What are the benefits of living a minimalist lifestyle?
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT,  Personal Thoughts

I Only Have Two Pairs of Jeans

A week after I quit my day job as a civil engineer, one thing that I did was declutter my closet. I packed my corporate uniforms, all my worn jeans, as well as other clothes that I have kept for a while but I rarely use and donated most of them to fire victims and to the people from remote areas that could barely afford anything.

minimalist lifestyle

Now, I’m left with two pairs of jeans. One is light and the other is dark.

I also kept two skirts, seven casual blouses, and house clothes and undergarments that are good for one week. Since I’m just working from home and I rarely go out that much, I don’t need that many clothes unlike before when I still had my corporate job. I also do the laundry weekly so I’m only keeping the house clothes and undergarments that are enough for a week of use.

I don’t own many things either. I could literally move out any time of the day with a backpack. This might be unusual for most women, I know, but I have always been living a minimalist lifestyle and I never even realized it until I came across a documentary about minimalism last weekend entitled “Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things“.

The documentary “Minimalism” features interviews with people from all walks of life, including musicians, designers, architects, and more. They discuss how minimalism has helped them in their day-to-day lives. The film also highlights the benefits that come from living a minimalist lifestyle like having less stress on your personal finances or being able to take care of other responsibilities quickly because you have fewer things to worry about.

What is the Minimalist Lifestyle?

The minimalist lifestyle is all about living with only the things you need. It simplifies life in order to focus on what matters most. As a minimalist, I feel like I have escaped from the endless cycle of buying and accumulating more things that do not add value to my life.

And instead of focusing my time on acquiring unnecessary items, I find happiness in spending time with my self-growth, with my loved ones, or with new adventures and life experiences. It also allows me to find joy in simple and little things that do not concern any material possession.

Also, one of the best things about having this lifestyle is I have more energy and time to focus on my priorities.

An example would be buying home necessities. I admit I really suck at buying groceries since I hate having too many options. I often pick the first one that will catch my eye even if there’s a lot of cheaper options out there. I easily get drained when I still have to decide which one should I buy out of ten or more brands available on the stand. And since I’m currently living with my sister, I entrust this activity to her.

Because of skipping small decisions like buying groceries, I’m able to conserve my mental power for things that require bigger decisions. And because of choosing not to focus on smaller tasks, I could give my best self to my most important tasks.

I know I may suck at being a housewife in the future but I guess I can just entrust buying groceries to my future husband? I just hope it doesn’t drain him as much as it drains me. Don’t worry love, I’m a good cook! 😉

What are the benefits of living a minimalist lifestyle?

1. Less stress – less clutter means less stress.

2. More time – when you have fewer items, it’s easier to keep your home clean and organized.

3. Save money – with the amount of storage space you’ll save, you can afford more things that are important to you.

4. Better sleepstudies show that people who live a minimalist lifestyle get better sleep because they’re not stressed about their belongings or where they put them.

5. Healthier life overallstudies also show that living a minimalistic lifestyle leads to healthier lifestyles overall.

6. A sense of accomplishment– after decluttering your house and making it look beautiful, there is nothing like walking into an empty room knowing all the work was done by yourself!

Is this adding value to my life?

Whenever I want to buy something, I always ask myself: “Is this adding value to my life?” If not, I just skip the idea no matter how fancy that thing is.

I hate hoarding things only to keep them in the cabinet in perpetuity without having them serve their purpose. I think if these things could only talk, they will also tell us how useless and worthless they will feel if they’re not used. Yet aside from consuming too much space, it’s just like flushing money down the drain.

But I also realized that I practice the concept of minimalism, not just in personal belongings but most especially in my relationships and my daily activities. Here are some of the questions that I usually ask myself:

  • Does this align with my values?
  • Does this contribute to my goal?
  • Will this contribute to my overall growth?
  • Who can I ask for help?
  • Is this person really adding value to my life?
  • Do I really need to do this?
  • Am I doing this to please myself or to please others?
  • Would it cost me peace of mind?
  • If there’s one big thing I would do today, what would it be?



Living a minimalist life also allows me to have time for introspection and creativity as well as peace of mind knowing that everything has its place – where it belongs!

Overall, this simple way of living will ensure there’s more time spent doing what matters most: enjoying each day by taking responsibility for myself without feeling guilty or resentful over anything materialistic.

How do I start a minimalist lifestyle?

1. Identify your values

Living a minimalist life can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. The first step is being aware of your values, and then striving for the lifestyle that fits those beliefs! Don’t do it just because it sounds cool or that’s what everybody else is doing.

Minimalism isn’t just for the sake of making things minimal – it’s about actively choosing what we hold onto in order to make sure everything reflects our most important beliefs.

What’s important to YOU?

Once you have a clear vision, the next step is to start decluttering your space.

2. Get rid of the unnecessary

Identify the things in your home that are no longer needed but have sentimental value – these may not all live up to their original purpose and need more space than they provide even if there isn’t anything wrong with them. Identify one item per day; this could mean going through each room and closet or identifying just one thing when something comes into view during the course of a day. Then, let go of what doesn’t serve its purpose anymore!

If you want to start cutting down on your possessions or decluttering, here’s how:

  • Take inventory of what you own and how often it’s used
  • Put things in order from most-used to least-used
  • Purge unused items or give them away so they can serve their purpose to someone else

To help stop accumulating more stuff, you can explore these tips:

  • Go to the grocery store with a plan in mind (e.g. what items and brands to buy, having a list of first and second-best options).
  • Only go on shopping sprees when necessary – don’t get lost in the process of browsing for hours at a time without purposeful intention.

3. Reflect

Finally, take time for introspection so that you know exactly which parts of your life deserve less attention. This doesn’t only concern material possessions but also relationships, habits, and life systems.

Intense introspection can be difficult to initiate, but it is an invaluable tool for self-improvement. You can start by journaling or meditating. When you delve deep into the nature of your own life and what’s working or not in different areas, you’ll gain a clearer picture of how to better spend your time going forward.

The power behind introspecting lies in understanding yourself well enough that you’re able to identify which parts are getting too much attention while also realizing those aspects deserving less focus so they don’t consume more than their fair share.

Here are some of the things I did after being more conscious about making my life more intentional. Maybe it could help you gain insights as well.

  • I make unhealthy habits more difficult to acquire and make the healthy ones more appealing. (e.g. I don’t have any game or shopping apps installed on my phone. Instead, I have apps for podcasts and digital books).
  • I have three FB accounts, all for different purposes: (1) Memes, (2) Communication, (3) Self-growth.
  • All my notifications are turned off (Messenger, Emails, Promotions) except for messages from my mains.
  • Whenever I’m spending time with the people I love, I always make sure to be more present at the moment (e.g. staying away from my phone or any form of distraction).
  • I only keep things and relationships that add value to my life.
  • When I’m doing something, I eliminate distractions until I’m done with the task or with a certain milestone.
  • I stay away from things, people, or situations that destroy my peace as much as possible.

Final Thoughts

It is not about living with nothing. Minimalism is all about what you need, without the excess baggage that distracts and drains your energy; it’s part of a personal journey to focus on what matters most in life.

Personally, minimalism allowed me to find joy in simple things like spending time with my loved ones or doing something new. I am proof of this – I have made my way through the endless cycle by simplifying my life so that I can focus more on self-growth, family, friends, and adventures.

Do you want to try it too? Then I have one important suggestion. Start with your closet.

Sheila is a civil engineer by profession but has switched careers to become a copywriter. She loves making sales through stories that are relatable to the average person. She's also a sucker for memes and thinks she’s the funniest person in the world (even though she knows that’s not true). Her favorite drink is Kopiko Brown coffee, but she'll also take tea or beer if it's offered.

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