First thing is first, let's talk about what minimalism is.
Broadly speaking minimalism is the idea of living more with less, it can also be thought of as intentional living, mindfulness and essentialist living (if we're going to be extreme). I strongly believe minimalism has a definition that is unique to the individual. In my opinion, it's not just about stripping your life down to nothing but the bare essentials and competing to see who can own the least stuff. That sounds a bit like suffering to me.
With constant images of what our lives ought to look like it's really easy to get swept up in consumerism, materialism and lots of other isms that, quite simply, just make life more stressful. So for me, minimalism is simply being intentional with your consumption and your time and rearranging these things to align with your actual priorities in life. I know minimalism is a bit of a buzzword at the moment and seems a little bit airy-fairy but actually the underlying principles make a lot of sense. I personally started this journey at the easiest and most common starting point: my wardrobe and the clothes I buy then I moved on to being more selective with my time. Here are 3 reasons you should, abandon all your possessions and follow me into the zen spiritual garden of minimalism (metaphorically speaking of course).
Mo money, mo money, mo money
To do/buy the things you truly love of course.
About a year ago, a good friend of mine made a passing comment that I spend all my money on clothes, whilst she spends all of hers on travelling. I didn't appreciate the comment at the time but when I'd gotten over my indignation, I realised she had a point. My friend was simply pointing out that clothes were my priority. The issue was I felt like that was a bit of a silly priority and it didn't really align with what I wanted my priorities to be. Instead of pursuing the things and experiences I truly love, I was spending all my money on useless trendy clothes that I'd maybe wear once or twice before realising I wasn't really feeling the trend anyway! Through being a bit more intentional with the clothes I buy and learning to separate needing new clothes from wanting new clothes, I've found I have more money to do the things I actually want to do.
Less Choice
Less 'I don't know what to wear' moments.
That 'I don't know what to wear' feeling is probably the worst feeling in the world. Especially when you have 20 minutes before you need to leave the house. Minimalism has not only meant that I have less clothes but also it's kind of made me a bit more conscious of what I actually like to wear. So, when I do buy new clothes, I usually buy them knowing how they'll fit into my existing wardrobe. Result: I'm now able to plan my outfit in the short walk between my bathroom and my bedroom (which also means more time in bed).
More productive and fulfilling days
Because that's the ultimate goal when you're 20-something isn't it?
This is a bit of a wild card but hear me out. There's this concept called decision fatigue - where your decisions progressively get worse as the day goes on because of all the previous decisions you've made that day. Okay, that might sound a little bit far-fetched but I'm a big believer in that how you start your day sets the tone for the rest of your day. Starting your day stressing about what to wear is a surefire way to have a stressful day. So starting your day calmly and positively, knowing that planning an outfit is not going to be a source of stress is one step towards a calm and positive day.
What do you guys think about minimalism? Would you ever give up trends for slow, intentional fashion?
Go behind the blog and follow me on INSTAGRAM
Martha xo
Pin this Picture
No comments:
Post a Comment
I really love hearing your thoughts, so drop me a comment! :)