Minimalism as a Lifestyle: The End of Hoarding

Being a minimalist is a state of mind, not a set of rules. It means you have more of what you need, you can enjoy everything and not worry about what you don’t have. “It’s about a lifestyle, a philosophy where you reduce (not only) things to the necessary minimum. Saying goodbye to unnecessary things is much more than cleaning. It is the path to true happiness,” Klára Haunerová claims in the book Have less, live more. Studies have shown that clutter, which goes hand in hand with a lot of things, makes us stressed. IN tidy household the person is better.

The idea that people living a minimalist lifestyle give up the conveniences of the modern world and live in a cottage without electricity is completely out of line. Minimalism does not mean giving up on comfort – on the contrary, it increases it! Because you only use what you have, and to the maximum. “It does not mean not to buy any things, but rather to buy better ones that will last you longer,” writes the author of the book.

Pitfalls are waiting for you around every corner! “Whether we want to or not, we are often subconsciously massaged into making a purchase and at least start thinking about it. Maybe just because a celebrity will put a face on the product, which convinces us how absolutely necessary its acquisition is,” explains Klára Haunerová. Take influencers, for example, who are paid just to get you to buy (and only use the service or product themselves to make a video). Psychologist Oliver James discovered that material things cannot induce a long-term feeling of happiness. Shopping therapy is fleeting, and we’re not talking about the fact that it can kill you get into a debt trap.

When you want to buy, you have to learn to get rid of things. “Initially, I thought that I might need the things that were in my household and suddenly aren’t, so I waited a while before actually getting rid of them or donating them,” advises the author of the book. At the same time, it reflects on which group of people minimalism is the most difficult for. It will probably come as no surprise that they are older vintages. People of retirement age, who have experienced hardships and shortcomings, are used to saving everything “for worse times”. It is due to upbringing and lifestyle.

1. Detachment from the past – When you start getting rid of things from drawers, cupboards and attics, you will have more space in your home and it is proven that free space has a beneficial effect on the psyche as well. More importantly, you get rid of the things that bind you to the past. Memories of grandma don’t disappear once you get rid of her pink ceramic collection.
2. You will save significantly – Choosing to collect only the essentials often leads to financial freedom. Spending less on things you don’t need will reduce your financial expenses and increase your savings.
3. More time for yourself – Have you ever tried to track how long it takes you to find something, dust all the ceramic vases, or put away seasonal clothes? Lots of! The less things you surround yourself with, the more time you will spend with yourself.

Have you started to worry about how much junk you have at home? Go through each room and look around. Which of the things you see there do you actually use regularly? Make a decisive decision and get rid of the unnecessary ones. Scan pictures from children and save them on a disk from which you can view them at any time without physically storing them (you will look at them with the same intensity – very sporadically). You can donate porcelain from your grandmother, which you don’t use and doesn’t even fit into the overall interior sell. Get rid of clothes “for later” – that is, clothes that you plan to lose weight in. And if you haven’t fixed your old mower in the last two years, it probably won’t happen again…

Live in the present moment and don’t wait for what tomorrow will bring. After all, that’s how it is with everything.