Minimalism - What is it?
Originally published on RY Blog.
Tonight I watched a documentary about minimalism. Among many things, it discussed material possessions and the consumer culture in which we live. But the message behind the documentary - or at least the message I received from the documentary - was not merely about detaching ourselves from material possessions. Instead, it was about encouraging people to find happiness and most importantly, it was about encouraging people to find their own form of freedom.
So what is minimalism and why is everyone talking about it?
Let me be clear in stating that there is no one “correct” definition of minimalism. Just as there is no one “correct” definition of a human being. A lifestyle is often altered when it is transferred from one person onto the next. Therefore, the way I portray a minimalist lifestyle, might not be the same way you do and that’s absolutely fine – in fact, that’s wonderful! Minimalism is, the process of making conscious and deliberate decisions about the material possessions you currently own and are going to buy in the future. It helps you evaluate the amount of value you derive from material items and further, how much you value the other things in your life – often described as the more important things, i.e. family, friends, mental health. Many of the people interviewed throughout Minimalism discussed the unhappiness their jobs brought them; their minimalist lifestyle change providing them with an escape route to a freer, happier life. But minimalism can be understood to mean much more than just getting your own life in order, it can be a way in which we can start protecting our planet against big business. It can be a way in which we, as a global society, can change the future generations outlook on how much we really need to live comfortably.
So what can we do?
The first thing we can do, is to stop spending more than we earn. By living within our means, we are one step closer to dismantling the societal structures that have created the consumer culture in which we currently reside. Saving money is a good thing. My good friends have recently begun putting all their spare change in a glass jar when they get home from work and/or university and this is a great place to start. Little steps like this, will eventually lead to big advantages.
The next step would be looking at your home and evaluating what you actually use and what you don’t. Your most cluttered spaces will probably be your wardrobe or book shelves. Now, I am not going to tell you to get rid of all your clothes and books – because they may make you happy – but I am asking you to consider their value. In Minimalism, they discuss a fashion challenge called ‘Project 333’. Essentially, the challenge “invites you to dress with 33 items or less for 3 months”. Included in the 33 items are clothes, accessories, jewellery and shoes. The rest of your wardrobe is boxed up and put out of sight for the duration of the exercise. This is ingenious, and if you’ve ever been backpacking, you’ll know how easy it is to live lightly. So why not live lightly?
Minimalists have been known to completely down size their space. The phenomenon of Tiny Houses is spreading the world like wildfire. My sister and brother in law have plans to travel with my nephews, and live in a tiny house; a very admirable idea of countless fronts. And I think it’s quite an awesome concept. But you can minimise your space without downsizing to a tiny house. This is again about living within your means, considering your options consciously and deliberating.
Now, one of my favourite topics when it comes to minimalism is the environmental benefits that could come from the lifestyle. So consider this – an unpackaged food store. A friend recently shared a video on her Facebook page that was about an unpackaged food store and it got me thinking about the pros and cons of such an idea. Initially, I considered the cost and feasibility. It was obvious that the cost and feasibility for a university student or working single or couple, would be completely different from that of a family of five. But with this in mind, I considered what little changes would be achievable. Getting rid of, or minimising the amount of plastic you consume is really important on many environmental fronts. I know that I struggle with this myself and I definitely appreciate the plastic bag laws in Canberra because when I’m travelling and am without a canvas shopping bag, I often revert back to taking the generic plastic bags away. Keep in mind that you’re not a horrible person if you do this, but you defiantly need to consciously consider these choices more now than ever. Converting to an unpackaged food store is not easy, in fact it is a process that will take time. Don’t simply chuck out all your food in the house and buy jars to go shopping with. That in itself will be a waste of food and a detriment to the environment. But be more considerate in the future when purchasing goods. The Sustainable Table has a great online directory for Australian unpackaged food stores and and for all our international friends, Bepackt got you covered.
Remember that “[m]inimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favour of focusing on what’s important—so you can find happiness, fulfilment, and freedom”. It is an individual journey and it is something that takes time. Nothing worth having is ever easy.
Australia Wide Unpackaged Food Stores:
Food Co-op Shop
3 Kingsley St, Canberra 2601
(02) 6230 7505
Cafe: M-F 8am - 2pm Store: M-F 10am - 7pm, S-S 10am - 4pm
http://foodco-opshop.com.au/
Wasteless Pantry
Shop 17, Mundaring Shopping Village, 7295
Great Eastern Highway, Mundaring WA 6073
(08) 9295 6440
Monday - Thursday 9am to 5.30pm
Friday & Saturday 9am to 5pm
Sunday 11am to 5pm
http://www.wastelesspantry.com.au/contact-us/
The Source Bulk Foods Brunswick
112 Sydney Road, Brunswick Melbourne 3056 (03) 9388 1005
The Source Bulk Foods Balmain
262 Darling St, Balmain NSW 2041 (02) 9810 0095
The Source Bulk Foods Bulimba
Shop 3, 134 Oxford St Bulimba QLD 4171 07 3217 9581
The Source Bulk Foods Byron Bay | Sydney
Shop 1, 107 Jonson Street Byron Bay NSW 2481. (02) 6680 8916
The Source Bulk Foods Glenelg
Shop 8, Bayside Village Shopping Centre Glenelg, Adelaide 5045 (08) 7225 5036
*** The Source Bulk Foods have many stores – look here, https://thesourcebulkfoods.com.au/all-our-stores/ for more locations.
Naked Foods Organic Health Foods Bulk
Shop 7 310-330 Oxford St, Bondi Junction
Mon to Sat – 9am to 6pm
Sun – 10am to 5pm
(02) 9387 4935
Naked Foods Organic Health Foods Bulk
195 King St, Newtown
Mon to Fri – 11:00am to 8:30pm
Sat- 10:00am to 8:00pm
Sun- 11:00am to 6:00pm
(02) 9516 1158
Naked Foods Organic Health Foods Bulk
Shop 60, 30 Lonsdale Street, Braddon ACT
Mon to Fri – 10:00am to 7:00pm
Sat- 9:00am to 5:00pm
Sun- 10:00am to 4:00pm
(02) 6247 1238
*** Naked Foods Organic Health Foods Bulk have many stores – look here, http://nakedfoods.com.au/store_locator/ for more locations.
Bibliography:
Babauta, L. (2017). Minimalist FAQs. Retrieved March 18, 2017, from Mnmlist: http://mnmlist.com/minimalist-faqs/
Becker, J. (2017). Benefits of Minimalism. Retrieved March 18, 2017, from Becoming Minimalist: http://www.becomingminimalist.com/benefits-of-minimalism/
Carver, C. (2016). Project 333. Retrieved March 18, 2017, from Be More With Less: http://bemorewithless.com/project-333/
Fields Millburn, J., & Nicodemus, R. (2017). What Is Minimalism? Retrieved March 18, 2017, from The Minimalists: http://www.theminimalists.com/minimalism/
Wright, C. (2010, September 15). Minimalism Explained. Retrieved March 18, 2017, from Exile Lifestyle: http://exilelifestyle.com/minimalism-explained/
