Although I don’t necessarily like labels, if I had to describe my lifestyle in a word I’d consider myself an eco-minimalist.
What is Eco-Minimalism?
I define it as embracing simplicity and rejecting consumerism.
If environmentalism and minimalism had a baby, it would be eco-minimalism.
Honestly, the two go together like peanut butter and jelly. They’re pretty much (and someone will always find a way to argue this) the same thing. It’s difficult to classify yourself as an environmentalist without being a minimalist and vice versa.
The fancy (and kind of hipster millennialist) term eco-minimalist describes one who pursues a life of less consumption in order to reduce their impact on the earth. The focus is less on the benefits to the individual household, and more on the bigger environmental picture.
Our entire lives we’ve been sold a lie. We’ve been conditioned by marketing teams into believing that we need MORE. We should always be striving for more of the newest, shiniest and most expensive stuff as possible. More stuff = more people will like us = happiness.
In reality, more stuff = more anxiety.
Take a moment to do a scan of your kitchen (if you have one, otherwise, pick any room or space where you keep your belongings). Open every single cabinet, drawer, cupboard, and closet. Take a step back and look around at all the items you see. How does it make you feel? Happy? Anxious? Nothing? Here’s the thing. We’re all different. Some might be perfectly content with all of their stuff. While others believe they are at first but once they pull everything out and see it in a big pile in front of them, it’s a bit overwhelming. When our space is cluttered, many of us feel anxious which makes it difficult to be productive, creative or to even truly relax.
In my opinion, there are some huge benefits to living with less:
No more clutter!! And, for me, when there isn’t any visual clutter, it makes it much easier for me to focus on the task at hand. Instead of staring at the stacks of books and papers overflowing in and around the bookshelf, I see all the books that give me that warm and fuzzy feeling of joy. And, maybe 1 or 2 of meaningful knick knacks from my travels or gifts.
Way easier to keep things clean. Fewer things to move out of the way to sweep, vacuum or dust will make cleaning easier and faster.
Save time! When everything has a place not only is it easier to clean but, it’s also easier to find and put things back where they belong. Eliminate that step of needing to move 3 things out of the way to find what you’re looking for. Less stuff also means more space to keep things in sight! And, fewer clothes means fewer decisions which means more time for activities (hopefully productive).
When you can see everything you have, you use everything you have. My mama taught me that if you can’t see it, you won’t use it! It took me some years to finally realize that she’s 100% right. I never used the waffle iron or stacks of tupperware hidden in the deep dark corner of the cabinet, or wore those sweaters piled in the back of the closet. Don’t even get me started on the amount of food I’ve wasted after it was shoved in the back of the fridge or pantry to die a slow death...So fucking wasteful! But, I digress before I go on a tangent. Food waste blog for another day.
It’s visually pleasing. You may not even realize the anxiety that the piles of stuff around you are causing you subconsciously. It’s way more aesthetically pleasing and gives us that warm and fuzzy feeling to see things organized and “in their place”.
It’s better for the environment. The less stuff we purchase, the less stuff will be produced. As a result, there will be less waste finding it’s way into the oceans and fewer carbon emissions that exacerbate global warming. We may not be able to completely prevent climate change, but we can at least slow it down considerably and enjoy our time on this beautiful planet a little longer. Choosing to buy less and from ethical and sustainable sources, will eventually force corporations to change the way they produce “stuff” (including factory farming). We have the power to incite change with every single purchase we make [and don’t make]. Take it one or two swaps at a time as you run out of things. I made it easy to start right now by compiling a list of easy low waste swaps for Amazon addicts as well as a list of my favorite low waste brands.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely not saying we should get rid of everything and sit/sleep on the floor (unless you’re into that) - but, do we really need to hoard 3 extra couches in a storage locker full of other stuff we’ve barely [or never] used? Or 7 blankets and pillows shoved in the guest room closet?
Most of us live in a world where we’re constantly acquiring rather than inquiring. It’s something we were conditioned to do growing up via television, movies and marketing. We’re taught early on that the goal is to always strive for something bigger and better because “that’s what will make people like you”.
“We’ve been hypnotized into buying stuff that we don’t need, with money that we don’t have, to impress people we don’t like.”
In reality, we get ourselves into piles of debt buying things we don’t need to impress people we don’t like.
Of course, there are tangible items that genuinely bring us joy and I believe it’s really important to keep those things (just like Marie Kondo’s method)!
But, chances are, there’s somebody out there who could really put that 4th spatula collecting dust at the back of your utensil drawer to good use! Things we don’t even realize we have are hiding at the back of the cabinet while it could be given to someone in dire need.
Not only could you help improve someone’s quality of life but, it’s incredible, the shift in perspective that happens when you get rid of useless shit and become fully aware of every item you own.
Do it for humanity and do it for yourself!
Not only might you have more room for activities, but it allows for much less distraction and even anxiety. Your focus narrows in on the things that have more meaning in life. Less junk = More space. You get to appreciate your corny shot glass collection by digging it out of storage and putting it on display - or put them up on Offer Up for another shot glass collector to admire.
If that’s not enough, here’s where the eco part comes in. Being intentional about what we purchase and bring into our space is necessary for the Earth’s sustainability. Each dollar you spend tells big business where to direct their attention. If half of us stopped buying single-use plastic water bottles, the water industry would have no choice but to re-think their packaging methods. It’s simple supply-and-demand.
If you’re ready to start your eco-minimalist journey, sign up for my newsletter and subscribe to my YouTube channel for helpful tips. You can also message me directly if you have specific questions or just want some one-on-one guidance.