3 Instant Benefits of Minimalism

How many times have you answered your door and hoped the person can’t see the mess behind you? And have you ever planned for friends and family to visit, only to spend the whole day tidying and cleaning?

That used to be me before I discovered minimalism. I was always a tidy person, but I had too much stuff. It would take hours to dust around all my games and tchoktes, and even longer to organise it all. Our rooms were large enough for my son to run from one end of the room to the other and get out of breath…yet there was no space if somebody wanted to stay over. 

Large pieces of furniture and storage pieces took up a significant amount of space, but my mindset at the time was that the more space I had, the more things I could store. If I bought bigger shelves and more cleverly designed boxes, I didn’t have to worry about where something was going to fit. 

One day, I was searching for books on how to organise my stuff (yet again), and that’s when I came across a title called ‘The Joy of Less’ by Francine Jay. Although I’d had a taste of decluttering magic when mum brought hordes of stuff over to my house from her attic, decluttering was always something that had been forced on me when others were fed up with the amount of ‘junk’ I was keeping. 

I’d never considered living with less before. I also had no idea that doing so would completely change my life. 

Over six years later, and I could go on forever about the benefits of minimalism, but here are 3 of them which I noticed instantly. 

You can effortlessly accommodate friends and family

When friends or family come over, you can instantly accommodate them and don’t have to rush around hiding messes in closets and drawers. With less things to clutter up your space, there’s less to tidy, and zero shame.  

Last weekend, my in-laws came over to stay as a surprise (they live by the seaside and we rarely get to see them). The only feelings were excitement and joy because we had the space for them to set up their travel beds, and the house was welcoming. 

I can’t remember the last time I was embarrassed to have someone over, and that’s just one of the great things about living with less. 

There’s space for hobbies

Hobbies are far more enjoyable and easier to get started when they look appealing and are easy to set up and put away. I have a cute trolley set up with my colouring supplies, and I can  move it to wherever takes my fancy. It’s not too full either, so I can easily see and get a feel for what I want to work on without getting overwhelmed. 

Earlier today, mum came over and we worked on my Animal Crossing jigsaw together. It was as simple as bringing the puzzle out and setting it up on the dining table (save for my daughter’s play-doh which was quickly cleaned up). And when lunchtime came, it was super quick to tidy away ready for next time. 

Our dining table effortlessly serves and switches between multiple functions because it’s always kept clear and everything is so easy to take out and put back. 

When everything has a designated place you never have to waste time and energy thinking about where to find something or where to store it. And if you can store your favourite things in an aesthetically pleasing way that you love, that’s a bonus. 

What you love stands out 

When you have too many favourites, nothing stands out as special. When you put equal value on everything you own, you don’t know where to look or focus your energy. It becomes visually and mentally exhausting without you even realising. 

My shelves used to be so chock full of books and videogames that I ended up piling them on top of the ones that were already in a neat, tightly-packed line. I thought I loved all of it. 

But when I finally went through it all, I was stunned to discover that I only had a handful of favourites. By the time I was finished, I was left only with the books and games I loved right now, not a decade ago. Decluttering my collections brought me into the present and encouraged me to appreciate what I had.  The newly created space also made my treasures stand out.

If you’ve been wondering about this whole minimalism thing, or even if this is your first time discovering it, give it a go! Your only regret will be that you didn’t start sooner.