This post was updated on 13/05/21
Part of living simply is about bringing everything back to the basics. The tendency is to overspend and get too many things in life because they are cheap or you’re are concerned things will run out. This leads to more items in our homes or life generally. More clutter can lead to more stress, which is the opposite of a simple life. Instead learn to focus on the quality rather than the quantity.
Buy One Item
It’s easy enough to say that you should purchase more expensive items in life but when you don’t have much money, it is tempting to buy the cheaper versions. But buying one item of higher quality is better than buying a numerous cheaper one. Primarily this is because an expensive item is built to last. If you want to buy a table cloth, for example, you can buy hotel quality tablecloths from Richard Haworth that will last a lot longer than bulk buying the cheaper versions. When you start to focus on buying one item and only what you need, you minimise wastage and ae on your way to a more minimal way of living.
Stop Focusing On Material Goods As A Means To Happiness
When someone asks you what you’d like for your birthday or Christmas, it tends to be “stuff.” This is deep-rooted within us from childhood, when we were given toys and this was the fuel to our happiness. It can take a while to switch your mindset away from material goods. There are things that you need in life but if you think that getting stuff makes you happy then you’ve got to figure out how to change that mindset. Reflect on the things you have in your life and ask yourself whether they really make you happy. Learn to focus more on experiences rather than items.
Learning To Embrace A Minimalist Lifestyle
You can embrace a minimalist lifestyle by looking at your home and getting rid of items that no longer serve us. If an item is not helping us to live our lives, then it is simply clutter. With clearer surroundings, you are very likely to have a sense of clarity and calm. A minimalist living room can consist of a handful of essential pieces of furniture. The most important thing to focus on is how you feel when these items go. There are physical items in life that hold significance, like family heirlooms or important photos, but when you start to get rid of things that take up a lot of space, physically and mentally, you’ll be able to feel the benefits.
Look At Where The Balance Lies
When you break down your average week, how much is spent in work and how much is spent being with the people you love or spending time on you? It’s something that everyone is working on and work/life balance is tough to get right, but this again helps bring you clarity. When you start to look at where the balance lies in every aspect of your life, not just in terms of work, but life admin and those small duties that take up a lot of time, you may start to gain a sense of perspective. When you look back on your life, you don’t want to think that it was spent doing the wrong things. Instead do things that light you up and spend time with those that matter. It is important that you work, but do you live to work or work to live? Sometimes the answer is simple. You may decide that you can work at home so you don’t need to commute for two hours every day. If you don’t start to look at where the balance lies you will never get the answer. Once you start to focus on getting the balance right, the quality will soon follow.
Work On Making Yourself Happy
Are you really happy? When you decide to take the initiative to focus on the quality of life rather than the quantity, you are going to feel better as a result. If we are unhappy, by learning to change little things in life, by finding a different meaning to existence or having a healthy practice in place, this can give us a glimmer of hope each and every day. Concentrating on your happiness might be a project that you know will bring about more happiness, such as finding a new job. Instead it could be a daily practice that helps you find a new meaning. This could be meditation or journal practice, for example.
Focus on quality rather than quantity, but in this 24/7 world, it’s harder than ever to achieve. But if you look at these five approaches perhaps it can start you in the right direction.
