The concept of minimalism came about a couple of months ago. When I found myself going through what seemed like an endless amount of clothes that I had saved for baby Scarlett, I knew I needed to make a change. Not only was I almost hoarding clothing for my daughters, I realized just how out of hand my lifestyle had become.

I took a look around my house and it seemed as if it was always in a constant state of disarray. The laundry was always overflowing, a worn and tattered stack of jeans hung in my closet many of which were 6+ years old, and the knick knacks I’d collected throughout the years of being married were gathering dust and served no real purpose other than taking up space. It was as if the stuff that used to bring me fleeting happiness was now giving me a mental burden because I had to pick things up, put them away, and clean – a constant cycle day in and day out.

After the birth of my second child, I quickly began to understand my true priorities. At the end of everyday, I was always feeling exhausted and unmotivated to pick up the mess from a life with small children. I started to ask myself “Is having all this stuff even worth it? What do I truly value?”

I knew in an instant it wasn’t things, but time. Time to be stress-free with my family. Time to focus on things that would propel my career. Time to devote to my husband. All these things took away from that because I was constantly picking up.

I started to research minimalism as a last resort to my problems and I found so much more. As countercultural as minimalism is in the age of consumerism, a few things struck me about leading a minimalistic lifestyle.

• Less stress. Not having things in your house to even get cluttered in the first place leads to less anxiety at the end of the day.
• You own your time. The freedom you get from not having to worry about picking up is refreshing.
• You spend less. Choosing this lifestyle means prioritizing moments over things.
• It’s better for the environment. The less we consume, the less damage we make on our planet.
• Decreasing the need for things is a better example to our children.
• Quality over quantity. Only investing in high quality items will make you spend less in the long run and will make your home more visually appealing.
• More peace. Since de-cluttering a few rooms in my home, I can already feel a sense of inner tranquility in my mind.

The first area of my house where I applied these principles was Annabelle’s toy section and since then, she’s become a less anxious toddler. I’ve also done my bathroom and now kitchen and seriously you guys, it’s been the most freeing thing I’ve ever done! I can’t wait to tackle the other areas of my house and my life.

Have you tried de-cluttering or living a minimalistic lifestyle? Let me know in the comments! I can’t wait to apply this idea to other areas of my life too!