In today’s fast-paced world, most of us are constantly seeking ways to reduce stress and reclaim our lives. Learn to embrace the un-busy movement and stop glorifying busy as a positive way to spend your life.
The minimalist lifestyle is a popular solution to this problem and offers many benefits, including more time, less stress, and a more organized life.
But how can you start a minimalist lifestyle and reduce the chaos in your life? In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of minimalism and provide you with tips to get un-busy with minimalism.
Stop Glorifying Busy
The glorification of busy is popular among American culture. When you ask people how they’ve been, you often get a generic response of, “I’ve been busy.” Our conversation partner responds with a knowing head nod of acceptance and approval, approving of the fact that they are constantly occupied.
We equate hard work to being a good person. We hail people who put in relentless effort while being under-appreciated as morally superior. The rhetoric among friends or family eludes to the fact that being un-busy is self indulgent or lazy.
Messy to Minimalist
This comprehensive e-course covers everything from the mental shift necessary to minimize to the pushback you’ll receive from onlookers. Re-claim your time and block out the resistance.
Become Un-Busy
My goal in life is to do more of what I want to do, while eliminating things I have to do. I don’t want to do tedious things that are expected of me just because that’s what people are “supposed” to do, and I’m not ashamed to say it.
Clients who work with me to achieve a minimalist lifestyle are looking to take back control of their lives. Minimizing your stuff is just the visual outward expression of taking back that control.
Here are the first eight steps someone can take to get un-busy going forward.
Declutter
Decluttering is a crucial step in the minimalism journey. Begin by identifying items in your home that are no longer useful or bring you joy.
You can start with a small space, such as your kitchen counter or dresser, and work your way through each room. Consider donating or selling items that are still in good condition.
Decluttering Schedule: This printable allows you to follow along with a one month challenge I hosted on social media. For 31 days, you have one suggested space to declutter each day. Along with the schedule you will find a comprehensive blog post with advice, videos, and links to keep you engaged all month long. This resource is for those who want to get started with more guidance.
Practice Mindfulness
Minimalism is not just about reducing the physical clutter in your life, but also the mental clutter. Practice mindfulness by focusing on the present moment, instead of worrying about the past or future.
You can do this through meditation, journaling, or simply taking deep breaths. Your importance or value in the world is not increased by being stressed or spread thin. You deserve to feel calm and content the vast majority of the time.
Simplify your Schedule
We often pack our schedules with too many activities, leaving us feeling exhausted and stressed. Minimalism means simplifying your schedule to focus on what truly matters.
Prioritize your time, eliminate unnecessary commitments, and make time for self-care. One trick to getting un-busy, is to shift your time towards what you want to do, thereby eliminating time spent on what you’re supposed to do.
Quality Over Quantity
When it comes to purchasing items, consider quality over quantity. Instead of buying several cheaper items, invest in a few high-quality items that will last longer and bring you more satisfaction.
We often overlook the fact that every object in our possession was once money. The hours of your life you spend working for that money have more value than anything else on earth. Your time is your most precious gift. Don’t waste that time earning money to pay for stuff that you don’t want to need.
Embrace Simplicity
Minimalism is about embracing simplicity and letting go of excess. This means embracing simple, functional design in your home, as well as your clothing and accessories.
Err on the side of questioning if you need an item at all versus justifying why you should keep it. The more items you possess the more space you require in your home just to house the items, which costs money, aka time. Maintaining items has hidden costs that chip away at your time.
Digital Clutter
Emails, notifications, and messages bombard us in today’s digital world. Unsubscribe from emails you no longer need, limit social media usage, turn off notifications, and limit cellular data use by apps that are time sucks.
You do not owe anybody your time. Corporations benefit from the leash that digital communication has on you, holding you down from your potential, and it is entirely socially constructed. Every moment you spend scrolling is less time spent fulfilling your purpose, which is good for them, but bad for you.
Focus on Relationships
Minimalism is not just about reducing physical items, but also focusing on the relationships that matter most. Spend quality time with your family and friends, and focus on building meaningful relationships.
Among the top regrets people state on their deathbed is not spending enough time with the people they love. Everyone justifies their current time constraints and believes they will have more time later. You’ve heard people say, and you’ve probably said, “When things settle down I will….” There may never be the later that you are holding your breath for.
Say Yes
The minimalist lifestyle is about living in the moment and enjoying life’s simple pleasures. Instead of following the popular advice of saying, “No,” to activities you don’t want to do, embrace the opposite.
You will find that saying, “Yes,” to anything you want to do will naturally eliminate the drudgery of things you’re expected or supposed to do. Life is not about protecting your time from negative activities, it is about filling your time with positive experiences.
Un-Busy Your Life
Getting un-busy with minimalism is about simplifying your life and focusing on what truly matters. By decluttering your physical and mental space, simplifying your schedule, and focusing on meaningful relationships, you can reduce stress and live a more fulfilling life.
Your time is a precious gift. Above all, it is not selfish or indulgent to spend your time in a way you want. For the most part minimalism can aide in your transition to get un-busy.
