Both mindfulness and minimalism can make your life simpler. There’s a good chance that you’ve stumbled upon these terms before, however have no idea what they really represent and how they’re related.
So today, I’m going to cover everything you need to know about these two philosophies and how they’re interconnected with each other.
Minimalism and mindfulness – 4 ways they make an excellent pair
Let’s first start with MINDFULNESS
In simple terms being Mindful means, becoming fully aware of your surroundings and your actions. Practicing mindfulness allows you to take a break from thinking about the future and calmly focus on the present moments, while deeply indulging all your senses in the act that you’re performing right now.
Now, what’s MINIMALISM?
It’s a way of life where you intentionally choose to embrace only those things, emotions, philosophies, relations, possessions, and everything else that genuinely adds value to your life while getting rid of everything that doesn’t.
So how Minimalism and Mindfulness are connected?
They’re related to each other in so many ways. Minimalism and Mindfulness have a circular kind of relationship where both of them facilitate each other.
By being mindful we become more aware of what takes up our time and space. And by adopting minimalism we create time and space to become more mindful.
Sounds a bit complicated, isn’t it?
Let’s simplify it, shall we?
Four ways Minimalism and Mindfulness makes a perfect pair
Letting go
Minimalism requires us to declutter our space and keep only those things that we utilize regularly or love. This process teaches us the art of letting go of our attachments.
Minimalism essentially guides us to consciously think about what we own and why do we own it. This is where mindfulness comes in. We actually become mindful while assessing our belongings. And allowing only those that add value to our life.
Minimalism teaches us to become more mindful and intentional of our surroundings. And the stuff that we keep in our home.
Being present in the current moment
Staying completely present and focusing on cherishing the present moment is an important part of mindfulness, and in a way, minimalism teaches us the same thing.
When we determine to keep only those things that we use or love currently in our life, we consciously choose to live in the present moment.
Mindfulness allows us to return our focus to the present moment rather than obsessing about the past or worrying about the future. By adopting Minimalism, and allowing only those things in your life that you love right now, it becomes easier to remain in the present moment.
More intentional with our time and space
The less stuff we own the more intentional we become of how we utilize our time and space. We’re no longer required to spend a majority of our time managing the things that we own, instead, we allow ourselves to focus on our life beyond material possessions.
Once we embrace minimalism in our homes it inspires us to do the same in other areas of our life as well. For instance, our schedule, leaving out unnecessary commitments, and rushing from one task to another, we give more time and freedom to ourselves.
So, minimalism encourages us to intentionally make space and opportunities to become more intentional with our time and stay present at the moment. And that’s what Mindfulness is all about.
Cherishing the journey and not worry about the end results
Minimalism and Mindfulness both are about the journey, rather than the end goal. They both are a way of lifestyle that evolves as our life and priorities change.
It might happen that the version of Mindfulness and Minimalism that we practice right now won’t be the same next year. Maybe our focus has changed or we achieved our goals or whatever.
The key here is to stick with these philosophies. The daily intentional choices that we make to live minimally and mindfully become our habit and can bring out huge shifts in our life.
To conclude
Minimalism is a great way to practice mindfulness. It’s a way through which we clear out unnecessary clutter, create more time and space for ourselves, and choose to live in the present moment. On the other hand, mindfulness naturally guides us to embrace a minimalist lifestyle.
What are your thoughts on the same? Are you encouraged to incorporate Minimalism and Mindfulness into your life? Drop your views and answers in the comments below.
Hygge and Minimalism are the two popular concepts these days. Honestly, when I first heard of the Danish concept Hygge, I didn’t think that it would fit in with minimalism. That’s because I thought Hygge was all about creating cozy spaces with lots of candles, books, hot drinks, blankets, and pillows while minimalism was all about decluttering your space.
But, there’s a lot more common between these two philosophies than it looks like. After practicing them both for a long time, I realized that in the end, they promote similar values. For starters, they both require you to be mindful and intentional and guide you to live a meaningful life.
So, today I want to make work easy for you. I’ll dive deeper into the concepts of these two philosophies and explain how they complement each other in many ways.
How Hygge and minimalism go together
To understand that first, we have to understand the roots of Hygge and Minimalism and what they represent today.
What is Hygge?
Pronounced as HOOGA, it’s a popular Danish concept that originated in 1800. It’s quite difficult to explain Hygge because there is no direct English translation. But, it can be described as slowing down, being present in the moment, and finding contentment in everyday life.
Hygge is not about warm places, hot drinks, cozy blankets, and stuff like that, they’re just a part of it. You taking time to create a cozy space for yourself and later enjoying the quiet time mindfully is the real essence of Hygge.
How to get Cozy without the Clutter
What is Minimalism?
People often confuse a minimalist lifestyle with minimalistic designs. Plain white rooms, with a few pieces of essential furniture, is not the only thing that minimalism conveys.
Minimalism essentially means intentionally figuring out what actually matters to you the most or what adds value to your life, then removing everything that distracts you from focusing on those things.
It is not just about clutter around your house, it’s also about the clutter in your mind. Minimalism guides you to get rid of everything (a piece of furniture, a toxic relationship, a philosophy of life that’s not working for you, etc.) that buffers you from focusing on what’s important and helps you to live a mindful and simpler life.
Minimalism and Hygge – a combined concept
So, if Hygge is all about slowing down and cherishing simple moments, then it’s quite easy to spot how minimalism and Hygge go together.
Let’s discuss more, the word “hyggelig” represents a nice and clean home without clutter, but it must have a comfortable and warm atmosphere.
Clutter is actually considered an enemy of coziness when it comes to Hygge. That’s obvious because the more clutter you’ll have the more distracted you’ll be and that will totally buffer you from enjoying simple moments in life.
Moreover, Hygge and Minimalism both rest on one thing – Intentionality.
Let’s understand this by an example – Instead of stuffing their homes with the latest gadgets and high-quality couches, Hygge enthusiasts will intentionally focus on creating a homey atmosphere.
In the same manner, Minimalists will intentionally prioritize using simpler things to maintain their focus on what’s important.
Hygge and Minimalism, both are tools that you can utilize to live an intentional life full of contentment and gratitude.
So, that’s how both of these philosophies overlap. But, how can you combine them in your life?
Here are a few practical tips for the same –
Buy only those things that you love and use. Find a balance between functionality and joy.
Stick to a neutral color scheme for your home. This is important to create relaxing spaces.
Use dim lights and candles (be sure that they don’t emit strong fragrances) to create a warm radiance.
Prioritize different areas of your life. Find comfort in everything that you do. Invest only in the things that you truly value.
Don’t decorate your home to show-off. Decorate only if you love to do it.
To conclude
Hygge is about simplifying and surrounding yourself with the things that you love and value. It’s not about extravagance, but taking pleasure in the simplicity of your surroundings. This is exactly similar to what minimalism conveys.
While we love the cozy feeling of a cluttered home, it’s not always practical (or healthy). If you’re looking to simplify your life, start by decluttering your home and living room. Get rid of any furniture pieces that don’t serve a purpose or take up too much space. Utilize storage spaces to keep your living area tidy and organized. And finally, follow our great tip for taking just 20 minutes each day to live a clutter-free life. How are you going to take these steps to achieve a minimalist lifestyle? Let us know in the comments below!
From kindergarten to adulthood, we all have learned that plastic is our foe and a nemesis to our environment. However, we have made it our best friend. If you need proof, look around your house and count things made out of plastic. I bet there is plenty.
But you are not alone. The few reasons we have refused to let go of plastic is because it’s cheaper and convenient to use. But isn’t it hassling for our environment and our health? Not only does it takes millions of years to decompose, but it also produces harmful toxins when burnt – Believe it or not, we as a species are on death row if we don’t change our ways at the earliest.
Our environment has been nothing but kind to us. We owe it that much to protect it. We cannot be selfish anymore, especially if we want our children and our children’s children to enjoy Earth.
Therefore, if you seem to agree, consider switching to a zero-waste lifestyle. It will not only save the environment but will also improve your way of life.
10 things for a zero-waste lifestyle
1. Use everything reusable
Our environment will be blessed if you just start with the kitchen. It includes boycotting tissue papers and disposable plates. Not only are they hard to recycle but also increase wastage tremendously. You can do better than that.
Having said that, switch to cloth napkins and steel/ glass utensils; you might not be exactly pleased washing the dishes, but it would be worth it if it does wonders for the environment. And if you have kids, this is a great opportunity to teach them how to wash dishes! Add it to their chore list and you are free from having to do dishes!
2. Be minimalist
The fewer things you own, the fewer things you will throw away, which ultimately means less burden on the environment. Hence, don’t live by the materialistic approach; on the contrary, become a minimalist. If you buy something, don’t buy extra. Likewise, don’t buy anything you wouldn’t need.
If you need help getting started in Minimalism, I have a whole category on it! Click the Minimalism category on the right here and get started!
3. Switch to glass bottles and glass jars
As I said before, it starts with the kitchen. Ditch the old plastic jars and plastic bottles today. Instead, go for more sustainable alternatives – the glass ones.
4. Make compost at home
Love to plant and maintain your own garden? Well, I’ve got good news for you. You can use your food waste to compost. Composting can help you convert food waste into fertilizers that will be a god-sent for your garden. (While you are at it, consider planting your own veggies. It’s healthy, easy on the pockets, and great for the environment)
Although I do understand that it might seem gross to you initially if you do it organically – but bear with it, focus on the result and benefits. However, you might spare yourself the trouble if you have composting communities or authorities near you.
5. Avoid leftovers, always make and consume as much as you can take
The goal is to reduce wastage, and let’s be honest for a moment – most of our wastage results from food. We waste too much food. So, stop that. Only eat what you can, and in the quantity, you can. The same goes for cooking – only cook that much which you can consume.
Additionally, if you have leftovers, make it a goal to finish them first, before cooking/buying something else.
The same goes for eating out or delivery — only order what you can eat and don’t bring the rest home. If you must, ask the restaurant if they have a plastic alternative you can use.
6. Don’t come back home with plastic bags
From grocery shopping to clothes shopping, we come back home with tons of plastic bags. No surprise as to why most of our homes are filled with it. It’s high time to boycott that.
If your local supermarket stores don’t understand that, be the bigger person. Take your own cloth bags or vegetable trolley, but whatever you do, don’t come back home with plastic bags. You can find some really cute ones on Etsy or from local makers, like some of the ones at Made with Love Market.
The same goes for plastic bottles, always keep a glass/copper one in your car. Refill it but don’t buy the packaged ones.
7. Always recycle
Recycling things might not be easy, but thanks to the growing environmental awareness, you can find various bodies that provide recycling services. From paper to tech accessories, you can recycle most of the products you buy that are not made of plastic.
Be sure to check with your local recycling company through the town or city as they may provide you with an extra bin for recycling free of charge.
8. Buy from local suppliers
Wondering how? Well, in a nutshell, you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint if you choose local suppliers over commercial ones. Look for your local farmers markets and buy from them. There have to be local beekeepers and local gardeners which you can purchase your products instead of going to the big box stores. It helps support the local economy as well as helps you reduce some of the local allergies you might have. If you don’t have a local farmers market, consider growing your own veggies and fruits like we are doing with our AeroGarden.
9. Go digital
Gadgets have made lives easier. Surprisingly, they have made things easier for the environment as well – at least when we are talking about reduced dependence on paper. Thus, take advantage of digitization to save the trees. Switch to E-newspapers, don’t go for paper bills, and invest in a kindle/iPad to read documents and books digitally. Doing so helps reduce the clutter in your home as well, which is a win for you and your family!
Well, that will do to get you started. Remember, the key is not perfection, but consistency. Don’t make changes for a while and be done with them – instead, make them a part of your lifestyle. Live with them. At the same time, don’t depend on others. If they are not smart enough to help the environment, that’s their loss – You do your job!
Mindfulness have a circular kind of relationship where both of them facilitate each other.
moment is an important part of mindfulness, and in a way, minimalism teaches us the same thing.
end goal. They both are a way of lifestyle that evolves as our life and priorities change.
because there is no direct English translation. But, it can be described as slowing down, being present in the moment, and finding contentment in everyday life.
get rid of everything (a piece of furniture, a toxic relationship, a philosophy of life that’s not working for you, etc.) that buffers you from focusing on what’s important and helps you to live a mindful and simpler life.
gratitude.
disposable plates. Not only are they hard to recycle but also increase wastage tremendously. You can do better than that.
on the right here and get started!
garden. (While you are at it, consider planting your own veggies. It’s healthy, easy on the pockets, and great for the environment)
packaged ones.
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