5 Gifts that Minimalism will Give You

Perhaps you feel that your extra things are making your home messier, smaller, or that just the act of maintaining everything and keeping it all tidy is a lot of work that may not be worth the payoff. So you’re wondering about minimalism.

Whether you’re just starting, or you’ve been at it a few years, it’s very interesting to take note of what having less ‘stuff’ can actually give us more of.

Regardless of your stage in the minimalist journey, every step towards having less is filled with gifts. And they are born out of a new way of responding to, and seeing our physical possessions. Let’s have a look at some ways you may just end up changing as you get rid of some of the extras…

1) Organization

The first of the gifts that minimalism will give you is organization. As we slowly bid farewell to the things of ours that have no necessity, or preference for us, organization seamlessly ensues. Where once, the search for a spatula may have involved opening a drawer, digging through a tangle of kitchen appliances and utensils, only to come across that other spatula that doesn’t quite work as well as your favorite one. And then closing that drawer and digging through the one below it. And then remembering that the one you actually like is in the dishwasher…

Now, in a decluttered home, in order to find that very same spatula, the useless impediments of unnecessary items are no longer in the way of your spatula. With no clutter, the things that we look for are all that are there. And they all have a home too. And so organization is just natural. It’s not a chore. It’s just what remains.

2) Appreciation and mindfulness

These are two more of the stunning gifts that minimalism will give you. Once we have worked through the monumental task of getting rid of our superfluous possessions- we may naturally become more discerning in regards to the things that we do decide to purchase and bring to our home.

When I go shopping now, after the great work getting rid of so many unnecessary items, I feel differently about the idea of buying something new. When I see things in the shops, things that I am drawn to, I take a moment and I am thoughtful.

I sometimes see items tempting me to see them as more than just a thing. So I breathe, and I let myself see the item in question as merely that, as something that I may or may not need, and that I may or may not actually want. I give myself time to figure that out.

The new, and hard earned space in my home, is a beauty within itself. And I do not wish to lose it again, being charmed by ad campaigns and mild insecurity. In my great effort to declutter, I have gained a strong appreciation for what I have, for the things that I have chosen to keep. And for the power of empty space. And for what I know brings me calm.

You may begin to recognize the things that will only become tomorrow’s clutter – before you buy them or bring them home.

3) Serenity and lightness

As I began decluttering, I started to tackle rooms, shelves, bins and piles. First I was nervous, but as I kept going over days and months. I felt a ruthlessness that I can only say was born from a growing frustration. Then I could see so clearly, the stress that I had been packing away and bring along as I moved throughout the years. I had boxes and boxes of random excesses that I had not looked at in 20 years. Every time I moved, I dutifully brought the boxes along and stuffed them into new closets and shelves.

I started decluttering in the spare room. It was packed to the brim with intentions and worries. And as I gained momentum, I was fierce. Bags of papers were brought to the recycling. Box upon box of books, trinkets, and trash were donated, thrown away, or sold. And slowly as I got better and better at getting rid of things that I was merely holding a space for, I started to feel a sense of ease, a release, a sigh, a calm. I started to feel light.

I had no idea how stressed I had actually been in my home filled with random things until slowly those things disappeared. And all I had left was what I wanted, what I needed and what actually made me happy. I was at ease. It is glorious. And so, the lightness that I found in decluttering, I will fight to keep.

4) Clairity

Simplifying one’s possessions does not only bring clarity to our home, our closets, drawers, and cupboards. The physical space and ease of use is not just something that exists in our surroundings as we navigate through our home and rearrange and downsize. The new space that we are creating in our home, is a mirror of what we are creating within ourselves. As we release and purge the unnecessary items around us, as we are making decisions, (what to keep, what no longer serves us) all of this directly relates to who we are, to what we hold sacred, and to what we want for ourselves. We are making space for our future, for thoughts, new ideas, new passions, and for peace and for calm. We are clearing and preparing a space for our future plans and creativity to breathe.

5) Space

In western society, an empty space, is often thought to be a space that needs to be filled. We work hard so that we can buy the things that will fill our spaces and that will fill us too. There’s new clothes, new gadgets, make up, decorations, a bigger home, a newer car. The wish list is long and ever-growing. And we always have one. We never let ourselves feel that we have enough.

What would happen if we just said, “I have enough and I am enough”. And we truly believed it. As we begin to see ourselves as complete. And see empty space (within and without) as something beautiful, we may begin to appreciate everything to a different degree. Throughout life, we will need or desire things – but it doesn’t need to be always. Longing doesn’t need to be our default.

And in life’s empty spaces, we can go somewhere more profound than towards a new collectable, or a sweater. The space that we create in minimalism is a place where we can awaken passions, create, relax. It’s a space where we can just be.

Minimalism helps us to feel comfortable to boldly entertain the idea that right now maybe we have everything that we need. And that space is a breath of possibility and calm. The gifts that minimalism will give you are profound, constant and never ending. Well worth the effort.

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About the Author: Lyndsay Allison blogs at lyndsayallison.com on Mindfulness, Minimalism and Simple Living.