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Like many others, I jumped on the minimalist bandwagon
when it blew up.
I've enjoyed embracing my capsule wardrobe,
whittling down my grocery list to the absolute essentials,
and surviving on a few extra loads of laundry
a month to keep my space clean.
But in quarantine, I've grown tired of looking
at the same bed sheets, wearing the same rotation of clothes,
and simply having fewer choices.
I embraced a minimalist lifestyle in part
to cut down on decision making.
But during quarantine, I found myself stuck inside
with more time on my hands, which somehow
made minimalism less appealing.
Like many others, I'm experiencing
quarantine fatigue.
And my minimalist lifestyle only seemed
to be contributing to that.
Quarantine forcing me to slow down a bit,
think about how I spend my time more mindfully,
and appreciate some of the habits
that I threw out during my minimalist makeover.
I've also discovered more joy in cooking and so many
other things now than I ever did before.
For example I used to be a huge fan of meal prepping.
It allowed me to save money, save time, and eat healthy.
But this was all during a period when
I was trying to maximize the amount of time I had.
Now cooking has been a welcome distraction.
As such, I've taken to experimenting
with new recipes at least every other day
and taking my time with cooking, instead
of meal prepping my breakfast as my batch lunch cooked
on the stove.
While this has meant that my grocery bill has increased,
it's been largely offset by the lack of dining out
during quarantine, and allowed me
to introduce something new, exciting,
and challenging into my daily routine.
I'm not a particularly good cook.
But I've enjoyed experimenting with new spices, foods,
and recipes and having the time to devote
to more complex dishes too.
Moreover, I've grown to appreciate the warmth
and comfort of a warm meal.
I typically batch prep overnight oats for my breakfast,
simply heating them up at my office when I need to.
But I've wound up really cherishing
the short amount of time it takes for me to make
my oatmeal every morning.
It sets the tone for my day when I take time
to cook myself a nourishing meal.
And it allows me to reset to when I do
the same for lunch and dinner.
Prior to quarantine, I constantly
start cooking as exhausting, frustrating,
and taking up too much of my time.
In embracing a more maximalist lifestyle,
though, I've discovered more joy in cooking and so many
other things than I ever did before.
And then there's my closet.
I enjoy my minimalist wardrobe, especially for the office.
But I've grown tired of wearing the same items of clothing day
in and day out.
Usually, my minimalist wardrobe allows
me to look polished and stylish in minutes.
Now however, I've grown exhausted
of the infinite ways in which I am able to pair
my clothes together.
During a time when nothing is new or different,
my wardrobe stagnancy is an added layer of frustration.
As such, I took advantage of Memorial Day
and quarantine deals to pick up a few new items, particularly
colorful ones.
Usually minimalist capsule wardrobe
stay away from too much color as neutrals are the easiest
to pair together.
But I'm not looking for easy right now.
I'm looking for outfits that can boost my mood
or allow me to spend a few extra minutes trying out new pairings
and styles.
Of course, this may not be the best for your budget.
And it's tough honestly a privilege
to be able to save money and time during quarantine.
For me, there's simply a guaranteed mood boost
from retail therapy.
And sometimes when quarantine fatigue is really setting in,
it can be nice to just embrace a quick jolt of energy.
Finally, quarantine has made me aware of my minimalist mindset
when it came to my own neighborhood.
I love the area of the city I live in.
But I especially adore frequenting my grocery stores,
restaurants, and bars.
This has especially helped me save both time and money
in our pre-COVID world since I knew exactly when to grab
the best happy hour deals at my favorite rooftop restaurant,
or I knew exactly what time to shop at my go to grocery store
to avoid the crowds.
But with half the stores and restaurants
I used to visit closed temporarily,
I've begun to re-explain the neighborhood I live in.
I shop at different grocery stores every week
and try new takeout restaurants that I'd previously never
had the time to stop in.
My minimalist lifestyle has bled into a minimalist mindset,
which I loved, especially because it offered me
comfort and didn't force me to spend too much time thinking
or researching a new spot to visit.
But with nothing but time during quarantine,
I've enjoyed pushing myself out of my comfort zone
and trying out new businesses, foods, and grocery patterns
than ever before.
Minimalism is about intentionality.
It's about letting go of the idea or concept
that you need more in life to keep you happy.
It's about feeling freedom through a more simplistic
lifestyle, whether that be a shorter grocery
list or a smaller wardrobe.
Right now though, our lives already feel simple.
There's a distinct lack of everything,
from the hustle and bustle we used
to curse to the in-person relationships that made up such
a big part of our happiness.
As such, I found myself turning away from minimalism
and embracing more, more groceries, more recipes,
more clothes, and more time consuming tasks.
I'm still doing this in an intentional manner.
But I'm intentionally opening up more than I did before.
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