Minimize So You Can MAXIMIZE
Minimalism is the practice of reducing one's material posessions, focusing on materials that are meaningful, in order to free up mental capacity for intangible things.
Minimalism Benefits
Saves money from the cost of extraneous goods
Better for the environment because there is less waste
Opens up space in mind and heart to care about people, events, concepts learned, etc.
Reduces stress of managing higher number of items in your home or life
Makes an area more "visually appealing"
Saves money for experiences abroad, charitable donations, etc.
Makes it easier to clean your home
Leaves space to showcase items most important to you
Minimalism and Creativity
Minimalism reduces distractions in your working and home environment. Additionally, owning less possessions reduces distractions in your mind. Rather than thinking about watering your 37 plants you can think about ideas for your English paper due Friday. Rather than noticing a pile of unread books and a baket of trinkets you'll never use, you can enjoy your time with a friend over.
Seeing thousands of objects around you is distracting for your eyes as well. Perhaps you're reading or working on a math packet, but as you think about what you just saw in front of you, you glance around your room filled with old stuffed animals and childhood video games. Your occiptal lobe in the brain begins processing what you see instead of thinking about your book or math questions.
So, without these things for your eyes and brain to fixate on, you can keep thinking about an art assignment or the story you're sharing with your friend on the phone.
Minimalism and Everything
Beyond creativity, minimalism frees the mind of:
excess stress about money (spending less on excess goods)
time cleaning or organizing excess materials
environmental impact of waste or purchases
"A clutter-free environment leads to less stress, less clutter, and less cleaning."
Minimalism: What to Do
For immediate impact, clean your desk.
Donate or pass to a sibling your excess staplers, erasers, old papers from elementary school, etc.
Keep what you need: a computer or laptop, current notebooks or notes, a few pencils and pens, and maybe some scratch paper.
Next, you can clean your closet and bedroom of things you don't need anymore. Think "if my home burned down, would I be sad about not having this in my new home?" Yes, it's a tad morbid, but it does the trick.
Once you've minimized, you'll notice improvements in focus, creativity, and mental clarity. Congrats! You've maximized your mental capacity just by minimizing your material posessions.
Written by: Siena