5 Kinds Of Minimalism That Don’t Require You To Get Rid Of Your Belongings

Minimalism is a conscious mindset of freeing ourselves from clutter, physical possessions, and the need for bigger, better, and more.

For many of us, material possessions are the first thing that comes to mind when we hear about minimalism. But the application goes beyond the physical and into the metaphysical as well. These are areas of our lives that we can’t “touch”.

1. Minimize Social Media

We spend hours every day scrolling through the endless amount of content on social media. And we end up cluttering our minds with information that doesn’t benefit us.

How does your friend’s lunch or their kids playing in the snow improve your life? As controversial as this might sound, think deeply about that for a moment. It may help with creating a relationship, but rarely does that go beyond the superficial layer. Deep, meaningful connections rely on face-to-face interaction.

We can be so distracted by other people’s online lives that we forget about what’s in front of ours.

2. Minimize Relationships

In this hyperconnected world, we have hundreds if not thousands of superficial connections.

Be okay with gently letting go of them—especially those connections that do not bring any value into our life.

Instead, let us find our people—those who lift us and encourage us to be better. In turn, we do the same for them too. Find those that have strong, moral, ethical, and community-based values.

3. Minimize Food

We have an abundance of food options all year round. Dairy, out-of-season fruits and vegetables, and factory-made food are all within reach at any grocery store.

But this isn’t natural for our bodies. We consume more meat, dairy, sugar, and processed foods than our ancestors. We also eat way too much. It’s not a surprise why we have an increasing amount of food-related illnesses like heart disease, obesity, and diabetes globally.

Let’s minimize the amount of sugary, processed, and unnatural foods that go into our bodies. Instead, we should eat an anti-inflammatory diet that’s high in antioxidants and is good for our gut health.

4. Minimize Negative Emotions

Fear, guilt, pride, shame, and anger—these are negative and destructive emotions that cause many of today’s internal and external conflicts.

Instead of suppressing, escaping, or expressing them (in a negative way), let’s take some time to process them and let them go. Why do you feel guilty when you say no? What is causing your FOMO on social media? What is it about your job that’s making you so angry? We get so focused on the negatives that we forget the positives.

Start by keeping a journal, meditating, expressing gratitude, and practicing yoga. Many of us have more than enough to be grateful for.

5. Minimize Doing

We’re in a relentless pursuit of climbing the corporate ladder, making more money, and becoming more successful to the point where we put high amounts of stress on our bodies. Plus, we wear our dark circles, slouching bodies, and level of productivity as a badge of honor.

We have more than enough. Let’s slow down and stop overworking ourselves.