How to start living a minimalist life?

I started living a minimalist life when I was fifty. "Minimalism" is not low-level simplicity, but a low-key and luxurious lifestyle. Minimalist life is reflected in: material subtraction and spiritual addition. The material subtraction allowed me to get rid of my obsession with material desires, remove my burden, and move forward lightly.

1. Cleaning out my closet is the beginning of my minimalist life

When I open my closet and see the piles of clothes, I always feel messy, and There is also the worry of "having nothing to wear".

In the past, I always had a "herd" mentality, chasing the so-called "trends", and buying the clothes I wanted without restraint every season.

Some clothes are just a psychological need. After buying them, they don’t wear them a few times and then they become idle.

Take out all the clothes in the closet. Pack up the clothes that have not been worn in a year or two, are inappropriate, worn out and inappropriate for the age group, and put them in the clothes in the community. inside the box.

Keep only your favorite clothes in your wardrobe. Looking at the clothes I like and the simple and clean wardrobe, my heart suddenly becomes much brighter.

2. Implementing a minimalist life starts by never buying new clothes

I am determined to lead by example and live our minimalist life by never buying new clothes.

Implement the "three no's" policy: no going to shopping malls; no more browsing online stores; no more visiting clothing stores.

The implementation is strong and the results are very good. My husband and I have not bought new clothes in a year. I decided to go ahead and do it.

I don’t know why, but I didn’t buy any new clothes. Not only did I not feel sad, but I felt very happy and relaxed, as if my head had also been simplified, and there was no longer that bloated and clogged feeling.

3. Clean up kitchen utensils

In the impulse of "I want to be a good housewife", I bought many kitchen utensils that are rarely used.

I spent three days tidying up my kitchen. I sorted out the pots, bowls, chopsticks and pots that were not commonly used, and temporarily put them in the garage. Maybe one day I will figure it out. Will give it away or throw it away.

Throw away all the plastic bags and cardboard boxes that are stuffed everywhere in the cupboard. All other kitchen items are placed in categories. Instantly, the kitchen is much cleaner and my heart feels much brighter. Cooking is no longer a worry, but surprisingly exciting, cooking delicious food in different ways.

It is a miracle that the cleanliness and openness of the kitchen can cure the worry of cooking!

4. Minimalism in the living room and dining room

The first thing is to take care of the sofa and coffee table in the living room. I used to develop the habit of throwing things away, but now I have re-formulated the rules and regulations. , it is forbidden to leave things randomly. Follow the "don't put things where you can see them" to keep your living room space clean and fresh.

Leading by example, the "broken window effect" is still very effective. Start with small things, start with yourself, and get rid of bad habits.

What you "eat" in a restaurant is not only taste and nutrition, but also a refreshing "atmosphere". I have completely "slimmed down" the "sideboard" in the restaurant, reducing the original "fullness" to two-thirds. I threw away what should be thrown away and gave away what should be given away, leaving only the tableware that I needed.

After tidying up the living room and dining room, I found that those things that seemed "must have" were actually "unnecessary". Sometimes they were not only "unnecessary", but even "better not to have". .

5. Make a purchase plan for "daily necessities"

I used to like to pile up and store things. The house was full of stuff, just like a traffic jam, which made people feel anxious just looking at it. A feeling of boredom, which affects my mood and makes me unhappy.

Now, make a plan to buy when you are close to running out.

Instead of hoarding things, you must make the space open and bright, making people feel comfortable visually.

I feel that once you let go of everything, your mood will relax and your stress will be reduced instantly. The spiritual addition makes my heart full, and I enjoy the "joyfulness" brought by loneliness.

1. I exercise, and I am healthy.

After half a lifetime of running around and working hard, from the fifth Since I was ten years old, I have been determined to start a new life for myself. After experiencing the hardships of life, your body and mind feel very tired. You must be in good physical condition to achieve the life you want.

I started exercising and kept walking or jogging on my way to work. Four times a day, about 10,000 steps, and stick to it every day. I firmly believe that "I exercise, I am healthy."

2. Reading and excerpting every day is my "nutritious meal"

No matter how busy you are, you must find time to read, even if you just read for a short while and excerpt while reading. It's also my hobby. I like the beautiful sentences in the book, and I appreciate the wisdom and enlightenment in the book. It is a pleasure to talk to the author of the book.

3. "Writing 300 words a day" is my love for life

I had the habit of writing a diary when I was young. Although it is intermittent, I still like to talk to myself. I examine myself three times a day, solve problems that arise every day in a timely manner, summarize life experiences and lessons, absorb the essence and remove the dross.

Loving yourself and loving life starts with writing a diary every day.

4. Actively participate in outdoor activities

In your free time, bring enough water, carry a backpack, go hiking outdoors, breathe fresh air, and wash your tired lungs after a week bath. Singing a song loudly on the empty mountain, posing for a photo, and feeling beautiful.

There are no parties, no boring gossip, no sorrow, only my own happiness. The minimalist life without social interaction makes my heart feel much refreshed. Written at the end

When a person reaches fifty, he should have a certain understanding of life. Without experiencing wind and rain, it is difficult to see a rainbow; without the tempering of life, there is no love for life.

At the age of fifty, I finally have a chance to breathe, and I also have the capital to be beautiful. It is my desire to give up the hustle and bustle of the bustling world, return to a clean and tidy world, and live a minimalist life.

The material subtraction has brought me great purity. I am no longer a young girl chasing fashion. I have a deeper understanding of material desires in my heart. No matter how expensive the clothes are, they can’t compare to the spiritual comfort. precious.

The spiritual addition makes my life fulfilling and meaningful, and regains the vitality of youth. Throw away unnecessary social interactions and chats, clean up the garbage that others dump on you, and enjoy the joy of being alone. Your heart will be clean and refreshed, flowing through your body like a clear stream.

The minimalist life frees me from my obsession with material desires, improves my taste in life, broadens my thinking, and makes my life after the age of fifty more exciting and exciting. My life moves forward lightly.

1. Buying clothes has obviously decreased. When I was young, I especially liked buying clothes. My favorite entertainment was shopping. Once I went shopping, I would buy at least 3 or 4 sets, including long skirts and short skirts at home. Pile them together with high and low shoes of various colors, winter fur coats, cashmere coats, down jackets, and parkas. You spend thousands of dollars on each item without blinking an eye. As a result, some of them only wear a few pieces after buying them. God, I don’t want to wear it anymore. It’s like hanging in the closet! Now I only buy 2 pieces a season, whatever I like to wear!

2. Reject gold jewelry. Some people say that those who wear gold jewelry now are old ladies in the countryside. Although this is a bit biased, wearing gold jewelry is indeed very tacky. I have not worn it for many years. I don’t buy any, I only wear western-style handicrafts!

3. You can buy as few small household appliances as possible, and the usage rate is very low, such as sweepers, dishwashers, wall breakers, bread machines, electric ovens and other Internet celebrity products. You will find that cleaning It lasts longer than it is used, and what you spend a lot of money to buy ends up being shelved! It still takes up space!

4. Apart from children’s learning materials, I try not to buy books. I consider myself a book lover. The cabinets at home are full of books, Chinese and foreign classics, and expired magazines. There are countless books. I only read it occasionally, but my family doesn’t like to read it. They said that now that there are e-books, various reading apps, and even free audio books on mobile phones, who has the patience to read that paper book? ?

5. Make the decoration at home as simple and clear as possible. The more complicated and fashionable it is, the faster it will be eliminated. If you don’t believe it, look at the homes around you!

6. Do not install fitness equipment such as treadmills at home. After buying it, you will find that it is boring to exercise at home alone, and you will probably not stick to it for a long time. It is better to go to a nearby small store. Park, fresh air, crowded and lively!

7. Don’t fill up the refrigerator every time you buy food. After all, it’s very rare to go downstairs for many days and not shop. Buy frequently and buy less. It can better ensure the freshness of food!

8. It is better to go shopping, eat, party, and take the bus than to drive by yourself. It is economical and environmentally friendly and you don’t have to worry about parking spaces. There is no pressure at all!

This is the simple life I started after I turned 50. It feels very comfortable and casual. Friends who are interested may also try it!

Please note that the following experience cost me tens of thousands of dollars to learn!

When you become dissatisfied with your current life, it means you can start living a minimalist life.

Mainly have the following symptoms:

1. You look at the books in the cupboard and feel annoyed. Yes, they are expensive, but they seem to be of no use, and you don’t know. Why did I buy these books and want to throw them away, but I spent money on them, which is very annoying.

2. You open the closet and there are a lot of clothes in it, many of which you don't wear and don't like. It would be a pity to throw them away. It feels like you won't wear them if you leave them. It's very annoying.

3. When you look at the address book on your phone, you feel that there are many people you don’t know and there seems to be no need to contact them, which is very annoying.

4. You have many dreams. They are more or less what you wanted to do before, but there has been no follow-up. You said you are not interested, but no, you are interested, but you are not interested anymore. , there is no future, and you feel very annoyed.

At this time, you can start a minimalist life. Without the above psychological activities, your minimalist life is doomed to fail. If you have the above mood, then your minimalist life can start. , you must be prepared not to regret before you start, because minimalist life does not mean just throwing away and finishing.

Minimalism itself requires effort to judge what you really need and what you don’t need at all, but what others think you need, you need to think carefully about it (after I threw away a lot of things I understood these truths after I bought it again. So trust me) and the process itself is so important that you must have a plan first, which is very important.

Only under the guidance of a plan can you begin to organize your life with expectations:

So how to make a plan?

Here are a few steps for you to practice

1. Determine what you like. This is very important. What you like to eat, the clothes you like to wear, and what you like. Don't be polite at this time when you read a book. You can write it down in a notebook. You can have a clearer idea by writing it down in a notebook.

2. Don't set an intermediate value. If you like it, you like it. If you are not sure, you don't like it

3. Throw away what you don’t like

Separate what you like and what you don’t like in your notebook, and write down the above three-day principle, then write it down according to your own If you hesitate for more than ten seconds during the throwing process, just throw it away.

Of course, according to my experience, if you lose a book, you may need to spend more, because it often looks dark when you lose it.

Remember one thing: Don’t think that things must be given to others. If others can take them away if they need them, then you should be grateful. Otherwise, you should not pile them up at home and ignore them, but throw them away quickly. Lose.

My minimalist life starts from never buying new clothes.

As I grow older, I prefer simplicity more and more. Life is simple, friends are simple.

I haven’t bought clothes once this year. Not long ago, I packed up a lot of clothes and shoes that I haven’t worn for several years and put them in a charity storage box on the roadside. Many people said that the contents in the storage box were donated to Dashan. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I put all the things I don’t need in it.

I used to be a person who loved beauty. Even when I bought a piece of clothing, I always had to buy shoes to match it. Now I only have two pairs of shoes in winter, one pair for work and one pair for casual wear at home. This way the shoe cabinet will not be crowded. It also saves a lot of time and money in taking care of it.

When I was young, I loved to mess with my hair. Since I started living a minimalist life, my hair has never been dyed or thinned. Not going to the barber shop for a year can save a lot of time and money. Not dyeing your hair is good for your health. As long as your hair is clean and fresh, it's fine.

After keeping my diet simple, I no longer feel greasy. I used to love eating snacks and roadside stalls, and eating kebabs with friends. Since I started living a simple life, I have spent more time cooking at home. I have gained good health, and eating together as a family has also increased the bond between parents and children. It also saves a lot of unnecessary expenses.

Since I started living a minimalist life, I have become more calm and confident.

What is a minimalist life like? What is minimalism?

Life. Due to my temperament, I have been very close to minimalism since I was a child. I don’t play with superfluous things, and I only want the good and refined ones. In this way, from today's new economic perspective, this is consumption upgrade. I would like to mention here that minimalism is not about low desires, but about sublimation and pays more attention to quality. It is better to lack than to overdo it. In this way, minimalism is a state of life and a quality of life. In terms of personal temperament, it is a character, a quality and a spiritual pursuit.

I personally grew up with my grandmother. I started drinking tea and studying with her at the age of four. Over the past few decades, I have accumulated many books and things related to tea drinking. About five thousand volumes of books, archives, and decades of reference information were all disposed of as waste paper. There were also many tea sets, which were simply thrown away. It needs to be functional when given as a gift, so it’s not minimalist. Throw away is a classic interpretation of minimalism. After decades of drinking, all the drinking utensils were thrown away.

I bought a house at the end of 2011 and will move in next spring. So far, there are only three things on the wall in the house, a wall clock, a thermometer, and a fly swatter. So simple and clear. If it is a large living room, there is a TV cabinet, a TV, and a small writing desk that can be used as a computer desk. Then there is a coffee table. As for clothes, throw them all away and buy them now.

The gold bracelets should not be thrown away. They were turned into golden eggs and used as curtain pendants. My mother thought they were redundant and took them away. She said it would be better to make a bracelet for her. Minimalism is not superficial or material, but also inner and spiritual.

I realized early on the beauty of minimalism and its connotation of concentration. Therefore, some hobbies began to be eliminated. Mentally and energetically, there is a net reduction and sublimation. Now, there are only three hobbies left, cycling, drinking tea, and drinking. Half of them have been removed. Before this, I had more than 300 bottles of high-quality liquor throughout the year, not including beer. Now I occasionally drink a bottle of brandy or Weisiji, but I basically don’t drink it in vain anymore. I drink some beer in the summer. Qingdao, I can’t get through without drinking some beer. By the way, I quit smoking for five and a half months and then started smoking again. This one needs to be thrown away too. I basically stopped reading books. Just check it out online.

In summary, I understand minimalism to be more spiritual, refined, simple, bright, and the pursuit of essence. Minimalism is expensive, sophisticated, focused, sophisticated, and simple.

In a nutshell, it’s better to have less than too much!

Regarding how to start a minimalist life, my personal specific approach is as follows:

1. Try not to buy or buy less clothes, and buy better quality ones. Yes, it can be worn for a longer period of time if the occasion is appropriate.

2. There are two fixed colors for clothes, navy blue in winter and khaki in summer. This is more versatile, convenient for quick matching when time is short, and it is not easy to fall into the embarrassing situation of being stretched. Without the right combination of items, you will naturally have to rush out to buy new items.

3. It is better to have less daily necessities than in excess. Use one item for multiple purposes, take up less space, and avoid waste.

4. Be a diligent housewife. Diligent storage, diligent organization, diligent gathering. Avoid buying new ones when the old ones are useless.

5. Cultivate the concept of simplicity. Urge yourself to form the idea that diligence and thrift are glorious, and it is shameful to waste public resources. Do not compare, do not be coquettish, improve personal cultivation, do not take pleasure in things and do not feel sorrow for oneself. While satisfying basic material life and ensuring the quality of life, focus on Improvement of the quality of spiritual life.

Greed, anger and ignorance!

Minimalist life emerged from Japan. Japan is a country deeply influenced by Chinese culture. Including religion. Zen culture is especially present here! I was having tea in a Japanese teahouse. Made by a fifty-year-old woman, matcha! Serve with some wagashi. The aunt made the tea, served it, bowed to her, and then left! There was silence in the Japanese room, and outside the door, there was white snow and silver. My brother and I sat opposite each other and were silent!

This is the tranquility and elegance most respected in Japanese culture. Stop talking and feel the deep feelings in your heart! There is a very famous koan in Zen Buddhism: Go have tea! It comes from this...

When the prosperity is gone, it will always be empty! The perfection that all sentient beings pursue is prosperity. Get promoted and make a fortune, have a virtuous wife and beautiful concubines, have prosperous heirs, and have abundant family assets! May you be blessed with good fortune, longevity and wealth! Then what? null!

I love everything I got. Perfect and a shame! Happy and sad!

I always advise my peers. Keep it simple! What I gain is what I gain, and what I lose is what I deserve! As you get older, abstinence from desires is a treasure, and being open-minded is a blessing!

"I'm just angry at my mother, is that reasonable? I've been partial to my younger brother all my life, and now it costs me money to buy a house. I don't have the conditions. What about us, the eldest, burning money in Canada? It will take another two years." Why doesn't she understand me! I'm not her child..."

Forget it! Go ahead! Sister, you still have a mother. I have never even called you mother in my life. No matter how biased your mother is, she still raised you! Isn’t there no matter how little love there is? Just a little worse than his younger brother. There is no complete equality in the world. If possible, we will help! No conditions, let’s forget it! What kind of equal love, you want too much...

"Why can't our daughter find a partner? I'm so anxious! I can't sleep..."

Forget it! Go ahead! Your daughter's temper means that even if she finds a partner, she will be in conflict with her mother-in-law and her husband and wife will become stiff.

After giving birth to a child, you still have to complain that giving birth is hard, raising a child is difficult, and raising a child is tiring! Do you think everything will be fine once you get married? You are married, and now you have children, but you still can't sleep... Children have their own destiny, don't worry!

"My promotion was ruined again! When I was young, people had to rank based on seniority. Now that I am old, people are promoting young people with high academic qualifications! I will never be in a hurry! Then let me go home? No, postpone retirement..."

Forget it! Go ahead! Delaying retirement is not for you. If you are young and have no children, you must not work too much if you are old, otherwise no one will support you! As for promotion, it is always a matter for a few people. The masses are the mainstream. It’s easy to worry about not being a leader! If you continue to pursue fame at this age, you will exhaust yourself to death! For patients with cervical spondylosis like you, the doctor said: It is not suitable to look up!

Minimalism actually comes from the heart! I’m not asking you to throw everything away at home, just keep it all. A broken family is worth tens of thousands of dollars...

But, embrace the beauty of simplicity and have a pure heart! Clean up the bad emotions, wipe away the worries, and appreciate the existing scenery. Enjoy the scent of tea...

Everyone has their own vicissitudes of life. Wind and rain. Survival is not easy. The injustice of opportunity. However, a kind and calm heart is the best and most scientific configuration. Be content with what I get. What I lose is if I don’t love you. Spend the rest of your life peacefully and peacefully!

Self-knowledge leads to victory, and still water runs deep!

I also want to send this article to my fans. 2021. Happy New Year!

Minimalism is ultimately an attitude. In essence, it does not strictly require minimalism at all times and everywhere, but advocates a pursuit of a simple lifestyle and eliminates unnecessary extraneous things and excessive desires. Break away to achieve inner peace and tranquility, so that you can truly live a simple and pure life. A minimalist lifestyle can free you from unnecessary social interactions, eliminate the worries of many choices, and save a lot of time and money. This is actually the direct result of minimalist life. income.

More importantly, you can do many wonderful things with the free time. If you have time, you can spend more time with your family, sing and dance with your children, and talk and laugh with your parents. , the whole family enjoys family happiness, what a happy life it is. When you have time, you can recharge more, read more books, improve your qualities in all aspects, increase the dimension of your life, and make your life richer and more complete. When you have time, you can do what you really want to do and pursue the life you want in your heart. You don’t have to care too much about others. After all, the rest of your life is very long, and if you don’t get what you want, you will suffer a lot. Therefore, when you can control your own life, you must not wrong yourself too much. If you have wine today, you will be drunk today, and you will be worried tomorrow.

When you have time, you can be brave enough to chase and have a love that is risking your own life. Of all things in the world, love is the only thing you can't live up to. When you meet someone you really like, confess your love boldly, just in case the other person takes a blind eye and agrees.

Minimalism is conducive to cultivating a healthy lifestyle and simplifying some dispensable parts as much as possible, so as to live a more positive and better quality life.

The beginning of a minimalist life is not to impulsively throw, throw, throw away, but to start with a minimalist mind. The essence of separation is to allow one's mind to move forward lightly, so that "invisible The spiritual world becomes orderly and harmonious.

Therefore, the beginning of minimalist life is to introspect yourself, examine your own desires and emotions, trace the source of your own confusion, and clarify why you need to fill your heart with materials to gain a sense of security. At the same time, I also started to tidy up in the "visible world" to give myself a refreshing and clean living space.

Let’s take a look at how to start a minimalist life by clearing out items: Occam’s razor principle – “Don’t add entities unless necessary”

1. Unnecessary items , don’t buy it no matter how cheap it is, and refuse shopping traps such as “buy two get one free” and “40 off when you spend over 300”.

2. If necessary, buy high-quality necessities instead of buying low-quality products for cheap. Cheap stuff just satisfies my shopping desires, and it’s torture every time I use it.

3. Avoid the herd mentality and buy unnecessary things in order to “fit in”.

4. Make a list before going to the supermarket, and go straight to the topic to buy the items in the list, so that you will not want to buy everything when you see it. Cherish items and reduce waste

1. Do your homework before buying, use it for practical purposes, and do not buy impulsively.

2. Cherish existing items, ensure that every item can be used to its fullest purpose, take care of it and treat it with care during use.

3. Find alternatives. Refuse to buy items with a single function. Check if there are alternatives before buying.

4. Follow the principle of “take one in, throw one away” and buy more practical items. You need to throw away items that were not useful before and keep the number of items unchanged. Reasonable storage and fixed location:

1. Arrange a fixed storage space for each item, and return it to its original place immediately after use, so that the room will not be cluttered.

2. Store rarely used items in fixed locations in the cabinet to prevent dust from falling, and the room will be neat and orderly.

3. Do not pile clutter on the desktop, floor, cabinet countertops and other surface areas. Put as few things as possible, and the room will look much tidier. Eliminate interference and avoid information bombardment

1. Streamline various applications on your mobile phone and delete unnecessary APPs.

2. Clean up your address book and circle of friends to avoid interference.

A minimalist life comes from an orderly and clear mind.

My minimalist life started three years ago. The first is to give the clothes that I have not worn for two years to people in need and not throw them into the trash can. The second is to Stoves and household appliances that have not been used for two years are given to people in need. The third thing is to cook as little as possible so as not to waste food and vegetables. On the material level, we don’t have high requirements; we only require less and more.

On the spiritual level, I also try to reduce my social activities. I try to keep as few social activities as possible. Some clubs have also withdrawn, and my circle of friends is also shrinking. This way I have a lot of time to learn the things I like, such as Tai Chi and TV. Blow the pipe, play the harmonica, write poetry, learn cooking, and be very happy. This is my minimalist life.