Minimalism is more than just an aesthetic. When adhered to diligently, minimalism, which can be thought of as the nexus of simplicity and efficiency, is an all-encompassing lifestyle that can enhance aspects of your day-to-day experience, from reducing the amount of decisions you have to make to keeping your life organized and systematic. Whether you’re already an ardent minimalist or are considering taking the plunge, check out our list of five everyday benefits derived from a minimalist lifestyle.
1. Reduce decision fatigue
Your brain only has so much energy to make quality decisions throughout the day. The more decisions you’re forced to make, the worse your decision-making process becomes. One of the primary things successful people do to limit decision fatigue is to keep their wardrobe simple. That way when you wake up the in the morning your first significant decision isn’t wasted on what you’re going to wear because the decision’s already been made by your minimalist wardrobe. Think about it: did you ever see Steve Jobs in anything but a black turtleneck?
2. Spend less
By keeping things minimalistic you reduce your overall spending. Your paycheck isn’t wasted on frivolous items that end up sitting around your apartment all day and night, gathering dust through disuse. Sure, there may be a few things you splurge on here and there precisely because of their minimalism, but by reducing the overall scope of your purchases you’re going to end up having more in your bank account than you would otherwise.
3. Get organized
Intrinsic to the minimalist way of life is a strong desire to keep things clean and orderly. Nothing goes against the minimalist creed more than disorganized junk lying around. By eschewing a seemingly endless string of messes and replacing them with a streamlined and organized system, you’ll begin to notice a virtuous cycle of organization leading to greater productivity and vice versa. You’ll no longer find desks strewn with papers or computer desktops with a mess of disordered files or bedrooms out of sorts. The result is a naturally invigorating effect on your subjective well-being that arises from having your life neat and organized.
4. Ditch the bulk
Bulk is just unnecessary excess, and the minimalist is having none of it. Wherever size can be reduced without diminishing the quality of a particular object, it will be. The minimalist strives for sleek, straightforward elegance in their personal items. It looks better, and why carry around extra weight or size when a smaller version will do just as well? It’s common sense, really.
5. Having something you’re passionate about
Minimalism is inherently multi-faceted, encompassing a wide array of fields. As such, there are many aspects of the aesthetic to sink your teeth into. Perhaps your interest in minimalism revolves around mid-century modern architecture and those architects whose work you really enjoy. Maybe minimalistic dress and attire is more your thing. The important thing to keep in mind is that you’ll have something you’ll be truly passionate about, and that’s always a good thing.
