't want to be at work

 

Heh, I was reading through this all day at work. When I got home yesterday I filled up three trash bags of clothes! *woot*

[Jonesy]

12 hours ago, TMedina said:

 

Welcome!  And that's why "minimalism" will always mean something different to someone else.  I have to imagine a chef - or even just someone who takes joy in their cooking - would have a very different view of minimalism than someone who could live off chips and Ramen (guilty).

 

I think the key element is to ask yourself objective questions and answer them honestly.  And accepting that your needs will be different from mine, which are in turn different from Raincloak's and, well, so on.

 

I think that is why I like minimalism. The basic foundations are the same but you make it your own. At least that's the way that I look at it.

 

1 hour ago, namelesswonder said:

Whenever I see threads like this, I want to go home and clean.

 

But that may also be because I don't want to be at work

 

I get so motivated while reading this at work. Wish that motivation would stick around a little while I'm actually AT home. 

 

37 minutes ago, curryfiend said:

 

Heh, I was reading through this all day at work. When I got home yesterday I filled up three trash bags of clothes! *woot*

 

That is awesome!! Clothes are tough. 

[Ahyar Dreamspark]

I am so not a fan of making my bed in the morning. I'll lazily place the covers back  on the bed in the span of like 3 seconds, but that's about it. This is only a precautionary measure in case one of my cats vomits on the bed while I'm at work.

 

When I go to bed at night, made vs. unmade bed doesn't bother me at all.

 

2 hours ago, namelesswonder said:

Whenever I see threads like this, I want to go home and clean.

 

But that may also be because I don't want to be at work

 

Feeling this riiiight now lol

[Stannis DeMannis]

I like the minimal life mostly because I just look at having just things about the house is very unappealing to my eye. Having less decorations and stuff looks better to me. You can have a lot of stuff in neat order and it still looks like utter garbage to me....MiniLife

[namelesswonder]

Oh yeah the big thing that draws me towards "minimizing" my material belongings is a less stressful environment. My parents are lite-hoarders or "sentimental pack rats" as I like to call it. Growing up, I would forget where I'd put things all the time and didn't have a great example of how to tidy. I would still do a spring cleaning of my bedroom at least once a year and purge some things but mostly re-organize. I have no idea where I got that idea from because no one else in the house was doing it. Anyway, when I got my own apartment after college with my now-husband, I started to widdle away at my stuff. He's naturally very much a minimalist so that helped. With less junk lying around or clogging up shelves, I just feel like it's easier for me to exist in my space. I can remember a bit easier where I've left things, I make designated "homes" for specific items (like my keys always go in a certain place when I get home) so they don't get forgotten or misplaced. As soon as I go over to my parents' house again, I forget to put my water glass away in the sink. The little things really add up.

[Jakkals]

I spend the weekend at a cousin with boxes full of stuff in an apartment.

 

Even the chairs were covered in stuff.

 

She has had a battle with these boxes since she moved in 10 years ago.

 

It is very difficult to explain to a non-convert the joys of getting rid of stuff. I am seriously considering offering to help her clear it out, but I am not sure it is going to help much.

[Falcon Lovejoy]

I'm kind of in the opposite boat I guess. For the past 6 or so years, I have been actively getting rid of personal possessions and reducing the number of bills I had. I moved around a lot and had jobs where I traveled so the less I had the better. I moved somewhere about every year. When I got there and when I left I could fit everything I owned in my car. I would rent rooms from friends and they would give me a bed to sleep on. It's pretty sweet paying only rent, cell phone, and auto insurance; but it all started to get old though. I didn't have a place that was really my own. This past Good Friday, I just bought my first house. One much bigger than I needed so I could rent out to friends. I have become too accustomed to living with others I fear I wouldn't like being by myself. So now I'm in the process of filling it. I bought a 3 piece sofa, loveseat, recliner set and a TV. I don't even know what else to get now, haha. I have a walk in closet and maybe 5 shirts and a few pairs of pants. I guess it's time to finally get a decent suit like an upstanding adult because now I have a place to put it.

[TMedina]

I don't see it as being in the opposite boat - your needs have changed, so your possessions have changed to reflect your changing needs.  That's the crux of minimalism - having what you legitimately need, rather than artificial, or imagined needs.

 

A person living on the road will have a far different set of minimal needs than a person who owns a house, and now you can personally attest to that.

 

You haven't, for example, filled all your closets with 60+ sweaters for no other reason than you don't want to waste the money by throwing away a perfectly good sweater.

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Yeap.  I think it is more a mindfulness thing.  

[namelesswonder]

I don't recommend offering to help other people, but YMMV.

 

I have offered to my help my mom on and off over the years. Basically she has a very different way of dealing with her stuff than I do. She has way less mental and physical energy to deal with it as well. I think all we can do is offer a suggestion (like "hey this book really helped me, maybe you will like it") and give them the opportunity to help themselves. The stress of dealing with *someone else's stuff* is not worth it at all to me.

 

I do make it a point to discuss how I'm happily tidying/purging etc. when it's relevant to the conversation though.