So many people have visited our home and tell us “Your place looks like a showhome! Everything is so tidy… and your things are SO cute!”
Our house might be tidy, but the secret really lies in having less - truly loving every single thing that is in your home.
I stumbled upon minimalism by accident. I was on maternity leave with our first babe, Mya, and I wanted to contribute financially to our growing family. I got creative and started to sell things I no longer wanted on the local Facebook Buy & Sell.
I quickly realized the benefits of owning less.
I started to gain more mental clarity and tons of energy as I felt less bogged down by ‘junk’. During this season of life, I came across The Minimalists and I started a deep dive into minimalism and the science behind it.
Today, our family has somewhat adopted a minimalist mindset. We not only find peace in our clutter-free home, but I believe it’s an effective way to live a more mindful, fulfilling life.
The things we own mean something special or are highly functional. The time we spend tends to be more intentional (which means less time cleaning - whoot!).
In this blog, I’m going to share 10 benefits my family has realized through practicing minimalism - the “WHY”. In my next blog, I’ll tackle the “HOW” - tactics you can use to start living with less.
DECLUTTER YOUR HOME = DECLUTTER YOUR MIND
Once you learn to filter out the unnecessary things in your life, and only welcome what brings you joy… miraculous things start to happen!
Create more mental space.
More mental space means reducing brain fog, stress, and anxiety. You’ll find you also welcome many more positive experiences.
Reduce stress.
Having less ‘stuff’ makes cleaning your home easier - and more enjoyable! This is HUGE with toys. We rotate our kids’ toys and because there’s less to choose from, we find that not only do they actually play with them more often but cleaning is also super quick.
Creating less mess has meant creating less stress for our family. I can actually get down on the floor and play with them without becoming overwhelmed.
Be content with what you have while working towards what you want.
One day, I want a big beautiful open space for Drops of Gratitude. A place where you can come for workshops, choose wellness products, and learn about aromatherapy/gemstones/etc. But for now, we continue to happily work out of our (unfinished) basement. Instead of feeling dejected about it, I am genuinely grateful to be so close to my kiddos. I get to hear every pitter-patter across the floor above me while growing a successful business out of my home office. Did you know Jeff Bezos started Amazon out of his garage!?
Get rid of what you don’t want and make room for what you do!
More physical empty space means you make room for bringing in (or focusing on) things you truly enjoy. Single ladies!! Some relationship experts recommend making room in your closet for your future partner. It sends all those good vibes out into the universe stating “I’m ready for love!”. Right now, we are trying this with our kitchen table… We sold our old one in hopes that a new beautiful one will manifest itself (lol - so, if you’re selling a beautiful table, email me!).
Start to see what’s actually important in your life.
When you start being selective about the objects you keep, you start choosing everything more carefully. This will trickle into other areas of life, too. You will start to only watch movies that appeal to you, spend time with people who invigorate you, and read books that fuel your soul! You will look at the picture on the wall and remember the moment you took it. You might smell that new diffuser scent and get lost in a moment from your last hike. And just maybe… you might take 5 minutes to lay underneath that beautiful plush blanket and feel extra cozy with your kiddos (partner, or pets!).
Make decisions easier and build a ‘personal brand’.
Decluttering helps you see what you prefer in your clothing, decor, hobbies - even food! Think about this: a cluttered closet or living room holds a bit of everything. There may be a few things here and there that you L-O-V-E but most of the ‘mess’ is likely stuff that doesn’t bring you joy. A pared-down wardrobe or carefully considered decor shows off your personal style - and makes you feel happy when you see it. You’ll better understand your true loves, and you will become more decisive and waste no time when selecting what to buy.
(Want to level up your closet game? Check out our essential oil diffusers - diffuse the lava stones with the oil that’s included, hang it in your closet and over time you’ll notice your clothes smell like heaven!)
Help you SAVE MONEY!
Obviously, the less you buy, the less you spend. But even if you’re accumulating new stuff at no cost (gifts, free items, etc.), it can be expensive to hold or get rid of that stuff, too. The cost of an item is not just the sticker price, but the price of being stuck with it (upkeep costs… mental stress while cleaning unwanted things… future moving costs…).
Gives you creative ways to MAKE EXTRA MONEY!
This was how I fell in love with minimalism. I loved contributing to my family financially. By selling or consigning old clothing, household items (everything you don’t want!) on sites like Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, etc., you could make back a small part of the investment you put into them. ALSO, when you start selling your things online you will quickly learn how drastically things depreciate - this has forever changed the way I shop. I always consider how long I will need the item for and if I could make some money back when I was done with it. Now I often borrow things if I need them or I get creative and find a way to proceed without having to buy that new item.
Clean your house faster (and easier!).
I’ve already talked about this but it’s well worth mentioning twice. Having a clean home feels freeing, but getting it there is literally a chore. The less clutter you have around you, the less time you have to spend cleaning! Would you rather dust a shelf full of porcelain figures, or spend that time doing literally anything else? Who’s with me?!
And finally,
Empowers you to remember good times, embrace your personality and genuinely appreciate what you have.
You will not be laying on your deathbed wishing you collected another DVD. It’s obvious - the things we crave mostly cannot be bought. Let’s embrace this.
My twins are great reminders that our life just flows better with less. Try running after two toddlers who are curious about everything and you’d be inspired to sell all your stuff, too!
We’re proud of and grateful for our high-vibe home. On our next blog, we’ll break down a few easy tips to get started with your decluttering journey! Until then, here are a few quick things you can do to get curious about and start learning how to create a more mindful home (and life!):
- Check out The Minimalists website. They have an amazing “Get Started” section.
- Hop onto Pinterest and search pins on “minimalism” or people like A Little Rose Dust.
- Scan your house and commit to selling 5 things this week.
Much love,
Laura
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