Confucius once said:"Life is simple, but we insist on making it complicated. There is much truth in these words. Many people load themselves too much on their private and professional lives, which means that they are constantly electrified. Some do not find a way out of the constant stress that can even make them ill. I have collected tips and advice for a minimalist life for you to make your life easier and less tedious. The best thing about it: A few of them can be implemented within an hour!
Minimalist supporters favour simple life: little consumption, clear wardrobe, food without packaging. At the beginning of the movement about ten years ago, minimalist people had to exchange views mainly via blogs on the web. In the meantime there are regular meetings in many German cities.
Furthermore, I think minimalism has a certain charm. The advantages are obvious. Fewer unnecessary things, less distractions, better energy and determination, and so on. So for some of you this is probably a great condition.
Minimalist living doesn't mean that you live in a white apartment and sell your car, or that you have to get rid of your savings and give up your holiday and leisure time activities. Better said, you create freedom in your life by seeking the liberation of unnecessary stuff from ballast and also from purpose relationships, which you previously rated as comradeship / friendship. You don't necessarily live with less, instead you separate from unnecessary things and find more time to focus on the really important elements in your life. In the confrontation of a wardrobe full of barely worn fashion or 100 pairs of elegant shoes and a friendship, a great love or adventures in the daily routine, you won't have to think long about what means more to you and what you really value. Exactly in this case, the principle of minimalism comes into play and you can carry out a physical as well as an inner liberation in which you separate yourself from less important things and put your energy into your relationship, companionship or activities in your spare time.
Minimalism does not only go hand in hand with the redemption of unnecessary things, but also with a prudent and careful self-management. Be honest: how much money did you spend on unimportant things in the last calendar month instead of meeting your friends and having a nice evening? What added value does a piece of furniture that is categorized in the category of luxury and correspondingly expensive bring to you? Why minimalism is finding more and more followers and has become a creative, self-determined concept of life is due to the fact that more and more people are realizing that the fast-pacedness and the focus on possessions do not create happiness. There is no pretence for the extent of liberation from unnecessary things, nor for your beginning for a reduced life. You alone decide when, from what and how you would like to part and live minimalistically.
What do you need and what do you absolutely not need? If you want to start by freeing yourself from constraints and self-imposed regulations, the easiest way to start is to start on a small scale. You separate yourself from things that are absolutely unnecessary for you and do not bring any added value. You will quickly get to know a whole new joie de vivre and realize that you will feel better if you don't make useless investments in the first place and concentrate much more on friendships and love, on your fellow human beings and on yourself. Minimalism makes us happy and content.
Our property, our comfort, the way we spend our time and the flood of information we are exposed to keep us from what we actually want. We are wasting our money and our time and thus taking away our independence. The result: no time, no money, no satisfaction.
For me, minimalism has a lot to do with freedom. I free myself from the ballast to devote myself to the things that are important to me. I quit my old job as a marketing clerk because I found her to be a ballast. Instead, I have now discovered my profession and vocation as a "freelance writer" in writing. Minimalism does not only mean to separate from material things, but for many people it is a way of life or a way of life. However, this does not mean that a recipient of unemployment benefit I or II cannot live in a minimalist way in some areas. In my opinion, however, one can only speak of minimalism if simplicity is freely chosen.
When you start to free yourself from the ballast, amazing things happen. You're wondering when and how it all got so complicated and complex. And you will be amazed at the advantages of this lifestyle: those who have only a little bit of it are happier, more balanced and have more time for the really important things in life, the so-called minimalists come to this conclusion, who limit themselves very much in their possessions.
A minimalist way of life, as if by magic, leads to the dismantling of ballast and does not allow for a new one. This is the only way to really take care of the things and people that are important to you. This less-is-more worldview is not a renunciation. Everyone decides how far they want to go.
Minimalism has no clear definition of terms and is perceived differently by different people. In minimalist lifestyles, it is mainly (in the literal or figurative sense) about freeing oneself from ballast, a reduction of what is perceived as unnecessary and the desire for a simple life.
The trend towards minimalism is thus in principle a counter-movement to the enduring abundance and materialism of European societies. At the same time, the deliberate renunciation is certainly also a reaction to the media coverage (and availability of information) of problems such as factory farming, exploitation of textile workers and plastic waste.