You don’t have to become a hardcore minimalist with just three shirts and one piece of furniture to your name in order to minimize your environmental impact and downsize your life. Downsizing simply means getting rid of all that extra stuff. Living with what you need and only buying the essentials. You’ll be surprised at how free you feel when you finally take steps to minimize your clutter. Here are just a few ways that downsizing can help you and the planet and easy ways to get started.
Reasons to downsize
Downsizing is usually associated with moving to a smaller space; however, you don’t have to make a physical move in order to cut down on stuff. It is important to change your mindset and realize that not every empty space has to be filled with something. Just because you have room for more stuff doesn’t mean you should buy it. Here are a few key reasons to eliminate the excess.
You’ll save money
Though it may seem like you’re throwing away money as you pare down your life to only what you actually need and use, it will save you money in the long term. When you are intentional about what you buy, you are more likely to invest in quality products that are going to last a lot longer than that fast fashion skirt.
Cut your environmental impact
Speaking of fast fashion…that popular piece of clothing that everyone seems to be wearing? Yeah, it will most likely be out of style in a few months. When you are constantly buying and getting rid of new clothes and decorations simply to keep up with the ever-changing trends, you are contributing to the growing environmental problem of fast, cheap production. Think of all the fuel that is expended for transportation and the vast resources that are used to produce something that will only end up in a landfill after a few uses.
You can live in a smaller home
Think about it, how many rooms in your house are just for stuff? If you were to eliminate this clutter, you could rent a smaller home or apartment that would diminish your eco-footprint and allow you to live simply.
Tips to help you declutter and downsize
Start small
Unless you live in a studio apartment (in which case you probably don’t have much stuff anyway) you will not be able to declutter your entire house in an afternoon. Take one weekend to tackle a single room and look through all your belongings in that room. Then, move on to the next one. Decluttering is a continuous process and it won’t happen overnight.
Take pictures
Many people hold on to stuff that they’ll never use again simply because it has sentimental value. If this is the reason you find yourself holding on to that ragged t-shirt from college, it’s probably time to let go. One way to make yourself toss it in the donation bin is to snap a picture of whatever item you are clinging on to. That way, you can still have the memory without the stuff.
Get rid of clothes first
Take a day and try on all of your clothes. If it’s something that you love and wear a lot, put it in the keep pile. If you haven’t worn it in a year, it doesn’t fit, or you don’t like the way it looks on you, donate it to your local thrift store. If you’re not sure, wear it around for a day and see how you feel and then decide.
Don’t forget about your books
Though this may be hard for the booklovers out there, do you actually read all the books on your shelf? Yes, you may have read it and enjoyed it once, but are you ever going to pick it up again? If not, make a pile and call up your local library to see if they are accepting donations.
Get some help if you need it
Not being able to get rid of stuff you no longer need can quickly turn into full rooms, packed garages, and unnecessary storage units. You have to be the one to initiate the process of downsizing, but once you decide to start, it is okay to ask for help along the way. Enlist a good friend to help keep you on track or even call in a professional if you have genuine anxiety about letting go of your belongings.
Give to the needy
When you change your mindset from “how am I going to live without this?” to “who else could use this more than me?” you’ll find that it is much easier to let things go. This is also a great opportunity to invest in a local charitable organization. When you drop your stuff off, inquire about volunteering and spend a few hours a week giving back to those less fortunate. This will help make you more intentional about your spending and your waste.
Downsizing may be a painful process for many, but when you are finished, you can breathe a sigh of relief and feel the weight of “stuff” slip from your shoulders.