11 Simple Ways to Start Living a More Minimal Lifestyle

A minimalist lifestyle is not for everyone. But in this hectic world, many people are feeling the yearning to have less, to spend less, to do less, to need less.

You read about those folks who make huge, dramatic leaps into extreme minimalist lifestyles, giving away everything they own, and moving to an all-white room with just a mattress and a notepad. You can certainly get on the path to minimalism with a similarly grand gesture, or you can work on seeking simplicity more gradually.

Here’s your beginner’s road map for how to become a minimalist and live a simpler lifestyle at home. No one single thing will magically turn you into a minimalist tomorrow, but these ideas are a good place to start you on your journey.

What is your personal definition of a more minimal home and life? Is it to have only the bare minimum of objects? Is it to declutter a whole room of stuff you haven’t looked at in months? Is it to learn to live with less or stop buying things you don’t need? There’s no “right” way to be a minimalist; everyone can all have their own definitions of simple and stress-free.

Just take the time to define it for yourself. Not sure where to start defining what you don’t want in your life? Focus on what you do want — what makes you feel alive, what you’re passionate about — and then begin to strip away the things (physical and otherwise) that are getting in the way of you doing more of what you really want to be doing.

Give yourself a clear goal, and write down why you want to live more minimally — less stress, more money, less stuff to haul on your next move — it can be anything that means something to you). Then, break it down into steps, and then give yourself a time frame to achieve each step. Consider setting calendar alerts to hold yourself accountable. 

Your quest for a more minimal lifestyle might point you in the direction of a smaller or simplified home. This is a big step for folks who own or rent homes, but not impossible. Again, start with a goal of what you want — be specific.

Not sure what you want? Do some traveling — and look to stay in homes in the size range you’re thinking about. You’ll be able to visualize your future life more easily if it’s a size you’re comfortable living in. Or perhaps the size and type of your home is okay, but it’s what’s in it that’s stressing you out.

And if that’s the case, it’s time to declutter. This seems pretty obvious, but it can be the most painful step for folks who have a real attachment to many of their items. Start slow and intentionally. Throw out or donate everything you obviously don’t need first. Then take and hide everything you think you could do without for a few months to give yourself distance and allow yourself to give them away more easily.

Keep reminding yourself that stripping away as much stuff from your life will make it easier to achieve a simpler life and allow you to have more freedom. You don’t have to only live with a bed and a laptop — you get to decide what living more minimally means to you.

Do you feel bad donating that sweater your aunt gave you? Or recycling those old cards? It makes sense, but try to shed any guilt around downsizing by remembering that you don’t need to hold onto something to honor it. You can take a photo to remember it by, or simply say thank you and let it go. 

A surefire way to undo all your hard decluttering work is by bringing new things home regularly. Try to act as a “bouncer of your own home,” as minimalist life coach Dara Zycherman puts it, meaning you can and should graciously not let things you’re not excited about enter the club. Whether it’s a free T-shirt at an event or a gift you just don’t have use for, get comfortable saying no to taking it home.

If you’ve been used to creature comforts for a long time, you might not be ready to take a minimalist plunge all at once. Consider having comfort-free weekends or months, slowly eliminating luxuries (even as simple as pricey haircuts or weekly movie dates) and seeing what feels okay to lose and what things are too valuable to your happiness to give up.

Here’s a simple mantra for how to become a minimalist: Before you swipe your credit card, ask yourself, “Do I really need this?” And ask it all the time. At first, you may easily justify purchases out of habit, but as the question sinks in, you might find yourself realizing you don’t need many of the items you impulsively buy.

Another great minimal habit to explore is learning to be a great re-user. Save packaging to reuse for other things. Learn to repair and fix things rather than replace them. Use old clothing for scrap fabric for DIY projects. Be open to being creative to find ways you can reuse something you already have rather than buy something new.

When you do have (or want) to buy something new, splurge on high-quality items that are meaningful for you. Remember that it might be nicer to have a sparse home filled with dreamy designs you adore versus full of things you just sort of like. But also remember that, again, you define what minimal means for you.

Go back to the first step above regularly, especially when things get tough, so you can remember why you’re trying to live more minimally in the first place.

As someone who has given away everything they owned one and a half times now, I can assure you I manage to acquire stuff at impressive speeds. I sign up for a lot of work obligations, too. This is just human nature. But don’t give up on your quest for simplicity if you wake up one day and notice you’ve let a lot of unneeded stuff clutter up your home or schedule. Just start over at the top, breathe in, and keep trying.

Are you aiming to live a more minimal lifestyle at home and in other parts of your life? Share your thoughts, tips, ideas and lessons learned in the comments below!