Hi everyone! I hope you're doing well. It is Autumn here in the Southern hemisphere,
something I never get used to, but with a change in season I've been thinking about
changes in my life and specifically the way minimalism has changed my life. So today I
wanted to share five minimalist habits with you that have changed who I am,
not only in terms of clutter and stuff, but in terms of how I live my life.
The first one is using what we already have. With minimalism I have learned to use what I have,
to be resourceful, but also to accept what I have and remembering it's enough. Remembering
that I don't need anything new or fancy to make me feel better or to solve a problem.
I think sometimes we get confused about convenience and its meaning.
We're constantly being told that we need to spend money to solve our problems, that we need to spend
money to be more productive and move faster in this world. But in doing so I feel as though I'm
losing something very important. I'm losing the time and space I so remember from my childhood.
The stillness and the silence of doing nothing, and of reaching for nothing,
and the moments of doing something with my hands something physical feels suddenly so much more
important. And doing things that feel physical and real and grounded give me a feeling of confidence.
A feeling of confidence and ability that no job or technology or online skill could ever give me,
and this confidence isn't loud or pushy but rather grounded and humble, it's more like
the soft and gentle confidence of that of my grandparents. And I find that when I use what I
have I am forced into a calmer way of living which ultimately has become a better way of living,
and although it's not always easy I find it so extremely valuable and important.
The second habit is not buying. I think consuming less is the foundation for minimalism,
but it's also become one of the foundations for my growth and happiness as a person. I used to spend
so much time buying things things I had very little use for, and things that I can't even
remember what they were. It sort of makes me a little bit sad. And I'd convince myself that what
I bought was necessities. I bought food, clothing, homeware, beautiful products, things I thought
I could use. And I kept on reasoning with myself that I needed them for one reason or another. It's
almost overwhelming the ripple effect that has come from simply not doing something, somehow it's
managed to change my priorities, my relationships and so many aspects of my day-to-day life.
And sometimes it feels difficult going against the status quo and not buying and not consuming,
but then I look at the nature surrounding me and suddenly it feels like the single most important
thing I can do. I think we get convinced that we have to do something in order to be helpful,
or in order to be valuable, and if I ever get confused or lost in my ways I
just look at nature and remember that the one thing I want to thrive on this Earth
is nature. Another habit that has somehow changed my life through minimalism is self-acceptance.
Minimalism means we can't rely on our things to tell the story of Who We Are.
It means, over time, that we have to let go of our attachment to our belongings.
Often our belongings are tied to our ideas and beliefs about ourselves and the world around us,
so with minimalism we are forced to let go of our story and potentially also any limiting
beliefs that are part of that. It is difficult to pinpoint, but I find this feeling of performing
when I'm telling my story, in looking a certain way or displaying certain values.
For example, curating the books in our home to tell a story of who we are, wearing a certain
colour to show the world what we're like. And we try so hard to control how others perceive us,
but it's just madness. And it's not only madness because it isn't good for our mental health,
but it's exceptionally mad because the items we buy or accumulate to impress others, they're made
from plastic. And any clothes that we buy to tell the story of who we are are manufactured
in rooms where we wouldn't last a second. Which means that telling my story in this way
comes with a cost, and I don't think I would have ever come to these conclusions
if not for minimalism forcing me to really evaluate and look at my values.
But it's not that minimalism removes beauty around us, because minimalism
does not mean the loss of beautiful things, rather it's just a shift in perspective.
A habit that I am falling less and less into thanks to minimalism is anxiety.
I've always struggled with anxiety and panic attacks ever since I was a little child,
and I think for me, maybe the best part of minimalism is the instant anxiety relief.
Not having any clutter in my life has instantly calmed me down as a person, and by not adding any
more clutter by more consuming I feel like I've found a mental clarity. And this mental clarity is
helping me in the more difficult moment, because there's this deep sense of freedom in owning less.
I find that I have less attachment, less care and worry and my ability to change and move freely and
go where I want to go has suddenly expanded. I'm no longer tied down by my possessions or
what they mean, there is a sense of freedom and emptiness that is grounded in acceptance.
I don't need an item to do something else, I don't need one thing to do another.
I'm no longer dependent on the things I own, which means there's less reaching and less effort, so
I can spend more gentle time with my feelings and allowing them to be felt. Because in interrupting
the moment of reaching, the moment of interrupting our desire to change how things are, how we feel,
the emptiness in that moment of stopping, of non-doing, there I find all the answers to my
anxiety. And it's important to remember that getting rid of things is easy,
and the more time I spend with less things the less I find that I can get rid of.
But not replacing these items that I've gotten rid of or not bought, that's when minimalism becomes
difficult. But thanks to this my mind has nowhere to go but to heal itself and to accept itself,
and somehow it's all thanks to minimalism. [Music] I really hope you like this video,
I know it's a bit different but I really enjoyed filming my surroundings and what
I've been up to and talking about minimalism, and I will see y'all next week with a new video. Bye!
yeah yummy
oh yeah
maybe you need to go now
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