Is Minimalism Contagious?

July 6th, 2012 by Pete

Some movements in recent years have taken off for many different reasons but a big one of course are how powerful social media has become. That and in the rise of the internet have made it so much easier for us to share, infect and become infected by things that we have the most passion for. Of course, some passions are much easier to pass on, share and help spread than others. I think minimalism is one of those.

There has maybe not been a worldwide movement towards minimalism in the same way that green/environmental groups have achieved on even on a national level with movies or best selling books. I do however think that on the internet, minimalism has continued to become better known, discussed more and those that start living by this philosophy see so much change and so many benefits that they often become very vocal about it.

How/When Did You Start To Live A Minimalist Lifestyle?

I am probably newer to all of this than many of you as I started becoming serious about it less than 2 years ago and as for many other things in life, the better I become about living by a minimalist lifestyle, the more benefits I have been able to see and the more convinced I have became. In fact, it’s only in the past 6 months or so that I truly started to introduce friends and family to minimalism and a couple of months ago that I started writing on this incredible blog.

What About You?

When and how did you get introduced to minimalism and have you been sharing what it’s all about? What is the top benefit?

Posted in Minimalism | 12 comments

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  • Guest

    I fell into minimalism in 2006 when I didn’t know there was a word to describe it.  My mom passed away, my father moved away and I was left (as an only child) to clean out my childhood home largely alone.  Cleaning out the basement, which was organized, but packed to the gills with 30+ years of stuff was a life changing experience for me.  I moved three times to increasingly smaller places between 2006-2007 and it was a combination of factors people mentioned below – not wanting to move all that stuff, a sense of discontentment, a need to “let go” that kept me getting rid of stuff.  Like so many others I stumbled across Zen Habits, and other minimalist blogs, as well as the small housing movement.  I’ve just kept it up from there.  For me it is an important part of my life and has allowed me to clear my mind and focus on what I want and what I want to do instead of doing “what I should do.”  

  • Mfelixevans

    My husband died last year. I was always very neat and probably drove him crazy. He had his areas where he kept his “stuff”. Last summer to keep myself going I got rid of 10 boxes of books, 20 years worth of Trains magazines, a heavy metal desk, an old locker, 5 years of Sports Illustrated magazines, clothes, a couch, 2 recliners, 2 model train boards, tools, 4 sets of china, a box of teacups, 2 patio chairs, a truck, and I can’t even remember the rest. I made some bucks!  Last week I put another recliner in front of my house with a “free” sign. It was gone within an hour. Still minimizing. I figure someday I’ll be living in a condo near my son.   

  • http://www.elizabethtai.com/ Elizabeth Tai

    The biggest benefit I derived from being a minimalist is realising that I don’t need things to be happy but experiences, and blessing other people. And to live life on my terms now that I don’t need so much $ to support it.

  • http://www.elizabethtai.com/ Elizabeth Tai

    My movement towards a more minimalist lifestyle was an almost instinctive process. I was uncomfortable with my life for the longest time, but I couldn’t put a finger on it. Six years ago, I felt that my life was full of so much pressure and complexity – I had complicated (not in a good way) relationships with people that gave me great anguish, I had a five-figure debt, had property that bled nearly 1/4 of my pay and my needs for things like books, TV, and eating expensive food were so overwhelming they were almost an addiction. 

    I didn’t know that there was such a thing as minimalist living, but I changed my life to one nevertheless. I paid down my debt and started living a debt-free lifestyle, I got lots of therapy so that I understood why I kept gravitating towards people who abused and controlled, paid off my car and carefully maintained it so I could drive it for years though I longed to use public transport so that I don’t have to keep paying for petrol or taxes. Slowly I developed a more frugal mentality.  However, it took a move to Australia to speed things up. I rented out my pricey, 1000-sq-feet apartment – the rent paid or my housing instalments and even gave me a few hundred in profit! Sold my car to my mum, gave away 90% of my things and now live out of a suitcase in my brother’s apartment where I pay only$200 for rent and utilities!  

    And I was happier, as a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I couldn’t figure out why. Then a friend of mine was writing about urban nomads. I googled them out of curiosity and discovered minimalist lifestyles and realised thats’ what I am. I was actually a little disappointed I’m part of what a lot people think is a fad :P

  • Sebas Benz

    Very similar to Chris at Two Less Things, I discovered minimalism in 2009 via Zen Habits (.net) – I also fell off the corporate ladder and instantly realized I needed to pare down my possessions to allow for a clear mind. – I’ve managed to become super minimalist, and can pack one bag at the drop of a hat and move onto my next adventure. Love it. True liberation.

  • http://www.minimalistdream.com/ Samantha

    I am a bit of an accidental minimalist. I started to de-clutter, didn’t stop and then discovered minimalism. For me the biggest benefit is having more time to do things and the fact that my confidence has soared. I’ve gone from lacking self-esteem to having loads of it, now I no longer hide behind possessions

  • http://www.starenroseaskwith.com/ Staren

    I am a fairly new minimalist. I was already starting to de-clutter, but then went to a psychic reading, who said I needed to de-clutter physical objects and my old beliefs. It was just one of those things that hit home big style and I started reading up on minimalism and thought that is just what I need to do. It has been a brillant move for me and I don’t regret it

  • Claudette

    I found out about minimalism through Zen Habits. Since then I’ve bought e-books about minimalism, and read awesome blogs about minimalism. I love how minimalism is a way of life and a frame of mind. It’s not just about decluttering and living with less. It’s about freedom.

  • http://www.twolessthings.co.uk/ Chris at Two Less Things

    I discovered the Minimalism thing in 2009 when the recession started. When you fall off the corporate ladder and reassess everything, you start to wonder how you ended up with all this stuff. I’ve been getting rid of it since, and I’m by no means the 100 possessions minimalist yet, but I’ve grown to love the less is more theory and even started my own blog.

  • http://www.Moderntightwad.com/ Charlotte@Moderntightwad

    We recently had our floors replaced and I couldn’t believe how much stuff we had collected in 16 years.  I’ve been getting rid of a lot.  It feels good to downsize.

  • http://freedain.com/ Kris Freedain

    I am extremely new to it myself; just beginning really. As a former (recovering) pack rat, I do expect it to be a rewarding journey. 

  • http://twitter.com/Lbeemoneytree Lauren Bee

    I started living minimally when I had a roommate who was uber into it. Just the amount of money we saved was enough to hook me!