8 Minimalist Habits I Learned Through Decluttering

1. Cleaning and tidying

I put everything away after I’ve used it. This is a super easy habit to start with and it ties into Marie Kondo’s philosophy of giving every item a place in your home. If I do have things to put away at the end of the day, it takes only two minutes to go around the house and put everything in its place.

That way I always go to sleep in a nice, clean home. Every morning it’s a nice, fresh start and I’m not being held down by yesterday’s mess.

2. Gift giving

I now give handmade gifts instead of buying them at the store. Once I began identifying as a minimalist, giving and receiving gifts became a bit of a challenge.

I had to explain to my family that I would rather not receive so many physical gifts. Some may not be useful to me or not my style. But I also had to explain that I may not want to give gifts to others that they don’t want.

So for myself, I started giving handmade gifts that are more useful, like homemade jam, applesauce, baked cookies, or I’d write a handwritten letter. All of these gifts are far more personal than any gift you could buy in a store and in my experience, it’s much more appreciated.

They may not remember the exact gift down the line, but they will remember that you made them feel special because you took time and effort to make them something.

3. Planning and organizing

I keep my calendar clear for one day a week. I think time is the most valuable thing I have. That’s why I want to enjoy the way I spend my time.

I’ve stopped cramming everything into my calendar because I realized I can enjoy activities a lot more when they are balanced with some relaxation and downtime for myself. Then I will have the energy to enjoy my time more.

So one day a week I can recharge without any work or social activities and enjoy my home, pets, and relationships. It’s my way of catching my breath in a world that is constantly running.

4. Overcoming laziness

Doing little tasks straight away. If it can be done within five minutes, I do it. This includes things like taking out the trash, sending an email, making an appointment, or cleaning up a small spill.

I used to spend so much time avoiding these things that I’d keep thinking about them ten more times. I really procrastinated a lot because I was uncomfortable or didn’t want to do it. But eventually, I had to do it so I wasted my time procrastinating.

If something comes to mind that will take a few minutes, I now am in the habit of just doing it. This habit is actually easier in a minimalist home. You can spend a lot of time doing five-minute tasks in a cluttered home but never finish anything.

5. Developing better eating habits

Not only do I have a clearer idea of what’s taking up space in my mind, but I also have a clearer idea of what’s taking up space in my body. I would also take up way too much time thinking about food and feeling guilty about what I did eat.

Or I would think about going to the store and then go, or spend so much time looking up recipes. Now I have streamlined all of that. I have an eating routine and I eat the same types of food every day. 

6. Buying things second-hand first

I try to find most of my items second-hand. The very few items I can't find used are purchased new. This is a challenging habit that took a while to integrate into my life. I was so used to ordering something new online.

Becoming a minimalist made me very aware of how wasteful society is and it made me sad to see how many items I never used when I decluttered my home. There are way more products on this planet than we actually need. 

7. Borrowing and renting

There are already enough items to be used on this planet. There’s no need to buy anything new, especially when you are only planning on using it once. So I see if I can borrow what I need from family or friends or rent it.

For example, we are going to see if we can borrow or rent some tools for a specific construction project we want to do in our home (we want to add a new window into our dormer).

8. Making intentional decisions

I have a lot more mental clarity now that I’m a minimalist. Because of this, I am aware of what’s important in life to me. This has made me more intentional with my decision-making and how I take action to achieve the desired outcome.

Being more intentional creates your path in life and every decision you make impacts how your life unfolds. But it took minimalism to help me clearly see that.

Minimalist habits

I hope you were inspired by my eight habits and if you’re on a minimalist journey, maybe they can help you, too.

Are there other extreme or frugal minimalist habits that you have formed out of introspection? Please share with us what you have learned or hope to learn by becoming more minimalist in your life.