-M.Roshan Ganesh
Intern, May- July 2024
Minimalism can be defined as ‘living with the items that we truly need.’ We all have engaged in impulsive purchases at some point in our lives, it was either fuelled by social expectations, peer pressure, or validation. Being a minimalist teaches us to truly value the things that are important to us if enable us to live a more peaceful life free of desires and distractions. However, being a minimalist doesn’t necessarily mean renouncing worldly possessions and living like a monk. It encourages us to think more creatively, conserve our resources, and live more sustainably. The pandemic has been nothing short of an eye-opener for us it allowed us to reflect on our consumption habits and devise new ways to regulate them.
A minimalist behavior is more than an aesthetic style statement. It’s a promising approach that urges consumers towards adopting sustainable behaviors, which in turn improves their emotional and mental well-being. According to Rickly Boyd (2012), minimalism is not a compulsion; it's rather a choice that empowers a specific perspective on life. It can be understood as a tool to eliminate life’s excess, focus on the essentials, and find happiness and fulfillment.
Apart from extra savings in your account at the end of every month, there are numerous benefits associated with adopting a minimalist approach! Firstly it improves our overall happiness, we learn to be content with the things we have rather than crave more, it reduces stress, and anxiety, eliminates distraction, and helps us focus on planning our long-term goals rather than chasing instantaneous pleasures. We unconsciously begin to work with limited resources, reuse items, conserve resources, and reduce overall levels of consumption in all domains of life.
Some of the ways we can apply a minimalistic mindset to daily life include: organizing our homes, starting with closets, kitchens, workspaces, and digital workspaces in terms of emails, message boards, and folders. In a professional setting such as offices or colleges, one can instantly improve workflow and productivity by streamlining the work process, communicating clearly by avoiding the use of excessive technical jargon and maintaining a clutter-free desk.
We often use mental shortcuts to make decisions throughout the day. For example, you decide to help an old lady cross the road because she reminds you of your grandmother. We often apply these shortcuts instinctively to complete everyday tasks, simplify complex information, and make fast and accurate decisions. Minimalism emphasizes making the best use of the available resources. By applying this to various aspects of everyday life we can finish the task at hand successfully with limited use of cognitive resources. There are various methods one can adopt to declutter the mind and prioritize tasks thereby ensuring the quality of the work without compromising on productivity.
To conclude adopting a minimalist approach helps us slow down, enjoy doing the task, and find a greater meaning and purpose in life. Materialism and consumerism have drastically led to an increase in products, societal expectations, and competition. Minimalist attitude is essentially centered around the philosophy ‘Less is More’. It allows us to think of creative ways to overcome problems with limited resources, thereby contributing to improved self-realization and awareness. We learn to be more grateful and begin to appreciate the smaller things in life.
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