Minimalism.
Minimalism has become my favorite approach to tackling my household. In fact, minimalism is a great way to tackle motherhood (and life in general) because less is better. You can clean faster, organize quicker, and see through your entire house. Believe me, it has eased up my stress and anxiety levels and I can enjoy my children much more throughout the day when there is less to clean up.
Minimalism has become more popular throughout the years. Hugely popular in areas where square foot surface is limited – such as Japan for instance – the trend encourages homeowners to declutter and focus on what the essential items they need.
Declutter makes life simpler. Motherhood is full of messes. So when there are less toys, less clothes, dishes, and other “stuff”, there will be more time to mother and love on the family instead of cleaning up and putting stuff away.
But Why?
Rooms appear bigger and more spacious. Money is saved as a result of selling unwanted or unused items, and canceling unnecessary subscriptions (Amazon, magazines, pantry items etc.) . Also, this may not be obvious at first but decluttering and “junking” out certain items will improve your mental health. You may be surprised that your depression, anxiety, and stress levels will go down. Something that a lot of moms struggle with.
Health and Minimalism
So is there a link between your health and being a minimalist? Yup, and there are certain steps you can take to improve your mental health even more. You need less of everything. Simple, right? Of course this doesn’t mean to throw everything away. Be selective of the things that mean most to you. But also be honest with yourself if certain items have any value at all.
There is a healthy balance with all things. And the same applies to “minimalism” or decluttering your home/life.
Too Much of Everything
The holidays just ended. The results of Christmas is EXCESS! Food, toys, clothes, materialistic items, and just stuff. We live in a society where it’s easy to have more than what we actually need. Amazon makes this so easy with just the click of a button! On average Americans put on 0.6kg in the days after Christmas (close to 1.5lbs). Too much food because most of us fear on missing out on all the festivities. But honestly your body was not designed to overeat.
Interesting enough, happiness is a small portion of food [Greek philosopher Epicurus).
Listen to Your Body–Not Your Cravings
The problem of having too much food is that you are tempted to eat more, which leads to cravings. Your cravings have a meaning. Getting to understand them is the key to reducing the amount of food you consume. In addition, understanding your cravings also gives your body precisely what it needs. Less is always more when it comes to food. For instance, craving sweets is a sign of blood sugar irregularities or hormonal imbalances. Chocolate cravings often indicates a magnesium deficiency. Of course, stress and hormones play a part in these cravings to a certain extent.
Too Many Personal Care Items
Your bathroom might be too cramped with too many unnecessary items. The beauty industry offers way too many skincare creams, lotions, serums, makeup, hair care products, etc. Too much skin products can lead to unpleasant skin conditions. If you struggle with inflamed and itchy facial rashes, your facial care and fragrances could just be the underlying issue. An excess of beauty products can also cause a breakout. Skin tightness, irritation, and excessive shine or oil are significant signs that your beauty cabinet needs a clear out. Junk out and your skin will thank you. Go with natural personal care items.
You need less, which equals more space.
Cut Down Your Bathroom Routine
As you choose to clear out your creams and lotions, you might want to spend some time considering the rest of the content of your bathroom cabinet. Get rid of everything that has been opened for several months. For instance, makeup products, body lotions, deodorants, nail polishes, etc.
Turn your focus on what you use most and stick with it. This will declutter your bathroom, which in turn will declutter your household. Why not make it easier by taking one of the best toothbrush subscription programs around to ensure a fresh toothbrush every 3 months? On average Americans change their brushes less than twice a year. Gross! Besides, you can also take a beauty box subscription to get new skin essentials regularly. Save money, time, and get rid of old products.
What About All Those Pills?
Last, but not least, your bathroom cabinet and kitchen/medicine cabinet probably contains a few boxes of pills and tablets. There’s no denying that you might want to review what you need to keep — vitamin supplements. But anything that is out of date and that serves little purpose should be replaced by healthy habits instead.
Consuming a whole food diet with a huge variety of fruits and vegetables will limit your intake of certain pills/vitamins. Choose healthy habits and in the long run you will have less to worry about.
While having less might not seem like a good idea at first, you will thank yourself in the long run. An organized home and lifestyle has been proven to give you a happier and more stress free outlook on life.
Happy decluttering!
