How Living Minimally Is Good For Your Mental Health

Written By Anelisa Nokoyo / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

Between minimalist guru Marie Kondo and the tiny house movement going viral, living with less is all the rage right now. What makes minimalism so appealing is the fact that it not only saves you money and time but is beneficial to your mental health as well. If you’re thinking of downsizing or need that extra motivation to live a more minimalist lifestyle, keep reading to learn how living minimally can benefit your life in wondrous ways.

It Keeps Your Organized

We all know how difficult it can be to get organized and get things done in a room filled with clutter. Reducing your clutter and living minimally can help to improve your focus, prioritize your life better so you can set goals, and achieve them. 

Minimalist Living = More Gratitude

Showing gratitude can improve your mood and minimize stress, and minimalism makes us more grateful and generous. As you get rid of clutter and donate extra valuables, you realize how fortunate you are to have all this stuff in the first place.

Also, the less attachment you have to things, the less attached you are to the idea of control in other areas of your life. You don’t feel like you need to cling to how things need to happen and are grateful for what you have.

Minimalism also prevents you from comparing your stuff to other people’s stuff. Trying to keep up with buying expensive things or social status can be very exhausting. It’s freeing to know that you have everything you need, and you don’t have to keep up with what everyone is buying and doing.

You’ll Make Better Choices

Minimalism makes you more conscious of your spending and you will no longer engage in impulsive spending. Since you’re no longer buying trinkets and accessories that you don’t need, you’ll become more conscious of where you’re spending money. Or, you can choose to get by making less money which allows you to work less and live the life that you want.

Living below your means will also make it easier to make financial decisions when necessary. You’ll find yourself reading reviews, comparing different items, and prioritizing quality over quantity every time you need to make a purchase. So, minimalism can also help you buy better stuff as you will take more time to think about your purchasing decisions.

Living minimally also empowers you to make your own decisions instead of doing things because everyone else is doing them. You end up only doing things that make sense to you and add to your health and happiness. Owning fewer items also frees you up to allocate more time to exercise, spend quality time with family or pursue your passion projects. 

Contentment Will be Yours

Because you are not always searching for the next thing to buy, you’re more likely to feel more content in life. Minimalism will also help you realize that you have everything you need and that buying something new will not change anything. It empowers you to know that if you want to change things in life, then it is up to you to change them. Nothing outside of you can give you the peace, happiness, and contentment that you need.

It’s Healthier for You

You will find that healthy eating and living are not that complicated once you simplify your life. You will not get lost in the minefield of recipes and different diets because simple, satisfying meals are often much healthier for you. Minimalism will also simplify the way you cook and prepare meals as your kitchen will now have less clutter than before.

You’ll spend less time in the kitchen, but the quality of your food will improve and clean-up will be much easier and faster, leaving you with enough time to read, write, meditate and do other things to improve your mental health.

You’ll Build Better Relationships

By focusing on what matters, we may have more time available to spend time with loved ones or invest less time and energy in toxic relationships. Instead, we’re able to pivot to people that lift us up and bring love and light to our lives.

Say Goodbye to the Infinite Scroll

Once you adopt the minimalist lifestyle, you’re more intentional with your time and how you use technology. You no longer waste time mindlessly scrolling through your phone or comparing yourself to others. Spending less time on social media can do wonders for your mental health, eliminating anxiety, stress, and depression. 

It’s Easier to Keep Your Space Clean

Keeping your home clean can help to reduce stress levels, and with less clutter around it is so much easier to keep a clean home. Doing laundry is also easier because you are less likely to buy high-maintenance clothing or fall into the trap of fast fashion.

Also, your space just feels good when there is less visual clutter. You get to appreciate the small things in life, and you’ll be surprised at how content and free you’ll feel when there are fewer things around you. 

The Flexibility to Pursue Your Dreams

Encumbering oneself with excess weighs us down and impedes our ability to live life to the fullest. In fact, consumerism can really bog us down because possessions don’t define who we are, and the ongoing pursuit of external things prevents us from experiencing life to the fullest. 

On the other hand, having less stuff allows you to move or travel whenever you feel like it. It gives you the freedom and flexibility to take up a new hobby or invest in something that will make your life better.

Minimalism releases you from the weight of consumerism and it can help you experience less decision fatigue. Vacations are much more fun and carefree because you’ll travel light instead of lugging heavy luggage everywhere. You also will not be walking around wondering if you should buy stuff.

Minimalism means living with the bare essentials, reducing the clutter in your life, and not overextending ourselves. The less you own, the less you have to lose and the less you have to worry about. You are able to find joy in the world because you don’t have to own what you enjoy. Why buy a home with a massive garden when you can go for a walk in the woods for free?

As author Toni Morrison once said, “If you want to fly, you have to give up everything that weighs you down.” 

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Written By:

Anelisa Nokoyo is a South African native who is a copywriter and tiny house enthusiast. She enjoys nothing more than spending time in nature and her dream is to one day have her own skoolie that she can use to travel around Africa and explore nature in all its beautiful forms.

Reviewed By:    

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.

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