Living a minimalist lifestyle can lead to numerous benefits, including improved psychological well-being, less stress and anxiety, and more clarity, focus, freedom, and meaningful relationships. The concept of “less is more” has been around for 2,500 years, and it encourages people to prioritize what makes them happy.
Extreme minimalism takes the concept of having less to a new level, requiring a deep commitment to living with only the bare essentials. The goal is to create space for what truly makes you happy, rather than relying on material possessions or distant goals. Minimalism challenges consumerist narratives that equate abundance with happiness by positing that space, physical, emotional, or spiritual, is essential for happiness.
The benefits of minimalism include more time, less stress, more financial freedom, more flexibility, more gratitude, and more in. It is about removing the things you don’t need or want in order to make time and space for the things you value. The link between minimalism and psychological well-being may be that minimalists are better able to control their desires to consume. Being minimalist makes you happy with small things like loneliness, walking, fresh air, smart books, absence of friends, and old shoes.
Instead of providing a path to happiness, minimalism creates the space you need to deal with life’s toughest challenges. It’s about slowing down to enjoy life, making an intentional choice about where you want to spend your time, money, and energy. In essence, minimalism is about not focusing on material possessions but on the things that truly make you happy.
📹 Does MINIMALISM Make You HAPPIER? | How a minimalist lifestyle can lead to happiness
Today I want to talk about happiness, and how minimalism can play a role in it. No doubt most, if not all of us, want to be happy.
Are minimalists OCD?
Obsessive Compulsive Spartanism, also known as Obsessive Decluttering, is a subtype of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) that involves an obsession with clearing an area or house, leading to feelings of unwellness. Unlike hoarding, obsessive decluttering does not have its own entry in the DSM. Symptoms are similar to hoarding, but focus on clearing things out. Obsessive decluttering differs from being tidy in that it manifests in a more extreme manner.
The person experiencing obsessive decluttering believes certain objects negatively affect their life and must be thrown out, even if they are of use. This creates an obsessive-compulsive cycle that is detrimental to one’s life.
Why are people attracted to minimalism?
Many people are choosing to live a minimalist lifestyle due to environmental concerns, high levels of personal debt, increased global social awareness, and minimalist art. They understand that less consumption leads to less use of the earth’s natural resources and are choosing to make a difference. The popularity of Dave Ramsey and Adam Baker is proof of this trend, as people are choosing to buy less and save more.
As technology has made the world smaller, people are becoming more aware of injustice, poverty, and malnutrition. They are using their finances to make a difference on a global scale by feeding the hungry, providing clean drinking water, fighting back epidemics, and speaking up for the voiceless.
Minimalism art has also gained popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, as it stripped down art to its fundamental features and became a part of modern design. This has made minimalist principles plausible as a lifestyle and has entered the soul of many people.
How to be happy as a minimalist?
Joshua and Ryan discovered that consumption isn’t the problem, but compulsory consumption. Minimalists value possessions that add value to their lives, focusing on health, relationships, passions, growth, and contribution. Ryan and Joshua decided to become minimalists and document their journey, which led to the creation of a website on December 14, 2010. The website aims to help others simplify their lives and was launched after 21 days of planning. If you find value in this website, consider supporting it by donating a dollar.
Is minimalism a form of OCD?
Obsessive Compulsive Spartanism, also known as Obsessive Decluttering, is a subtype of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) that involves an obsession with clearing an area or house, leading to feelings of unwellness. Unlike hoarding, obsessive decluttering does not have its own entry in the DSM. Symptoms are similar to hoarding, but focus on clearing things out. Obsessive decluttering differs from being tidy in that it manifests in a more extreme manner.
The person experiencing obsessive decluttering believes certain objects negatively affect their life and must be thrown out, even if they are of use. This creates an obsessive-compulsive cycle that is detrimental to one’s life.
How does minimalism make life better?
The documentary highlights the negative effects of excessive possessions on stress and mental health. An American house accumulates an average of 300, 000 objects, with more money spent on shoes, jewelery, and clothes than on higher education. The benefits of minimalist living, as validated by psychologist José Elias, are to enjoy the few things we have because they are necessary. Simplifying one’s life allows more time for health, relationships, creativity, career, and helping others in a more meaningful way.
Fields Millburn, a participant in the documentary, realized the benefits of minimalism before clearing out his closet. After several days of reducing the amount of things in his closet, Millburn felt relieved and decided to place less value on things in his life and find time for emotional wellbeing. However, the more we have, the more we want. T. K Coleman, director of the Foundation for Economic Education, suggests that it might be time for a clear out to address the excess of material possessions and focus on emotional wellbeing.
Why is minimalism beautiful?
Minimalism is a design style that emphasizes function, form, and practicality, creating a calming and serene environment. It encourages mindfulness towards clutter and daily habits that prevent accumulation, leading to a less stressful and more efficient way of life. Streamlining a home’s furniture and décor allows for more room and even small spaces to appear larger. Minimalism is adaptable to any style of home, and by focusing on essentials, incorporating a soothing color palette, and surrounding oneself with uncluttered surfaces, a healthy, less chaotic, and aesthetically-pleasing home can be created.
Each piece of furniture and décor is carefully curated with style, form, and function in mind, and high-quality items made from superior materials are purchased. This approach allows for easy mixing and matching of individual furnishings, allowing for sudden bursts of personality. Unique design details, such as atypically-shaped tables, mirrors, or pendant lights, can lend an air of sophistication.
Minimalism is based on clean lines, high-quality functional furniture, a monochromatic color palette, and uncluttered surfaces. To achieve uncluttered surfaces, storage is crucial, and organizational solutions should be created to ensure every item has a home.
Optimal storage solutions include simple, high-quality cabinetry and hardware, neutral color finishes, and natural light. Countertops and flooring should stay within the monochromatic color palette, and wooden tables and chairs can add warmth and dimension to prevent the space from becoming too stark.
Is minimalism good for Mental Health?
Minimalists maintain a clutter-free environment by focusing on what is useful and important, and eliminating unnecessary items. This leads to reduced stress and reduced cortisol levels in adults. This is evident in daily life, where issues like missing keys, clothes, or homework can cause stress. By having less and well-organized items, individuals can avoid these problems and experience less stress. This approach can be applied to daily tasks such as finding keys for work, finding the perfect outfit, or ensuring children’s homework is easily accessible.
What are the mental benefits of minimalism?
Minimalism is a lifestyle choice that encourages individuals to live with less, to prioritize experiences, relationships, and personal growth, and to embrace a more intentional approach to living. This approach provides individuals with the mental and physical space to focus on what is truly important to them and to achieve meaningful goals. By deliberately selecting which aspects of their lives to prioritize, individuals can align their actions with their personal values and achieve a greater sense of fulfillment.
Why do I love minimalism so much?
Minimalism offers freedom from the pursuit of a life of consumerism and seeks happiness elsewhere. It values relationships, experiences, and soul-care, allowing us to appreciate our existing possessions and be grateful. Modern lifestyles often lead to hurried, rushed, and stressed lives, with constant multitasking and constant connection through cell phones. By becoming a minimalist, we can slow down life, disengage from this modern hysteria, and focus on keeping only the essentials.
This approach removes frivolous activities and emphasizes intentional endeavors that add value to life. By embracing minimalism, we can find true life-changing relationships and live a more fulfilling life.
Why does minimalism make you happier?
A minimalist lifestyle has been linked to a number of advantages, including a reduction in financial obligations, stress levels, and the time spent on domestic tasks. These benefits may appear to be at odds with one another but are, in fact, mutually reinforcing. The pursuit of happiness is not contingent upon the accumulation of material possessions; rather, it is predicated upon the alignment of one’s lifestyle with their deepest aspirations.
📹 Does Minimalism make you HAPPIER?
Can minimalism actually lead to more happiness? And is there any proof!?! I would propose that YES, minimalism can absolutely …
Later in life, Maslow felt that it was necessary to add a 6th tier- self transcendence- we needed to go beyond the self and be connected to something bigger than ourselves. This is often forgotten and we end up thinking SELF-actualization is the end- where Maslow realized we would not find ultimate joy.
Yes! Definitely, yes! This time last year I was brittle, overworked, exhausted and unmotivated. Women, regardless of civil status wear different hats. And our brains never stop sorting out things to do for each role. When I started dealing with the things I’ve shoved in storage, I felt as though I’ve decluttered mental space as much as physical space. Since then, I’ve worked on my health, getting enough sleep, defining my boundaries, and work on my self perception. I now have more mental and emotional capacity to do things I’ve always wanted to do. I find more time to reflect on my faith. Overall, minimalism has helped me live with intention, and to quote a book I’ve recently read: “Satisfaction comes when we step off the escalator of desire and say ‘This is enough What I have will do. What I make of it is up to me and my vital union with the living Lord.'”
I just wanted to say thank you so much for sharing your life cause it’s changing my family and mine! I listen/watch your articles when I’m having time to clear and organize. Both our boys are autistic with our younger son being non-verbal and high needs. It’s not only making me happier and helping with my depression clearing and organizing slowly our place it’s affecting my husband and sons in so many positive ways! We are blessed to have so much support and love from our “angels” I feel you are one of them! ❤️ I forwarded a couple of your articles to my best friend and she’s now inspired and working on her house!!! It’s so fun!!
I watched the Minimalist documentary on Netflix last night and it was boring for me because I had already found your website. You are much more informative and realistic, honestly. You have shown it’s possible to live this way and be “normal”. That it’s attainable. And to be happier and be richer and free. The documentary talks about all of those things but you are the one showing us how to do it. Thank you for being there for all of us that didn’t know they needed this.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is definitely key to happiness and I reference it a lot in my work. I am in the business of making people safer (second tier) but I know if the first there isn’t fulfilled the second one will never matter. I think in America too many families are stuck on tier two with the financial security. Minimalism can definitely help build financial security if people are disciplined enough to realize it.
I decluttered and minimized my kitchen 2 weeks ago and it has made such a huge difference in how I feel. It’s amazing to wake up and know that I don’t have a huge pile of dishes (because there aren’t that many dishes anymore!) and it’s great coming home from a long day at work to totally clean kitchen counters ready for me to cook on. I can’t wait to get that feeling in the rest of my house, little by little!
I just saw this article here and haven’t watched yet, but I’ll say yes!!!! As I type, my husband is driving a big load of books he got out of his shelves. We have so many books (three bookshelves packed) and realized we don’t need all of them. He just said to me “It feels so good to do this”!!!! 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
I totally agree that having less to maintain on the lower levels can help us move to the upper levels!! I’ve been working on decluttering for at least a year or more now and I had just stepped back and realized how much headway I had made. It felt so good and I felt like I had more free space in my brain! LOL I’m 53 years old, have three grown bio children, two children still at home a 12 year old and 10 year old both of whom were adopted and five grandchildren with one more on the way. We are in our 17th year of home schooling. My life is full and I love it. A few days after Christmas, we got a call from a social worker about a baby (a relative) who needs fostering, remember, I said I’m 53 years old! Lol! We said yes and picked this precious newborn baby up from the hospital. As we were getting settled with a new baby, new routine, and all the things that a baby brings into your life, I felt like we could handle it partly because my house was not on overload anymore. We had room to move her in! My house is so much easier to manage now. I seriously feel like getting up in the middle of the night isn’t as big of a deal as it could have been because I have more time to sleep when she does! I don’t have to stay up cleaning and cleaning my house!! Had she come 6 or 8 months earlier, I would have been so overloaded with stuff! I also have a different view of what I need for a baby now and like you guys mentioned in a previous article, things are so accessible now with FB Marketplace and such!
Working on having less everyday. My husband actually told me I can get rid of an extra frying pan today. Made me so happy because he told me without me asking him. There is hope. Lol! We were foster parents for a couple years. So understand the process and all the waiting that is involved. Prayers that you will have extra strength and wisdom as you go through this journey.
Dawn, another great article. I love that you touched on this again because it really does make so much sense. I study this in school but never applied it in this way and it is blowing my mind. I am trying to help my mother and grandmother see that their lifetime of hoarding is what creates the anxiety they are feeling so when I can share practical scientific approaches they are much more likely to hear me. Thank you for all you are putting out into the world. I also love seeing your website grow. As one of the people who found you very early on I’m grateful others are finding the joy and knowledge that your website provides. Thanks again!
absolutely love how you played with graphics on maslow’s pyramid to make your message come through! rooted in punk rock ethics i have been minimalist all my life and yes – it does make me happy by making space to think about community, travel, meaningful career, ethical parenting and having fun and leisure as important as the food and the air we breathe! yes, pyramid in the sense of first-things-firts… but beyond that – all of the layers are equally important (as another genious psychologist m. rosenberg who invented non-violent communication, argues). thank you for addressing this question so well as why of minimalism is more important than the how!!
Two things clicked for me, 1) Having less inventory to manage, and 2) from ClutterBug learning that I am a beautiful butterfly 🦋 I need to work with my natural style, not against it, so I can be free 💙 Thank you for the reminders! I was feeling a little stuck in the decluttering process. Now I’m ready to go again!
I have to say that like your articles better without the music. At first, I thought your broadcasts were being jammed. LOL. Now I see that you put it there. The problem is that it distracts from your words. If you want some at the start and end, then have it something good enough to listen to. Then, start to talk. I know. I’ve done an audio book and love having music as part of it. But, speaking over music just doesn’t work. Sorry to have tell you. I love everything else about your posts.
I like stickers and pens and washi tape for my planner. There are so many cute stickers and embellishments and tools, it could easily get away from me, and I would not even know what I have. I used to buy duplicates because of that. Now, I have a boundary of a nice lidded box. If it doesn’t fit in the box, I won’t get it. It encourages me to use up my pretty supplies so I can get new ones, and pass ones I don’t love (and will never use) on to others who would like and use them.
Work harder, make more money, buy buy buy! My basic needs are met in abundance, I am blessed beyond measure. I find the most fulfillment doing for others to meet their basic needs and to provide a step up in their ability to sustain this on their own. I find the need to have more is more accentuated when I surround myself with others who think/do the same. I’d prefer to fill my home with love, faith, family, friends more so than things. I’ve lived both lives and while both fill the space their is a huge difference!
Feel great about all my levels…except I’m lonely for a partner. NOT a good time to be finding love right? Learning to live within my budget has helped me the most. I travel and live in my car for months at a time, and this last time I finally saw how much stuff I had and that got me toward minimalism. I was just as happy living in my car! Sometimes more… Thx so much for all your wisdom
Love your articles. I just want to remind that Maslow is one persons theory. As Christians we are here to know love and serve God. We need to start at the top which will help us in our decluttering for the glory of God. We don’t have to wait til our house is decluttered to grow closer to God. God First.
Because of the pressure to constantly change, focus on and curate that bottom layer, we typically never move past it to the levels where there’s real happiness possible. Minimalism helps us move that focus because that base is a simple layer we pay less attention to. I know that having done a major reduction of inventory last year helped us make it through a tough winter. Cleaning was easier because there was no clutter to clean around. Shopping and meals were simple because we knew what we had available. We were able to focus on our emotional needs when those areas needed attention. 💓
I’ve never cared for the emphasis on happiness in life. As a melancholy, I find that I’m not a “happy” person. I find joy and satisfaction in my life and home – minimalism being a major part of that – but I’ve never liked how some people seem to imply that if you aren’t happy, you are somehow living a lesser life than those who are happy. “Happy” I would characterize as being an outward kind of exuberance or delight, which just isn’t my personality, so it’s not something I can really relate to. I realize it’s a complex issue, and perhaps some would define happiness differently, but my life is wonderfully average, and I like it even when I’m not “happy” all the time. Not arguing with your points at all – just wanting to share another perspective.
Thanks for the great insight! I’d love a article (collab) showing what you bring into your home over a period of time. As I declutter (kind of in maintenance mode right now) I notice how much has come in within the last couple of weeks vs long time inventory going out. I think it helps show us where clutter can be leaking in. And excited about the fostering! We’re about to start the training and I couldn’t agree more that simplifying helps free up head and heart space. It’s almost like nesting!
Dawn, I think your thoughts on this are great and make sense, but as a fellow believer, I would encourage you to consider the need for a foundation in Christ for your pyramid to truly lead to happiness. I firmly believe that the nation struggles to find fulfillment and happiness because, as a culture, we have strayed so far from Christ and the recognition of our need for Him.
I love the concept of valuing things is to give it away timely and in good shape. Not having it rusting away in the attic like my very expensive roller skates did (I probably spent my x-mas and birthday money on them) and I had to trash them. And it also shows respect to our environment. And I have decluttered a lot during the last 2 month and I can feel the shift!!!! Love it. More relaxed, inspired, faithful, creative, motivated, happier. And it feels like my life is gonna work out….somehow. Don’t really know the direction, but it feels like it’s figuring itself out. Thank you!!! Sooooooooooooooooo glad I found you! I love you! You’re AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m so glad I found you woman! I have so much crap I don’t need but I’m planning a move from CA to Texas and I told myself I’m just going to Goodwill everything and start new out there and keep my new house modern and minimal. I’ve been packing everything away to the goodwill, and I already feel so liberated from all this random STUFF! I really don’t need any of it! My rooms look bigger and cleaner. I feel so alive!! Lol, I’m subscribed. You gotta new friend! 🙂 P.S. You and the hubby are ultra-cute together!
Right now, November 2021, after knowing about minimalism for many years and doing a lot in that direction, I’m realizing I need a different motivation. And for me right now the question, how can I raise my vibration right now? What can I do to help raise my vibration right now? Is motivating. Picking the things up because they’re laying there? No, that’s not necessarily motivating for me. But realizing that as I continue with and “complete” this process, and continue to show up for myself consistently, my vibration is lightened and I can shine more brightly, that’s more motivating! 🙂 I think this is a good turning point for me :-)! 💖
Thank you. You have incentivized me to, once again, go through the house to declutter. While we don’t aim to be minimalist, I function so much better with less “shtuff”. My closet and the kitchen are done. I was amazed at how much I still had that I don’t use (I clear out every 12 – 18 months). SO MUCH is gone this week. Thank you.
Dear Dawn, if you remember one comment that you received, remember this…”You can’t out give God.” I helped with 2 different foster care families and I volunteered at a Senior Center. The more I did for others the more other people (and not necessarily the same people) blessed me. I knew it was from God. I felt it. I can’t explain it but the joy of feeling it and knowing that God was listening to my prayers and (giving me the secret desires of my heart and ) providing everything I needed. I realized, it just came to me one day, that “You Can’t Out Give God.”
So its funny that you talked about basic parenting in a full house with clutter and kids, and not be able to put your mind to fostering, losing out on sleep or managing a special needs foster child. And I want to put this in the right way… I was a regular mom…. Had a child, and another, and one more…in two and a half years. 3 kids under three. We grew to discover our 2nd, had special needs…. And then came the drowning…..absolute drowning in kids, work, household management, managing therapy and absolutely everything that became my life. My responsibilities were drowning me…. So thats where I found my aha moment…I cant keep that many balls in the air… I couldn’t manage even the basic needs, which were overwhelming, of my child with special needs, let alone ANY THING ELSE…. What advise do you have for parents in this group….managing special needs children and life, and keeping your sanity in balance…and managing everything else Ive yet to find the answer lol….
Great use of Maslow! I’m sure he would approve of your analysis of the hierarchy of needs and the analysis as it relates to minimalism. When he was alive (and he died fairly young sadly) life was more minimal! When I was growing up it was rare to have newspaper flyers. Ads were in the papers, but nothing like now. TV came on the scene in our family when I was 9 or 10 maybe. There were not nearly as many commercials pitched to kids. If you collected box tops from a certain cereal you could order a gun that looked like the Lone Ranger’s. They had some weird ads, take a look at the cigarette ones…. But we has WAY less stuff in the 50’s and 60’s. It may have been the 70’s when it started escalating. Keep up the good work!
My article request is “stages of minimalism”… Lots of different articles touch on similar content but not one I can find where you talk on each different phase you’ve been in.. and if there are goals you’re still working towards (like are you going for Joshua Becker’s level of decluttered where he has a hard time even making articles of what he’s talking about because he doesn’t own anything 😂) love you Dawn!! So relatable!
Absolutely loved how you made the connection between minimalism and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. I’ve been practicing minimalism for the last several years. The points that you made about marketing only focusing on “luxury-fying” our basic needs and us spending so much time taking care of our basic need inventory getting in the way of us moving up (because we only have so much time in a day) really resonated with me! Thank you this just made my Saturday!
So, I just need to tell you, my husband is very thankful for you!!! He is a minimalist at heart and when I approached him after having found a decluttering article of yours and wanted to start a minimalist journey, he did a happy dance!! He keeps telling me (after I quote you with something that I found cool) “I’ve been telling you this for years”! LOL needless to say we both are loving the journey to living with less!!!
This is GENIUS!! I too heard about Maslow and his hierarchy of needs in my nursing theory classes until I was pretty much sick of Abraham Maslow : ) This has been an epiphany for me! Our society is so hyper-focused on acquiring things in the lower two tiers that it can get us “stuck” and unable to ascend up the pyramid. This is one of the reasons why we have so much in this country yet our life satisfaction and happiness is so low. BAM! Thank you, Dawn! I love your articles. They have really helped me to get traction this year on my house goals. I also think it is too cute that you end some of your articles with “I love you!”
I have LOVED perusal you and your family enjoy your organized home and doing fun updates. I have 2 questions – very different questions but they come up either while perusal or while decluttering my own home: 1) Practical Donating: How do you send fragile things to be donated? I always worry that the people will break the items or not be careful with them as I would be and my donation would be for naught…. and 2) my oldest is 19 and youngest is 9 – I’m closer to being a grandma of little kids then having my own little kids – I find myself saving some toys (more so than clothes, but some clothes too) for having grandkids but I also appreciate that the room the toys take up could maybe serve our family better, but we also have plenty of room for the toys and the 9 year old still gets out the costumes and that once in a while. We also have a bunch of furniture in our storage unit for when our kids move out (hopefully) in the next year or so – is this worth it? We don’t have to pay for the storage, it is a bonus to my husbands office space. Thank you again!! You are an inspiration and I love that you are so real and read my mind constantly!!
In addition to the marketing regarding the first two tiers of Maslow’s hierarchy, advertisers imply (or even directly state!) that all of those ‘things’ are also the key to unlocking the higher tiers of love, connection, respect, esteem, and even self actualization. They are very clever at making us believe this, making their claims hard to resist. But we are now beginning to see through all that, and that is an important step forward. No one can self-actualize like we, as individuals can … anything else is a poor substitute. Thank you so much Dawn, for clarifying this in such an open and accessible way. 🙂
I love your articles! I learned that I have ADHD when my daughter was in college and found out she had it too. It was such a relief to finally know what my problem was! We have been able to research tips an how to deal with our memory lapses, focus issues, etc. I read Marie Kondo, but no way can I use her method. There would be piles of stuff dragged out in every room, and nothing would ever get done! Dana K. White’s book, Declutter at the Speed of Life was a godsend! She is sooo funny and relatable, it got me started. But it was your references to how your stuff communicates to you and how it made me feel so guilty I didn’t have stuff done, put away, sorted, that I couldn’t have fun going places, or doing fun things. It’s only been a week, and my laundry room is cleared out to how it looked when we first moved here! Plus my guest room has the sewing cabinet and hope chest in it that I bought last summer!
Hi Dawn. I loved this article so much. When I see the pictures of your house and your cabinets I am so jealous. A real problem I have is looking at a neat and tidy space with very little in it ( like the cubby with the wash cloths in it that you showed) and I think…hmm there is more room that I could fill up. Ahhhhhh!!!! Help!! I don’t want to think that. Lol! What can I do or say to myself next time I do that?
I enjoyed this comparison but would also add another point. You say reducing inventory helps us explore the upper level needs, I would say the reverse is also true. The more time we spend in the upper levels the more comfortable we feel reducing inventory. If I am living with faith that God will provide, I am more comfortable letting go of junk. I know when I have a need, I don’t turn to my garage, I turn to God.
I’m 29 with 4 littles under 8, and we are making some big life changes this year, but teaching my kids healthy ways to minimize has helped tremendously in how they think about their stuff. I never force anything on them, but let them know why I do the things I do. They have been getting rid of stuff quite regularly with a seemingly healthy outlook on it. At least my 7yo twins. The 3yo not so much haha but 1 step at a time.
I listen to you as I’m doing my daily housework and you are such a blessing of encouragement. Thank you for the articles that inform me why a simple home will bring peace so I can serve my family and friends. My husband and I have lived in our house for 43 years. My three children and now three grandchildren need my attention and love and by decluttering bit by bit it definitely gives space to rest in our home. I still need your example and wisdom in this process.
Thanks you so much for all of your insight and these articles. They have really changed my life. It’s like you finally gave me permission to get rid of all of the stuff bogging me down. I have 4 kids 4 and under and I can just relate to you and your family so much. I’m still working on the first layer of the onion but I’m finally so hopeful. I don’t just want to burn down the house and start over again 😂
Being an educator, I know Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in relation to working with students. This article gave me an ah ha moment in connecting that to my home and even to a situation I’m experiencing at work right now. They say you can’t buy love but you can’t buy happiness either. I did appreciate your comment relating to the purchase of books if they are needed to move you up on the needs pyramid. I could see the same with a hobby but only one. I’m bad at starting multiple hobbies in search of what I think Will help me relax. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and perspective. I know I will be pondering on this even more.
These black shirts are making me sad… it weighs down your energy. Casts a shadow. It just an opinion but I thought I would share in hopes that you will consider what i am saying and think about how your image is doing across. It just feels heavy and not very cheerful. I think of you are a cheerful person so its like your outside is not matching your inside. You are lovely, no matter what!!!
I have been getting rid of stuff for years I don’t have much But still had stuff I didn’t need or use It’s gone Less stress Less to clean My home feels so big now And it’s not that big I now have more time to do other things besides cleaning, dusting all day I love it And have been telling people for years that tons of material stuff is a waste of money Save money for retirement And making memories Instead of stuff
It makes me feel so much better not cleaning up as much stuff. I just got rid of 3 boxes of clothes and wasn’t heading out of the house so didnt put it in the car, I put it to the road and it was picked up quickly. the weather is good again tomorrow and I’m putting out a box of kid toys that have been in toy quarantine since my last declutter
Even the process of de- cluttering is making me happy, because I was so frustrated and angry at myself that I have been trying for years and getting nowhere. I would dump everything out of a drawer and end up putting 2 things in the trash and organizing the rest. Then I would go get one of those things back out of the trash! Now I am making slow progress and seeing spaces in every room that weren’t there before and that makes me want to do more, and I enjoy it now. I am so filled with hope for a more minimal future. Thank you Dawn – you have helped me probably a hundred different ways so far. Even things I have heard or read before, you often bring a slightly different twist that brings me closer to my goals. I love you!!! You are a gift.
Dawn, Your message makes so much sense to me. It’s nice to hear these things from a mom who’s also maintaining a minimal home. YOUR prospective finally helped me finally make sense of not just organizing or even decluttering but realizing we all have a clutter threshold. I realized my threshold is much lower than my family (husband and teens) tolerate. Since listening to your message and taking the Take Your House Back course with Dana & Cas, it has been life changing. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!🥰
Yes! Last month you (I think it was you–I watched a lot of youtube in January! 😅) Said about sentimental items that you aren’t archiving your loved one’s life, so just keeping what you can use and appreciate is enough. I worked in museum collections management, so that really struck me. Years ago I was sorting through a huge donation of everything a family left behind. It was a huge mix of amazing artifacts and complete trash. Way before minimalism I’d get home from work and just need to throw out all the junk I’d been hoarding! But really, I don’t think my loved ones would be happy knowing I was storing their things like a museum— everything hidden away safe for “later”
Found the concept of minimalism about six months ago. Love, love your articles– so relatable! Have always tried to regularly declutter, but really have dug deeper into more than surface layers this time. Making the harder decisions about what to declutter are not always easy. Husband loves it! Told me the other day he is loving this minimalism thing! He loves to see me purge things. Our house is so much lighter. I now find it a bit claustrophobic to see other people’s kitchen counters or packed cupboards. It’s just “so good” to open a cupboard and not have to dig for something!! Thank you for the constant inspiration!
For me, practicing gratitude helps me with contentment. Then that contentment leaves little room for a desire to purchase more in an attempt to create happiness or filling a void. My approach to “minimalism” has drastically change over the last three months or so. I love the feeling of a warm/cozy/inviting home. That (for me) means order, not spaces void of objects. I tend to leave things out and in doing so, I’ve created visual clutter and that’s an anxiety trigger for me. If I disciplined myself more, I restore order. And the order isn’t the source of my happiness….the respect for my surroundings and the gratitude for what I have….THAT fills my heart.
I’ve been thinking about this recently as well, in that I wanted to assess my physical belongings in order to see which belongings were helping with/filling which level of need — things like sheets help make physiological needs comfortable, whereas things like painting supplies help with the self-actualization/development of personal skills. I haven’t gotten very far with the analysis, but this is a great reminder for me to do so! Of course, you can declutter in each of these levels, but recognizing that different items help fill different kinds of needs is helpful. Thanks! <3
Anyone that declutters one area will feel a sense of joy. It just keeps getting better. We built our home 50 years ago and it is quite large. It held our growing family and extra kids and lots of friends over the years. Now it holds grandkids plus extras, but I started the decluttering process 10 years ago. Slowly, I must say in some years . When kids lives changed and we had room for them for a temporary place, we adjusted to extras again. Our lives are ever changing, but I’ve made it through 90 percent with Dawns help. Every room is a joy whether just passing by in the hall or crawling into a beautiful bed at night.
Dawn, I so appreciate how you think and your ability to articulate your thought processes so well. This is why I watch all your articles. I know you will always say something that will comfort me, motivate me and something that helps me understand myself more. Mahalo nui. I suspect your parents are very proud of. carry on.
I am so much happier and feel a lot less “busy.” I have more bandwidth to keep up with full time work (lawyer), only parent to two school aged kids learning remotely and maintaining house and budget. I had no idea decluttering would have such a profound impact on me and my family. I am so grateful to Dawn for sharing what she has learned. I’m so happy I found her and that I could really hear and process and incorporate what she is saying. Thank you Dawn!
I totally agree with you; we can go too far with desire for bigger and better things and minimalism is being satisfied with less. But we can (and many do) exist without what I may consider basics. True basics to exist are food, air, water, and shelter from the elements. Depending on where you live, these basics will look very different. Happiness comes from a loving relationship with the God and people. ❤️
Very insightful. Makes one take notice of your needs vs wants. Way off topic, but I realised that you have not moved your couch back after you made space for the christmas tree in December. Do you like it better this way? I only realised it because I saw a thumbnail of an older article next to your current article.
My house is easier to manage & clean because I have less items. I now truly appreciate the items I still own and have now a whole new gratification with the items I choose to have. Minimalism has truly grounded me,has stopped my old habit of impulsive buying,Iv managed to create extra savings. I feel my life is more in a healthier control,I no longer feel the need to dress to stay on trend,I appreciate my own style,I don’t waste food,my environment is more relaxed,I’m genuinely happier. I also love the idea of the quarantine basket that I took from one of your articles,it really helped me with the excess unsure items and I managed to donate lots to those who needed these more! I’m in my 30s,this will forever be a part of my life. Less is truly more
I can’t consider myself a minimalist yet (and I don’t know if i ever will hit That level) BUT recently I’ve gotten so much extra stuff out of my house and I call it “losing house weight”. It feels like I’ve lost weight. Like I’ve shed excess pounds and I feel so much lighter. My head feels clearer. I know where things are so I no longer have those thoughts that pop in my head like “omg where’s my birth certificate?” Every day I find at least one thing to throw into the thrift box and it feels sooooo good
My girls love perusal and then going back to their rooms to evaluate what else they do not need. Our youngest, who has always been a pack rat/hoarder, has finally started letting go of the “more is more” mentality. Her room feels so good now, and she is certainly becoming more creative in her play. She reminds me now of your kids by creating & building out of boxes, etc. It’s the best!!
Hey Dawn I really appreciated the comment you made about being able to focus on other things such as skill development or giving initiatives when one has less inventory to manage ( as well as the realization that there is only so much satisfaction that can come from accumulating). You are the first person I have heard to suggest this. Bravo. You inspire me!
I think this is a great way to look at our homes as we declutter. I am looking forward to using it as I work through the excess and abundance in my home. One of the ways that marketing comes at us is to make us think or feel that, if we buy more, bigger, better, different we will get that love and acceptance or be “better”. I feel that this tries to manipulate us into feeling something outside ourselves will fulfill these needs that are really within. Thank you for this article and all you do to add positive ideas to the world. Love to you and your family.
I studied Maslow in college and refer to his hierarchy often as a teacher. When you started to explain why people get stuck in the first two tiers, I thought, “Well, of course!” Now that you said it, it seems so obvious to me that getting stuck in the cycle of getting the latest or bigger or more stylish thing would keep people from reaching those higher tiers. I’m not sure I’d ever have though of it on my own. This also helped me come to some pretty important personal realizations. Thank you!
This is so, so good, Dawn! You’re so right about after the basics are met we’ll have more time to invest in others and ourselves. I want to be there so badly. I have physical problems that hasn’t allowed me to get there, yet! I have decluttering projects I’ve started then I have to take care of the everyday chores. So I can’t seem to get there, I watch all your articles to help keep me motivated. Thank you so much for all you do. I also love your Sunday articles with your sister. ❤️
I love the thought of minimalism – I’ve been working on it for about a year without much luck physically getting rid of it. We do not have Goodwill’s here in upstate, NY, only Salvation Army re-sale stores and due to Covid, they are not taking much more than just clothing.. There are not enough places to unload (aka “bless” others) with our possessions. Any other suggestions? I watch you and Diana almost every day and am so grateful for your smiles and encourageing words!
I think with blessings you get become more happy and I actually saw this on my phone it show me to reach the simple reason they weren’t serving a purpose and it just felt like more thing which has been organised in different ways and everything and I find that sometimes to be amazing how much she can organise things but you’re not getting rid of things at the same time
Dawn I really do love your website, but I keep running into a big issue. My husband SAYS he wants to get rid of our clutter, BUT more stuff keeps showing up! I figure the FIRST place to start is to STOP buying extra stuff, right? He has slowed down for sure (yay hubby) but he has a love/hate relationship with Amazon. He is definitely a more impulsive shopper than I am. How do I deal with this? (P.S. most of the clutter in the house now is his. I am still battling paper clutter, the stuff the kids left here, and my sewing stuff)
Dawn – you were the first minimalist I came across. Your comment about managing inventory was a lightbulb moment! It totally changed how I looked at “stuff”. So much of it didn’t look important to me anymore. Recently in the January series, Dana saying you don’t need to keep every sentimental thing relating to special people in our lives to feel the warm fuzzy feelings. Holding one item can bring back the same memories as holding 20! These 2 ideas have helped me on this journey! Just feel I’m becoming a minimalist bore now – like someone who has quit smoking or something- trying to convert everyone I know! Thank you! Love the articles!
Dawn – I have loved perusal your articles these past few months. They inspired me to start our own family’s journey to simplifying our home and life (3 teen boys). My husband and I both work fulltime, and we moved in September 2019. Still renovating and unpacking and making this home our own, but your articles showed me the importance of getting rid of stuff instead of organizing it. I’ve been working one room at a time and making steady progress, and the whole family is benefitting from the changes. And my husband who is a collector of things has been getting on board too 🙂 And now we are feeling inspired and have more time and energy to pursue starting a business that we have been talking about for the past few years. Thanks for your positivity and encouragement. And your tips and strategies have been so helpful in changing our mindset and establishing routines. Also, I started reading Joshua Becker’s books and love his posts on Facebook. So glad you mentioned him and shared a visit with him. I’m a teacher and I know how important feedback is – you make a difference! Thanks for all you do!
Dawn, it’s NOT linear!!! This is the problem with how you’re conceptualizing Maslow (I’ve studied him). Plenty of people who struggle with hunger also have love – for self, for their children, for their partners, and get “noticed”. I have 50 sauces (some of which I use 4x/yr in my home because of my CREATIVITY for cooking. That fulfills one of the top parts of the pyramid for me. By your deduction, the fact that I don’t have 5 sauces (max) must hurt my happiness in the upper tiers. That’s just not true. Plenty of academics and researchers have effectively criticized the Maslow model for this.