What Minimalism Means to Me
There's a lot of discussion going around in the minimalism community about what minimalism really is. Some people say you aren't a minimalist until you have less than 100 possessions, some people say you are a minimalist as soon as you consider yourself one and some people say something completely different. In my opinion you get to define minimalism yourself. Sure, you've probably missed the point of minimalism if you have to rent extra storage for your stuff and keep buying cute things every time there's a sale, but hey, it's not my place to judge.
Looking at what I own, I don't consider myself a minimalist. I am definitely interested in minimalism and I try to be a conscious consumer, but I still have things in my home that I want to get rid of. You might wonder why I haven't just gotten rid of those things yet, and there's a simple explanation; I'm a panner. My closet has gotten decluttered a few times and my childhood room got a good cleanse last summer, but when it comes to my problem areas, I want to use things up instead of just getting rid of them.
As you may know if you follow my panning instagram, I have panning projects both for my makeup and my stationery. These are my two biggest problem areas. There's no point in just throwing things out, if I'm going to purchase a similar item in the near future. I might as well let it sit in a drawer and use it up when the time comes. Things like DVD:s and CD:s can go when I no longer want them, but lipsticks, notebooks and socks deserve to be used. It doesn't matter if my socks don't bring me joy. Not purchasing new socks and therefore not contributing to the production of new socks sure gives me joy! That is way more important for me. Yes, my desk drawers are full of stationery for a while longer, but that's okay. In a few years they won't be and during those years I won't have to purchase a single thing. The things themselves might not give me joy, but the satisfaction of using them up does. That's what panning is all about and my minimalism journey is a panning journey.
Minimalism for me is a minimalist mindset. It is the realization that you don't need everything you think you need, but still allow yourself to keep the stuff that you enjoy. You might not need all the seasons of Doctor Who on DVD, but you might enjoy watching them regularly which I think justifies keeping them. Same with that face serum you own, you might get the same effect just using your moisturizer, but if you enjoy skin care, you shouldn't have to deprive yourself just because someone else thinks the things you enjoy are unnecessary. It is your life, it is your home, it is your habits and it is your minimalism. A person who works from home needs to own different things that a person who doesn't, a student needs to own different things that a factory worker and a parent of two children and a dog needs to own different things than someone who lives alone. And it is perfectly okay to own things that makes your life easier even if it's not completely necessary. Like that book you keep going back to. It's okay to own it even though you can easily access it at the library. This is just the case and it is no one's place to judge.
Minimalism should be undemanding and comfortable. It's meant to reduce stress, not add to it. Minimalism is a mindset and a tool I use to live a better life, not a way to punish myself and get rid of the things I love. You have to own things in today's society if you want to live comfortably. Sure, you don't need a smartphone in order to survive, but it sure makes your life a whole lot easier. Don't judge.
Looking at what I own, I don't consider myself a minimalist. I am definitely interested in minimalism and I try to be a conscious consumer, but I still have things in my home that I want to get rid of. You might wonder why I haven't just gotten rid of those things yet, and there's a simple explanation; I'm a panner. My closet has gotten decluttered a few times and my childhood room got a good cleanse last summer, but when it comes to my problem areas, I want to use things up instead of just getting rid of them.
As you may know if you follow my panning instagram, I have panning projects both for my makeup and my stationery. These are my two biggest problem areas. There's no point in just throwing things out, if I'm going to purchase a similar item in the near future. I might as well let it sit in a drawer and use it up when the time comes. Things like DVD:s and CD:s can go when I no longer want them, but lipsticks, notebooks and socks deserve to be used. It doesn't matter if my socks don't bring me joy. Not purchasing new socks and therefore not contributing to the production of new socks sure gives me joy! That is way more important for me. Yes, my desk drawers are full of stationery for a while longer, but that's okay. In a few years they won't be and during those years I won't have to purchase a single thing. The things themselves might not give me joy, but the satisfaction of using them up does. That's what panning is all about and my minimalism journey is a panning journey.
Minimalism for me is a minimalist mindset. It is the realization that you don't need everything you think you need, but still allow yourself to keep the stuff that you enjoy. You might not need all the seasons of Doctor Who on DVD, but you might enjoy watching them regularly which I think justifies keeping them. Same with that face serum you own, you might get the same effect just using your moisturizer, but if you enjoy skin care, you shouldn't have to deprive yourself just because someone else thinks the things you enjoy are unnecessary. It is your life, it is your home, it is your habits and it is your minimalism. A person who works from home needs to own different things that a person who doesn't, a student needs to own different things that a factory worker and a parent of two children and a dog needs to own different things than someone who lives alone. And it is perfectly okay to own things that makes your life easier even if it's not completely necessary. Like that book you keep going back to. It's okay to own it even though you can easily access it at the library. This is just the case and it is no one's place to judge.
Minimalism should be undemanding and comfortable. It's meant to reduce stress, not add to it. Minimalism is a mindset and a tool I use to live a better life, not a way to punish myself and get rid of the things I love. You have to own things in today's society if you want to live comfortably. Sure, you don't need a smartphone in order to survive, but it sure makes your life a whole lot easier. Don't judge.
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