When left alone to ourselves and the empty silence of our homes, we tend to lose ourselves in our thoughts. While initially, most of us enjoy the peace and quiet of introversion, there comes a time where we succumb to the rabbit hole of our fears and our worries.
And one of the most common ways we respond to stress is to bury ourselves with things that distract us from our ailments and our fears.
So what did we do from March 14th to today?
We shopped online, constantly. We had countless Amazon packages delivered to our door. We responded to excess stress the only way we knew how: with an excess of everything else.
Our previous reality has crumbled to pieces and we are still no near a return to normal.
But part of accepting this is comforting, as we can accept our circumstances and open the door to a better way of life. We can benefit from that extra nudge to change our habits and choose to embrace a minimalist lifestyle.
Minimalism counter-acts our stress and helps us revert back to a healthier way of being. It helps us boil it down to the essentials and make way for what truly serves us — not useless junk we purchase to fill a void and bury our fears.
Minimalism is the tool that will change your life for the better.
4 Ways to Implement Minimalism in Your Post-Quarantine Life
1. Refine your budget and minimize your expenses.
Use the opportunity of the extra time at home to revisit your monthly budget and eliminate the expenses that you discovered weren’t necessary. Remember that the best way to get rich isn’t necessarily to earn more — it’s to spend less.
2. Declutter ruthlessly.
It may seem obvious, but when I say declutter, I mean really declutter. A great rule of thumb is to eliminate anything you haven’t touched in a year and to sell (or donate) any item that isn’t serving you anymore.
If you do a great job the first time around, you’ll never have to waste another sunny afternoon of your life cleaning the basement or your closet again.
3. Two outs for one in.
One of my golden rules is to get rid of two items each time I bring a new one into the house. For example, I picked up tennis as a 2020 hobby and got a racquet, so I sold two of the three various textured yoga mats I had lying around my basement.
4. Reflect on what’s worth rushing back to.
Just a few months ago, we were also busy, hurried, and tired. Moving forward, reassess which commitments, hobbies, habits, and purchases you wish to bring back into your life. Ask yourself what and who is important in life. Examine where you feel you should truly be focusing your time and your energy.
Words & Photos by Mathilde.