Minimalism is a great way to live a happier life, but it takes work and commitment. Here we will offer you some tips to get started and let you know how our Wimbledon storage can help. 

Minimalism is something that can be life-changing with a large array of benefits but it does also come with some challenges. Adopting a minimalist lifestyle has been proven to alter many people’s lives for the better. 

But, firstly:

What is minimalism?

Minimalism is often defined as a design or style with a small amount of simple elements which are used to maximum effect. When thinking about minimalism it is very easy to think of stark white rooms which feel quite cold and unwelcoming. 

Over the last few years, minimalism has become more of a lifestyle choice, bringing forth the idea that happiness does not come from the amount of stuff you own. And minimising the amount of stuff you have can have huge benefits. 

Two people who have really championed this idea are Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, who are better known as The Minimalists. 

Joshua and Ryan define minimalism as:

A lifestyle that helps people question what things add value to their lives. By clearing the clutter from life’s path, we can all make room for the most important aspects of life: health, relationships, passion, growth, and contribution.

So, minimalism isn’t all about white walls and having nothing in your house but what are the benefits?

The benefits

Minimalism has the benefits that you would expect such as:

Less stress and more time 

When you have less items cluttering your home, you create a much more peaceful environment. 

It is also much easier to keep the place clean and tidy and who doesn’t love that? This leads to you having much more time to do the things that you enjoy and benefit your life in a greater way.  

More space 

Having less stuff in your home of course creates more space. But this added space leads to greater possibilities. 

Maybe you now have the space for a home office or a home gym?

What you choose to do with extra space is completely up to you but with less clutter and more space you have the freedom and flexibility to do whatever you want. 

The extra benefits 

The benefits of minimalism do not stop here as many people find that adopting a minimalist lifestyle benefits their:

• Health – both physical and mental
• Relationships
• Finances

And so much more.

How to get started 

Start small 

Starting small is often the best way to make change. This works with many areas of your life but it is also a great way to start living a minimalist lifestyle. 

Pick one thing today and let it go. 

Pick a decluttering method

Once you have really committed to minimalism, there are many different methods in order to declutter in a minimalist way. 

30 Day Minimalist Game 

This is a method designed by The Mininalmists in which you get rid of one thing on the first day, two on the second, three on the third etc. They suggest doing it with a friend or family member so it adds a competitive edge which will help keep you going. 

This can be quite a daunting prospect to many people so if you would rather take it slower than that there are other options. 

KonMari Method

This is the method made famous by Marie Kondo in which you slowly go through the items you own, holding each of them and only keeping the ones which spark joy. This method will take you more time and effort so you must be ready to commit. 

Four Box Method 

The Four Box Method is getting four boxes, marking them: Keep, Give Away, Sell and Undecided. 

This method is extremely straightforward but you do have to make sure to follow through with giving away and selling the items you place in these boxes. 

Having an Undecided box gives you some flexibility and allows you time but try to keep these boxes to a minimum. If you do find yourself with a lot of Undecided boxes and you don’t want them cluttering your home, you could bring them to our Wimbledon storage. 

Our Wimbledon storage has units which start at just 10 sq ft so we will have a unit that will be perfect to store a few boxes whilst you decide what to do with the items. 

Packing Party 

This is another method from The Minimalists and it is actually how Ryan began his journey into living a minimalist lifestyle. 

For this method you pack away everything you own, as if you are moving house. Invite friends and family over to help. And then over the next month, take out the items you need such as your toothbrush, your bedding, kitchen utensils etc. Anything that is left in the boxes after a month is the stuff you don’t really need. 

This will once again leave you living in a house surrounded by boxes. This is hard enough when you are actually moving but when you are doing it declutter, it could make for a lot of stress within your home. 

This is another instance in which our Wimbledon storage will really come in handy. You could pack up all the items, bring it to one of our units, grab your essentials and then over the next few weeks come into the store and work through the items you actually need. 

This will help with the process as the items you don’t need will already be out of your house so they will be much easier to part with. 

Stop buying new things

The next step, after you have successfully removed all the items you didn’t need or weren’t adding value to your life, is to make sure you don’t just buy a load more stuff that you don’t need. 

Logout of Amazon, delete shopping apps from your phone, stop going to local shopping centres or any places that make you want to shop. 

Of course, you can’t avoid these places forever, so before buying anything ask yourself whether this item is going to add true value to your life or if it is an essential item. 

Change your life with the help of our Wimbledon storage 

Minimalism can be life changing and there are many examples of people whose lives have been altered for the better by choosing this lifestyle. It is not easy, but the benefits are worth the time and effort it takes. 

And your Wimbledon storage is here to help you on your journey. If you would like to know more about our storage, please give us a call on: 02030 079 683 or click here.