How to become a minimalist

The minimalist trend has recently taken the world by storm, and while it’s not for everyone, it appeals to a heck of a lot of people. The concept that we spend too much, on stuff we don’t need, to impress people we don’t like resonates strongly with us here at Koala, and we are true believers in minimalism.

There is no true definition for minimalism, but we love what the original Minimalists define it as:

“Minimalism is a tool that can assist you in finding freedom. Freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from overwhelm. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from depression. Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we’ve built our lives around. Real freedom.”

Think about it; when you’ve got fewer possessions you’ve got less things to stress about. You don’t need to worry about taking that extra dress to get dry cleaned, or reorganising your 124 strong shoe collection. You’ve got time to focus on what really matters to you, and more freedom to spend your day doing exactly what you want to do.

Here are five ways you can incorporate minimalism into your every-day life:

Write it down

Before you dive into the world of minimalism, you need to work out why you’re interested in it in the first place. Do you have too much stuff? Feeling overwhelmed with your garage stuffed full of boxes? Whatever it is, write it down to remind yourself why you’re doing it. This particularly will help when you’re cleaning out your wardrobe or donating your shoe collection and wondering WHY?! Just refer back to your original reasons and focus on the end goal.

Clean out your wardrobe

The first thing that prompts most people to think about minimalism is their overflowing wardrobe. It’s the classic Carrie Bradshaw moment; you peer into your wardrobe that is jam-packed with clothes, only to moan loudly that you have no clothes. It happens to the best of us, and it’s often because we fall into the trap of buying cheap clothes that are on a ridiculous sale. While you feel like you’re getting a great bargain, in reality you’re often purchasing an item of clothing you’ll be lucky to wear a couple of times before it breaks. Clear out your wardrobe and be super strict, you’ll be surprised at how little of your existing wardrobe you actually wear.

Declutter the house

After you’ve cleaned out your wardrobe, you’ll hopefully be on the decluttering train and feel ready to tackle the entire house. Start in an easy room (think the bathroom or kitchen), and go from there, going through the contents of each room and really seeing what you still use on at least a weekly basis. WARNING… decluttering your house ends up being really, really addictive. You’ll probably find yourself in the kitchen holding your teapot thinking “Hmm, do I REALLY have tea more than once a week?!”. If you get to that stage, it’s time to take a break.

Be a minimalist in every faction of life

By the time you’ve completed a total home declutter, you’re probably feeling a million bucks. The next step? To introduce the concept of minimalism into your every day life. This means from your eating habits to study, try to lead a more simple, less-complicated version of your own life. When it comes to meals, be more mindful when you’re grocery shopping. Sure, that $2.00 mango flavoured custard sounds appealing, but will you really have it? Eat vegetables before they perish, take leftovers to work and eat simply.

When you buy, invest wisely

Just because you’re following a minimalist lifestyle doesn’t mean you can’t buy anything. It means you’re looking to achieve freedom, to not feel tied down by crappy things in life. It certainly doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have anything at all, it just means that whatever you have should be well thought out. Instead of falling into the temptation of buying really cheap clothing on sale, invest in a few timeless pieces that will last you years rather than mere months.

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