6 Ways Minimalism Will Make You Happy

Maybe you've been decluttering and organizing for a while now.  You're making progress, but you're not really feeling that serenity and happiness all the minimalists talk and write about.

Yes, things are more manageable in your home.  You're not spending so much time searching for things or deciding what to wear.  And yes, your home is... shall we say prettier?  You're looking at fewer piles of neglected things, fewer things that you kept out of guilt or inertia, and more things that you actually enjoy seeing.  The things that bring a smile to your face....

Oops.  Sorry, that just snuck in.  I'm writing about how you're not feeling the joy, and how you're wondering why you should continue with all of this minimizing.  Let's try again.

6 reasons to get excited about having less

1.  You're saving money.

Seriously, start keeping track of the money you save because you're not buying stuff you don't need.  Remember the cute merchandise you resisted.  Add what you've made from selling stuff, plus the value of your tax-deductible donations.

How could you use this extra money?  You could demolish your debt, plan that trip you've dreamed of, or something else just as great.

2.  You're saving time.

Yes, you are taking a few extra minutes to put stuff away as you finish using it.  You're hanging things up instead of tossing them down.  You're sorting through mail instead of piling it up for later.  You're spending those few extra minutes each day.

But you're saving lots of time you used to spend searching for stuff.  You're saving the hours you used to spend "trying to clean up" around all of your extra stuff.  You're skipping that frustration and exhaustion.  Maybe you don't sit down to Netflix quite as early in the evening as you used to, but once you do, you're able to truly relax.

What should you do with that time?  Use it for more TikTok?  Hmmm... maybe more relationship time, hobby time, exercise time, volunteer time, or even sleep would be more enjoyable and rewarding.  You decide.

3.  You have renewed focus.

A lot of your energy used to be spent on browsing and shopping and comparing what others have to what you don't.  Now you're not doing so much of that.  After all, why declutter if you're just going to add more?

As a result, your shopping habit has dwindled.  It's as if you stopped eating chips and pretzels.  Then one day you had a few and you noticed they're so salty, and so empty, and after you ate them, you didn't feel satisfied.  Shopping has become somewhat empty and tiresome as well.

What should you think about and plan for instead?  You get to decide what would be worth your energy and focus.  Consider:  

• Who matters most to you?  
• What are you especially good at?  
• What's your mission?

4.  You feel less stress.

Preparing meals is simpler in your clean and clutter-free kitchen.  Getting dressed and out the door for school and work is more straightforward.  You're more relaxed in your organized living room, and sleep better in your less-crowded bedroom.  And since you've started saying no more often, you feel a lot less stress getting through each day and doing what you believe is important.  You've got a lot to celebrate.

5.  You're making more plans.

You feel more positive energy and hope since proving that you can declutter and get control of your space, spending and life.  Now you can consider a new challenge to accept and succeed at.  The possibilities are as big as you want them to be.

No more feeling trapped and overburdened.  I'd say you should rejoice.

6.  You're discovering yourself.

Being a consumer means following the crowd.  It means being influenced by the influencers.  But when you start decluttering and saying no, what you're really doing is choosing the things and activities that are most valuable to you.  You're defining who you are and who you want to be, and that's bound to bring more happiness than fitting into someone else's mold.

Figuring out what you really care about might take some time and self-reflection, but will ultimately bring you a great deal of joy.

Learn more.

If you want some guidance in understanding what makes you happy, subscribe to receive my free Understanding Your Happiness quiz.  Maybe you just need to spend some time and attention to discover what makes you smile.

Subscribe and get my free Understanding Your Happiness quiz

Many people are tired of the stress and frustration clutter brings, and want salvation from the frazzled lives they've been leading.  They want focus and peace, but don't know what that would look like or where to begin.

My completely revised 3rd edition of Uncluttered: How Minimalism Can Help You Thrive* is available now on Amazon.  It's a comprehensive handbook for a simpler life – not a one-size-fits-all approach, but a creative, encouraging, multi-faceted guide to help you remove the stuff that's bogging you down, find time and space for what you care about, and uncover a more spacious home that supports your best life.

* This blog is reader-supported.  If you buy through my links, I may earn a small commission.