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How To Let Go in Simple Living and Minimalism
Simple living and minimalism are becoming increasingly popular methods for people to declutter their lives and focus on cultivating intentional growth. Reducing our possessions and commitments through these practices is a journey worth embracing, but it isn’t an easy feat. One of the key components to effective and sustainable living through minimalism is to learn to let go.
Simplifying Projects Can Reduce Clutter
To embark on a journey of simple living, it’s important to dedicate yourself to two core concepts: removing what’s unneeded, and embracing the intent of why something is wanted. This process should begin by occasionally setting aside time to reflect and consider the stuff you possess and the commitments you have acted on. It’s possible that some things are no longer necessary or can be replaced by a more simplified version. Taking the first step of decluttering is both mentally and physically liberating and can help to reduce stress in the long run.
Reducing Commitments and Avoiding Overcommitment
Reducing your commitments is just as important as reducing your physical possessions. Commitments such as projects, hobbies, and even friendships can lead us to feeling overcommitted. To enter a journey of minimalism, one must assess the commitments they have and if any of them can be reduced sufficiently.
The Benefits of Letting Go: Less Stress and Anxiety
When committing yourself to both removing unneeded items and reducing commitments, it’s important to keep in mind the benefits. Letting go can open up room for growth and empowerment in the form of less stress and anxiety. Becoming free from the burden of juggling unnecessary items, projects, or commitments is an incredibly powerful realization.
Learn to Let Go of Unnecessary Items, Projects and Commitments
As such, learning to let go of both physical items, projects and commitments through minimalism is an act of self-love and is worth exploring. To enable yourself to treat yourself to such a freeing experience, here are a few helpful tips to get started on your own journey of learning to let go:
- Start small: Begin by decluttering one room of your house, or with a smaller project such as purging your closet. This will ease you into the process and build confidence.
- Develop a sense of awareness: Focus on being mindful and honest with how you feel when it comes to each item, project or commitment. This can help to keep you on track with what items you want to keep versus the items you can let go.
- Assess the item, project or commitment and determine why you need it: Consider if the item, project or commitment is meeting a primary need or serves an important purpose. Try not to think of things that could have random benefits.
- Give yourself permission to let it go: You can’t give what you don’t have. Of course, it is important to be generous and help others, but it’s equally as important to give yourself time and energy.
Learning to let go is an important part of simple living and minimalism. By maintaining a level of mindfulness and awareness, it’s possible to become intentional and begin to reduce your possessions and commitments without necessarily feeling like the transition is draining or impossible. As with all things, learning to let go takes patience, self-awareness and practice, but it is a journey worth exploring and a mindset worth embodying.
