They could always walk out to a waiting friends' gang to declutter the space in their heads! Even in this age the onus of keeping a home smart (where everything you own is retrievable) is still on the lady! 🙄🙄
Absolutely! I have been doing that for well over a decade. I started with my own children. We focused on experiences. My kids are both minimalists. I grew up minimalist. Times were simpler and fuller.
We did a no spend Christmas this year. You had to make the gift out of something you already had. We had amazing homemade treats, hand-painted and gathered from nature decor items. If was so wonderful.
You addressed my biggest pet peeve about Minimalist nay sayers: "But decluttering is so wasteful!!" Yes, it can be. But 1. You can be mindful about how you get rid of your accumulated possessions and 2. Minimalism isn't a weekend project. It's a lifestyle. And if one month (or more depending on how much you have) of decluttering leads to a life time of careful spending and intentionality, then it's absolutely worth it.
I don’t understand that argument because if we keep the clutter then when you die someone else if going to get rid of it for us. It’s just going to get thrown out most likely because it’s too overwhelming to figure out what to do with everything if you have so much stuff.
What else is wasteful is buying something you already have because you have so much stuff/clutter you either don't know you have it or you can't find it and really need it. Decluttering will solve that problem.
Haha.. I agree!! So worthwhile because of it leading to more careful and intentional spending! Decluttering is the least wasteful thing I've done because it's ensured I only buy what I need because everything has its place so I can find it/see it and therefore know when/if it needs attention. Only having what I need means I can see what I have (it's not hidden in mess). So, I look after it better, it lasts longer and therefore I have less waste! (For example, my shoes used to be spread all over the wardrobe floor. Once I put them on the display shelves I HAD to look after the few shoes I had and I could see them and what their needs were - cleaning, repairs or replacing).
One thing I'm grateful for is that I don't feel guilty anymore when I want/need to relax or when I just don't want to do anything. The silent to-do list is real and it has haunted me for years. I spent years of my life without sleeping well, I used to feel that I couldn't sleep until I felt I was doing enough for the day, I felt I needed to rush things for the next day, the list goes on. In conclusion: I was never satisfied with the work done. Today, there is no burden. Everything I have serves a purpose, there's nothing to worry about except what I need and what I love to take care of. I don't have clothes that tell me "you're not enough", I don't have books that tell me "you're not an intellectual", I don't have things that tell me "you're such a mess". I don't feel as anxious as I used to, so I do one thing at a time and don't set unattainable goals for the day. I do what I can, I'm improving 1% every day and that's enough. Consistency is greater than quantity. It's unbelievable how my productivity has increased since I let minimalism into my life, I can proudly say I found my way to be happy and grateful for the life that I have.
Exactly! 👍 - The day I decided to give myself permission to do "what I can, when I can, if I can…and to h**l with everything else" was the best decision I ever made! (This is now my daily mantra.) As long as I can SEE what is on the to-do list, I can at least work on thinking of a plan, even if it takes days to actually GET to doing the item. Caring too much about what OTHERS think about MY own life is not going to make ME or my family happy. 😊
Minimalism has been so good for my mental health! Decluttering just adds so much more balance and financial freedom to my family life that nay-sayers astound me!
I totally agree with #5! My husband and I used to argue all the time about lost items, where things should go, etc. It finally dawned on me that he and I both needed a less cluttered house, but hubby was in denial of this. So, I took the bull by the horns and waited for his next work trip. Bottom line, he's never missed a single thing I've jettisoned and I've never had a cleaner house or happier marriage.
I’m glad that it worked out so well for both of you! My husband was resistant to me putting the condiments in a tray on the counter, he just wanted to leave them on the counter willy-nilly - I showed him how good it looked, how much better it was inside a tray, and then of course once he saw it he agreed. 😁👍
🚪 Hello! I jumped on the minimalism bandwagon about 3 months ago. Since then my ENTIRE mindset has changed and I FEEL so much better. Not only did I empty my storage unit that was costing me $65 a month for 4 years... but I let go of a grandiose dream of buying lots of acreage and building a large home there. That dream was a huge burden I placed on myself. Now I realize I dont need a big house. I understand that less is more and I feel so much freedom now. I am saving more money than ever before and I am content for the first time in my life! ❤️
My favourite benefit has been my increased creativity. I always loved art/drawing but I never had the time to work on a piece for hours. If I did I got overwhelmed by all the options and distracted by all the stuff I needed to do. The silent to do list is real and it robs your sense of being,
Couldn't agree more- I took minimalism to the next level when I burnt out earlier this year (single mom & working). Now living in a massively decluttered for 3 months at it is so much less stressful!
Well done! One of my dreams is to be a minimalist...I’ve started with decluttering my stuff and I’m loving my half of our bedroom. My kids now want to do the same to theirs! Set the example and your family will follow! Thank you for this amazing video!
So true! No more wasting my time looking for things. Yay for minimalism. "A place for everything and everything in it's place." A Quote passed down from my Great Grandmother.
And I've heard this in relation to things like learning an instrument, that those years are going to pass one way or another. So you may as well spend the time becoming more minimal.
I started during lock down in 2020. Every drawer, every shelf one by one. My house looks so much better. But still it is a way to go. Every time I start in a space again, I realise that I can let go things now, I was not yet prepared to let go of three years ago. I wish everybody this beautiful feeling of owning less and the cheer of gooing shoping without buying anything... Thank you very much for sharing with us!
Since start of Covid last year I got rid of half of my closet and downsized so much. Got a smaller dresser that fits in my closet and holds just what I need so more room for exercising, stretching, meditating and alot headache to look at and clean. Able to expand my mind so starting reading more and invested in a better reader to avoid buying books that I read once and sits somewhere collecting dust. Also since Covid in 2020 couldn't use vacation for traveling so helped my Mom declutter 30+ years of stuff in our house.
That's great but I don't have the energy to do that I have pain every time I'm active I can't find anyone to help me and my family has deserted me how do I do this
@@kiddor909gmail That's sad, Carroll. Where are you based? I'm in Scotland... I would help if I could. I love decluttering but nothing to declutter now
I feel like my anxiety is way down. I’m also a lot more relaxed and not uptight about stuff. I have no idea why or how. Also, when I first noticed a difference in my house change from decluttering I felt weird and like now what do I do? I never would have thought this would happen. I’m not done with my journey I’m surprising myself with every item that I keep adding to a donation box.
So satisfying that you included studies in this great video! I can relate to many of them, especially the one with cortisol level directly proportional to the clutter around us (🚪)
Yes, I think it’s important to know that there is research that backs up the anecdotal evidence! (The cortisol thing is so true, especially the men vs women part.)
I have watched my stuff take over while I have said,"I will get rid of..." for decades. I am now about 10 of your excellent videos into imagining how free I can be... I am very grateful for your inspiration and willingness to show your difficulty through this journey.
I love your videos, I showed them to my husband and we both decided we want to become minimalist. After selling some furniture and other items around the house I can already feel better. Its a process I know but I can already tell the difference in my home, family, budget, and marriage.
That is such an amazing story, good for you and it’s awesome you were able to get your husband on board right away! Wishing you guys lots of luck and progress. 🍀
YES To all of this!! I have been living as a minimalist for two years and its one of the best decisions I have ever made for my sanity and it is SO true, you clean less, enjoy life more!! I even have my parents on board with a more simple clutter free life!
🚪 I love that the less I have the less I need to be genuinely satisfied and happy, and the more I learn I never needed much to be fulfilled in the first place
Happy 5 years! 🥳🥳 wow look at all those benefits! I used to lose my keys ALL the time now I have a hook by my door where I keep my keys and purse and haven’t lost them since 🤩🙌🏼
🚪 I feel very blessed I found you!!! I am on a slooooow minimalism journey with a messy husband and four messy kids, my youngest being 5 months old (so I'm still in the not being able to wash my hair stage). Even though it's going slow, you and your story really inspire. I do feel daily pressure to get everything done everyday, and I just realized I need to give myself grace and accept that I can't do everything, especially with a tiny baby (and a troublemaker toddler!!) and that most of the pressure is from myself. Trying to do and be it all is exhausting. I need to take a minimalist approach to life as well as my home. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and for being you. 😊🙏
Your daily goals even now, with small children, is to keep them fed, slept, cleanish, but most importantly make sure they know you love them. Anything else is a bonus at this stage.
Love your videos! ❤️ I started decluttering almost 2 years ago and never looked back. I'm struggling with emotional items from my mom now, she passed away December 2019. My step dad lives in the house but I'm not ready to go through her items yet. The major benefit of living with less is by far how easy it is to clean my house and keep it clean. We have a 3 bed 3 bath ranch with a finished basement. Takes me 2 hours on a Saturday morning to clean and I do small stuff during the week. We all pitch in. Husband and 10 year old son. I no longer over buy at the grocery store either. I make a meal plan for the week and that's all I buy.
I’m sorry for the loss of your mother, big hug‘s. You’ve just got to give yourself the time that you need. 🤗 I’m glad to hear that the weekends are much easier for you, that’s definitely a big benefit for families!
My best friend passed suddenly 3 years ago. I have a whole new perspective on grief, which is to let go of everyone else's expectations. Don't struggle with those sentimental items. Wait for a time when it's not a struggle. You feel what you feel; that's real. Unless one's feelings present a danger to themselves, I think we need to realize that grief takes its own time. Unless there's an urgency because of costs for a storage locker, I'd say give yourself time.
🚪 Your videos are sooooo helpful! I didn't even realize I was an emotional hoarder until I started watching your videos!!! Your channel and all the work you have done with filming and editing and adding all the bells and whistles is such a blessing!!!
🚪 My husband and I are on our decluttering journey towards minimalism. Today we just delivered our fourth carload to the donation center. Already our home feels lighter and I am sleeping better. Thanks for sharing your videos I have been binge watching and doing this with the guidance of people like you! 😁 Why has it taken me this long to get doing this?🤯
I just looked it up and July 30th this year marks the 7 year anniversary of me starting minimalism! What a cool idea, I never would have thought to go back to amazon and check that! I definitely agree with all of these benefits! My coffee in the morning with my husband is so relaxing on the couch because we aren't distracted by so much stuff! We love opening the windows since we are close to the lake on the north side of Chicago there are so many birds! It is our favorite time of day and before minimalism we wouldn't have had the time to sit and listen to birds or just enjoy each others company!
I am working toward minimalism and one of the biggest benefits I have seen so far is the lack of panic when someone decides to drop by or whatever. I don't have to worry as much about "is it clean" which has made me socialize a lot more at home. That has a benefit for money and health because I am not eating out as much and there is less peer pressure to drink or consume more than I normally would.
I never thought of myself as super sentimental, until today. Today for the first time, i got SO emotional while decluttering toys. TOYS!! When my first born came into the world, I wanted him to have All.the.things. All thinks Pinterest, Montessori, Waldorf, you name it! Fast forward 6 years, and he and his brother have outgrown so many toys. I have done rounds and rounds of toy purging, but today we decided to get rid of the play kitchen, and oh boy was I a mess!! I mean crying and blubbering! This was a toy that I wanted him to have so bad that I spent DAYYYYYS researching *the* kitchen. He was so little when we got it, and all the memories flooded in! I got permission from my kids to let it go, and then I gave myself permission To let it go. It is no longer serving our family, as they would rather throw the food across the room (at each other!) than “cook”’it lol. But guess what? IM OKAY!! And why I will not be purchasing many toys in the future, I look forward to making lifelong memories with my babies! Edited to say: I wish they voted to ditch the legos. Legos are amazing, and I still hate them! I feel like I’ll be picking them Up well into retirement 😂
Oh my goodness I know exactly what you mean about the toys, but I’m glad that they were so on board with letting them go! It’s funny that I have felt this way, and I’ve heard it from other moms as well, that the toys that we are most attached to are not necessarily the toys that they enjoy the most! When I think about it talking to you now, I think of it in terms of maybe it’s part of our “fantasy self” - what do you think? 🤔
@@AtoZenLifewow a full year late to reply! I fully agree it’s a fantasy self thing. The toys that I was attached to for my kids, were NOT the toys they were attached to. I fantasized about how they would play and how adorable it would be and how excited they would be to own xyz, and then either it didn’t happen, or the moment was fleeting. We have *not* missed the kitchen 😂 Thank you so much for the value your videos provide!❤
My wife started reducing clutter from watching your videos (I love it! Thank you from an Indiana Dad/husband). Like Mr. Zen, it was definitely more so my wife, but I’ve also upped my game. My BIG THING I’ve noticed: I’m less irritated about having other families over. Since we don’t have layers of stuff instantaneously exploding out all over the house, courtesy of our friends’ children and our children playing, I have much less stress. Looking forward to enjoying entertaining once again!
🚪🚪🚪Still on the journey. Loved the video. Just today I declutered 8 bags that were making me feel anxious. I looked at them and didn't decluter because of how much they cost me or because I barely used them so they just stayed there. But every time I looked at them I felt bad energy so today I let go of them. Even though I'm declutering for over a year I still have a lot to do but I feel I'm stronger now and more ruthless. My mind finally changed to the have less but always feel amazing and happy regarding every thing in my house 👌👌🤗🤗
🚪We've always lived in small spaces so always decluttering. We live with my in-laws currently and we only have 3 rooms worth of things. Our main goal is moving to Europe so totally relate. We want to relocate to 🇦🇹 and eventually 🇩🇪.
Such a great video. I love the way you look at minimalism. I have experienced many of these. People probably won't believe this is true until you start to experience them for yourself! Minimalism gives me so much peace. I just love being in my house and also gratitude for the things I do have because I love them!
A plastic snake toy (with realistic coloring) keeps the birds from pooping on our porch. They were nesting above the door and with the snake they all stay away. 🙌🏻 We tucked it above the door where people can’t see it, but birds can.
I’m going to tell my husband about this, does it have to be a certain size? Like should it be around fingertip to elbow length or should I get a boa constrictor LOL 🐍
We got a $1 from Walmart. It was about 18” long, but I chopped off about 3/4 of that and we just used the neck/head to tuck up above the door. I put a small square of Velcro so it won’t move in the wind. I suppose what size snake you need depends on the bravery level of German pigeons. 🤔
I’m thankful that minimizing materialism has shown me that stuff stands in the way of spending time with my family, children, myself, others, etc. Thank you for sharing your journey ♥️
Having suffered the effects of PTSD for decades without understanding it, and about the past 5 years with some awareness of it, I am now steadily decluttering the flat I share with my 7 year old and she is sort of on board. Christmas just made things harder - grandparent who knew we wanted less but still 'bought a few things' but we're keeping going. 2 weeks ago I found I had the headspace to identify my strengths and also what I dislike about my current job ... and to decide to start my own business with a development plan over the next 4 years. Your videos truly inspire, encourage and motivate me and my little girl watches them as avidly as I do 🤗 Thank you, Marissa.
It's Francine Jay actually, and her book is The Joy of Less so joy definitely comes in there somewhere! She was the first "professional" minimalist I ever came across. I learnt a lot about life in general from her and owe her a lot. Her books are well worth reading. And your journey is well worth following - thank you! So glad you are enjoying life in Germany with your family.
I am horrified because I misread her name, and I’ve been spelling it wrong this entire time!!! 😱😱😱 thank you for letting me know in a kindly way, take care! ✨
🚪 I’ve worked hard on my house for about 2 years . It’s still no where near done . I’m on my own with three children 7,4 and nearly 2. I love your channel as it keeps me going as I want an easier house 🥰🥰
You've inspired me to do the same. I' started last year but I still feel like I still can't let go of a lot of things 😌 I know it's a process that is why your videos are really great help. Thanks 😊
I started to live by the third quote 😅 I reduced the silent to do list and I am making everything easier for anyone to clean up. I want nothing to do 😅
Someone make this video a PSA on TV and even in school. 😅 But seriously, people need this reminder. I need this reminder. From a young age, we’re taught and/or learn to just consume. It’s sad, but we live in consumerism (advertisements, billboards, etc.). We consume so much and waste so much. Great points. Thanks for your informative, helpful, and inspiring videos! 😊
THE RACOON! HAHAHA 😍 For me, as an adult ADHD, minimalism is pure therapy. It's not the only thing, but the greatest changes in my life and diagnose came after starting my minimalism path!
Another great video 😊 My family have been living as minimalists for the past decade. Life is definitely more peaceful. We all enjoy slow mornings before school and work.
🚪 so happy you found the book! I started to be able to declutter after the TV series last summer. Still going! I’m ready to part with a lot more than I ever have (sentimental) but not going to landfill is such a priority for me! Did a garage sale last weekend, and stuff still came back into the house - but it’s going! More to go too, hopefully :) Thanks for this video, keeping me going💪
That is so wonderful to hear, and I feel you on the Netflix show! The one with the widow in particular resonated with me... I know what you mean about selling. If it was sentimental I was willing to take the time and list it for sale, even if it only sold for $.99 plus shipping on eBay! If things were truly special, I wanted them to go to a special home. 🏡
@@AtoZenLife same! I’m basically paying for some of the things to leave my house after fees... but that’s ok! It’s wanted and it’s not in landfill 🌱 lots of work, healing and growing in progress! 💕
🚪 really love that you are referencing to studies. I really look forward when we are done with the first round of declutter. We are slow but progress over perfection...
I love your channel Marissa and I´ve got to admit, this video is my favorite until now, I feel super inspired! I have 3 kids and also live in Germany and it hs been very hard to me to declutter because nor my kids nor my husband want to have less stuff, but I see it is possible evertime I see your family, thank you!!! Greetings from Hamburg, Cristina
Women are considered responsible for the condition of their homes. Even if their mates are compulsive hoarders. Kathy B. We are trained by our culture to be responsible for making sure other people are fed and clothed. Also making sure things are put away, found, or cleaned.
So true! If our house is messy and someone comes over, they judge me---not my husband. And here I've been decluttering for a few years now, & I'm the only one in my house who cleans every day. He's the one who refuses to declutter and wants to keep absolutely everything "just in case we might use it some day". All the clutter for his hobby must be all over the living room and must not be touched. Large ugly decor must stay on display because a family member gave it to us. I leave for work in the morning & the kitchen is spotless. Come home & it's a big mess. That's when company comes over lol....right before I get home & I'm the one who's embarrassed. Doesn't even bother him. It's so unfair.
@@JamieM470 sounds like he needs to listen to you, sounds a very selfish person. Putting his needs before yours. You can only live that way for so long
@@JamieM470 i think if you don't calmly confront him on this subject you are going to explode one day and he's going to say "where the hell did this craziness come from?" Or go on strike ! You can only put up with that shit for so long.
It makes your home feel like your on holiday. Always clean. Lots of space. House and belongings all look nicer when there’s less. Everything in the house is what a love not like. MUCH nice to look at.
I love this video! It’s always helpful to have scientific discoveries to back you up when trying to convince others of the benefits of minimalism, yay! 😄👍
🚪 We started our minimalism journey 9 years ago when we decided to lease our house and RV full time. Best decision ever! At first we rented a storage unit to make sure this lifestyle was good for us. We slowly kept getting rid of clutter until we no longer needed the extra storage. I am still in the process of decluttering stuff we have in storage at our kids houses. Lol. After 9 years we are in the process of building a cottage as our home base and with this past experience I plan to be more mindful of what we bring into our new space. Love your channel and all your ideas! Thanks 😊
Love! Your 'empty' house! Those high ceilings!! And Windows.. So much space and light and ..air! 😍😀 I am 2 years in.. Still long way to go... Cannot part with some stuff... But benefit of owning much less than at the begining is obvious.. Its 4 of us and we just have 3 wardrobes in each bedroom as a storage, the kitchen cupboards obviously and one living room books/toys/shoes/else shelf... All of those consist of still too many items!.. .mostly papers old bills, kids school materials .. Toys.. 🙈 Once again! Love your space and energy! It's something that I aspire to! Thanks for motivation😀
I'm so fond of your content! Sense, voice, family and this clear space! Soul-soothing! I wish I had such an "empty" high-quality space. I totally need to come to this point myself
🚪 our family has been working on decluttering since August. I wish the decluttering process + good habits would be faster; but learned it takes time! Every item removed is so worth it!
@@cultureal9544 it’s getting so much better and just feel so free and more peaceful (time, money, mind, family dynamic, etc). It’s a life journey and now that i had a taste of it I will continue further into minimilism that’s for sure. My family is also seeing the benefits and are picking up some of the good decluttering habits. We even started to see that “some areas of our small house picks itself up”… highly recommend this life style.
@@sylviesoucie9310 good to hear how minimalism has helped you too. Reminding myself that empty space is already filled with LOVE and space for activities.
Another great video! There were so many benefits that I experienced after doing some physical decluttering and I really wasn't even prepared! My life is so different than it was a few years ago and it's better than I could have envisioned. Thanks for laying it all out like this, loved all the factoids and quotes!!! It's all true - everyone, try it out and see for yourself the life-changing magic of tidying up! ❤️❤️❤️
Hey Marissa! I discovered your channel just today, and I'm already hooked! I am so inspired and excited to start my own minimalist journey! Thank you so much!
Thank you. This really resonated with me today. We downsized a lot since moving across the country last year but I've felt stuck to go any further. During this video, I started looking around the office and actually saw more that I can get rid of.
I took Marie Kondo's advice and started right away by selling her book after I read it. So freeing to have almost nothing!! Love your lounge room, Marissa. I want to buy the same lounge but maybe in the black.
I thought about giving it away, but for the purpose of my blog and my CZcams channel I actually referred to it quite often, so that’s why I kept it! 😂 By lounge do you mean sofa/couch?
Great video Marissa! I love the dragon curtains! In my house, we have our Mexican touches (a table runner and some embroidery on a pillow). It’s an ode to our time amidst the Mexican culture ❤️
I always took pride in my multitasking skills but I was so overwhelmed all the time! I am shocked that I was doing more harm than good.. I definitely will try to embrace having less to do and focus better on it
🚪 just found your site 😊 and just started my journey 🙏 OMG! 😂😂 I thought I was the only person whose things in her house called out to her!! I feel so much saner now. 😂
🚪 I was looking for something at the exact moment you stated the “55 minutes a day looking for something” statistic 😂 Thanks so much for this video, I’m a new follower and learning so much
So glad I found your channel! You are an inspiration and I really enjoy your videos! Thank you so much for sharing your minimalism journey! We also immigrated to another country with only 8 suitcases and selling, donating and giving things away was super hard work and thinking back I don't miss anything!
I just recently found your site, and you are a delight to watch as you don't just show how to declutter, but give info and insight on other areas in which clutter affects us. I too, lost my parents at a very young age, within 3 years of each other. They were both young, (my father was 37 and my mother was 43.) I had also lost five other loved ones during that time within a year. It caused too many issues to name here, but I was left with things that I had a very sentimental attachment to. Due to my ex's job, we moved 23 times with four children, and I dragged these items around for years. I also ended up with some of my kid's belongings after they moved out. I used to say that I was the "keeper of the crap", jokingly, but inside, I was very stressed about it. I started working on clearing things out of my life some time ago, but yes it can take a long time. The main reason I am writing is to address the letter from Robin. I know that my parents would never have wanted me to be carting their things around for years, and thought that this might be one way of putting it to her. I'm sure her parents, and aunts wouldn't have wanted this burden for her.
🚪I also live in Germany. I want to start to declutter, was following a few CZcamsrs from some time now. But to start decluttering is the most difficult thing. I guess once you get into it, you find it easier. Hoping so for myself. Wish me luck. I have shared this video with my husband. Maybe together its going to be easier. 🙏🏼
Try with the book “the more of less” by Joshua Becker and/or the books of Brooke McAlary. They are really great to start the journey with! I wish I would have found them when I started my journey in 2017.
start decluttering your bathroom, thats usually the easiest, because most of the "clutter" is actually expired trash and i think, most of us don't have a strong connection to expired old make up or shampoo or cleaning products, thats not used
It takes time. Ive been on this journey for three years now and so many spaces already cleared up so much. Although there is still a lot to do. But miy bathroom is now officially minimalistic and I love it!
I knew I should rewrite our wills ( kids are 32 and 29 ) because the kids were in grade school the last time I wrote our wills BUT I needed to make a list of our investments and bank accounts for my husband and our firstborn who will happily be executor when that time comes BUT I needed all that information in files so I could describe where to find the info needed BUT a lot of the statements were not filed but were in various boxes SO that is where I had to start and once I bought a paper shredder I was off and running! Haven't rewritten the wills yet but I am so much closer and happier with the financial information organized and filed away! 🚪
Thanks for sharing this, it's very helpful. I'm just beginning to declutter my things, & while my husband said it's a bit nuts when I first started, he immediately noticed how tidy our sitting room is 😂. All i did was put his stuff in a box...and properly home mine. So, I have a loooong way to go, but I am already looking forward to enjoying all of these benefits.
🚪 for sure these videos help alot, we just moved house and have a baby on the way, so its a good time to declutter wardrobe and make lots of space. but also take some time to go through the stuff :)
Hello Marissa. I wuld like to thank you because after seing few of your videos, I bought Mari Kondo's book. In english (I'm french). Th ebook is better looking than the french one, and it makes me study english languege, that I enjoy and wuld like to use it more daily with italian. However. I decluttered things one by one, and when I tied my socks, it brought me so much joy to see my favorites. One of the F. And indeed, imagining that my house could be full of the items that bring me joy is amasing. So thanks to Mary Kondo and you for your videos and happiness and all. Mouak mouak :)
🚪yes! I am on a journey of decluttering and minimalism! I've decluttered clutter throughout the years so for all those who criticize your 5 yr journey... I say 🤐 It's not a one and done. I've always been good at decluttering.. Just not so good at minimalism. I continue to work on it as my husband and I plan a move and build a retirement home. Thank you for what you do. It keeps me going!
I decluttered after finishing my studies with the Mari Kondo method. It was the right time like a transition from one part of live to another. The Mari Kondo method was helpful, because, I had no experience with decluttering before. Since the start I am still at this journey. With increasing minimalism I had the same impacts on my life which you described in your video. Less and easier cleaning. No more searching for stuff. Less stress and an increased calm feeling in my flat. And also I automatically improved my financiell behavior by shopping purposefully.
More hospitality! Friends can drop by and I just open the door because it’s always tidy. 🚪
Yes! Hosting becomes so much easier. 🤗
I agree. I feel so good that my home is tidy and takes no effort at all giving me more time!!!
So true!!
*The men probably didn't feel as much stress from the clutter because they didn't feel the internalized responsibility to take care of it.*
Like it went on the women’s “silent to do list” but not theirs. 😞
Amen.
Yea, just don't touch their beers though
Absolutely
They could always walk out to a waiting friends' gang to declutter the space in their heads! Even in this age the onus of keeping a home smart (where everything you own is retrievable) is still on the lady! 🙄🙄
When my space is uncluttered I don’t mind actual cleaning. It becomes quite satisfying.
My gift giving has also changed. I want to avoid cluttering up the lives of others. I give money or consumables now!
It has a way of trickling over, right? I like that gift strategy. 🙌
same here...❤❤❤
Absolutely! I have been doing that for well over a decade. I started with my own children. We focused on experiences. My kids are both minimalists. I grew up minimalist. Times were simpler and fuller.
Definitely agreed. Coffee and teas are my go to gifts.
We did a no spend Christmas this year. You had to make the gift out of something you already had. We had amazing homemade treats, hand-painted and gathered from nature decor items. If was so wonderful.
💟 That quote at about minute 14:00!: "My goal is to no longer get more done but have less to do". I absolutely love that!!
Sometimes trash is just trash. So true.
I’m happy Erica is here too ❤️❤️❤️
@@TheNerdistheWord ❤️
You addressed my biggest pet peeve about Minimalist nay sayers: "But decluttering is so wasteful!!" Yes, it can be. But 1. You can be mindful about how you get rid of your accumulated possessions and 2. Minimalism isn't a weekend project. It's a lifestyle. And if one month (or more depending on how much you have) of decluttering leads to a life time of careful spending and intentionality, then it's absolutely worth it.
Very insightful and I completely agree! 💯
I don’t understand that argument because if we keep the clutter then when you die someone else if going to get rid of it for us. It’s just going to get thrown out most likely because it’s too overwhelming to figure out what to do with everything if you have so much stuff.
What else is wasteful is buying something you already have because you have so much stuff/clutter you either don't know you have it or you can't find it and really need it. Decluttering will solve that problem.
Haha.. I agree!! So worthwhile because of it leading to more careful and intentional spending! Decluttering is the least wasteful thing I've done because it's ensured I only buy what I need because everything has its place so I can find it/see it and therefore know when/if it needs attention. Only having what I need means I can see what I have (it's not hidden in mess). So, I look after it better, it lasts longer and therefore I have less waste!
(For example, my shoes used to be spread all over the wardrobe floor. Once I put them on the display shelves I HAD to look after the few shoes I had and I could see them and what their needs were - cleaning, repairs or replacing).
@@happychaosofthenorth OMG this! Remember that dreadful feeling when you find you already owned it. Ouch!!
One thing I'm grateful for is that I don't feel guilty anymore when I want/need to relax or when I just don't want to do anything. The silent to-do list is real and it has haunted me for years. I spent years of my life without sleeping well, I used to feel that I couldn't sleep until I felt I was doing enough for the day, I felt I needed to rush things for the next day, the list goes on. In conclusion: I was never satisfied with the work done.
Today, there is no burden. Everything I have serves a purpose, there's nothing to worry about except what I need and what I love to take care of. I don't have clothes that tell me "you're not enough", I don't have books that tell me "you're not an intellectual", I don't have things that tell me "you're such a mess". I don't feel as anxious as I used to, so I do one thing at a time and don't set unattainable goals for the day. I do what I can, I'm improving 1% every day and that's enough. Consistency is greater than quantity. It's unbelievable how my productivity has increased since I let minimalism into my life, I can proudly say I found my way to be happy and grateful for the life that I have.
Exactly! 👍 - The day I decided to give myself permission to do "what I can, when I can, if I can…and to h**l with everything else" was the best decision I ever made! (This is now my daily mantra.) As long as I can SEE what is on the to-do list, I can at least work on thinking of a plan, even if it takes days to actually GET to doing the item. Caring too much about what OTHERS think about MY own life is not going to make ME or my family happy. 😊
Minimalism has been so good for my mental health! Decluttering just adds so much more balance and financial freedom to my family life that nay-sayers astound me!
I totally agree with #5! My husband and I used to argue all the time about lost items, where things should go, etc. It finally dawned on me that he and I both needed a less cluttered house, but hubby was in denial of this. So, I took the bull by the horns and waited for his next work trip. Bottom line, he's never missed a single thing I've jettisoned and I've never had a cleaner house or happier marriage.
I’m glad that it worked out so well for both of you! My husband was resistant to me putting the condiments in a tray on the counter, he just wanted to leave them on the counter willy-nilly - I showed him how good it looked, how much better it was inside a tray, and then of course once he saw it he agreed. 😁👍
🚪 Hello! I jumped on the minimalism bandwagon about 3 months ago. Since then my ENTIRE mindset has changed and I FEEL so much better. Not only did I empty my storage unit that was costing me $65 a month for 4 years... but I let go of a grandiose dream of buying lots of acreage and building a large home there. That dream was a huge burden I placed on myself. Now I realize I dont need a big house. I understand that less is more and I feel so much freedom now. I am saving more money than ever before and I am content for the first time in my life! ❤️
Oh my goodness that is so wonderful to hear! That is $780 in savings right there per year, wow. 👏 Keep it up!
I can actually feel my cortisol levels increasing when I walk in to a cluttered room. 🚪
Yup. I have that too or when I drive past open garage doors ..... what are people keeping???? It actually makes me feel uneasy
My favourite benefit has been my increased creativity. I always loved art/drawing but I never had the time to work on a piece for hours. If I did I got overwhelmed by all the options and distracted by all the stuff I needed to do. The silent to do list is real and it robs your sense of being,
What medium do you create in? Glad you are reaping the artistic rewards. 🎨 And yes, the silent to do list idea was mind-blowing.
@@AtoZenLife coloured pencil is my current favourite but I love water colour and mono printing with acrylic too.
@@ArtyAntics Wonderful. 🤗 🌈
Couldn't agree more- I took minimalism to the next level when I burnt out earlier this year (single mom & working). Now living in a massively decluttered for 3 months at it is so much less stressful!
Couldn’t agree more 💯
Well done! One of my dreams is to be a minimalist...I’ve started with decluttering my stuff and I’m loving my half of our bedroom. My kids now want to do the same to theirs! Set the example and your family will follow! Thank you for this amazing video!
That’s great that you get your kids on board so easily, good luck! ✨🍀✨
So true! No more wasting my time looking for things. Yay for minimalism. "A place for everything and everything in it's place." A Quote passed down from my Great Grandmother.
You gave me hope. When I say to my friends it will me take me around 5 years to accomplish the life I want they think I am crazy. Thank you!
Wishing you lots of success in your journey! 🙌
And I've heard this in relation to things like learning an instrument, that those years are going to pass one way or another. So you may as well spend the time becoming more minimal.
The glow on your face when you said your marriage was better due to minimalism - chefs kiss!!!
😘👌
I started during lock down in 2020. Every drawer, every shelf one by one. My house looks so much better. But still it is a way to go. Every time I start in a space again, I realise that I can let go things now, I was not yet prepared to let go of three years ago. I wish everybody this beautiful feeling of owning less and the cheer of gooing shoping without buying anything... Thank you very much for sharing with us!
My benefit was learning to live more in the present ...not in the past or even for all my 'one day's' ( future).
Ooooh, good one 👍
Since start of Covid last year I got rid of half of my closet and downsized so much. Got a smaller dresser that fits in my closet and holds just what I need so more room for exercising, stretching, meditating and alot headache to look at and clean. Able to expand my mind so starting reading more and invested in a better reader to avoid buying books that I read once and sits somewhere collecting dust.
Also since Covid in 2020 couldn't use vacation for traveling so helped my Mom declutter 30+ years of stuff in our house.
That's great but I don't have the energy to do that I have pain every time I'm active I can't find anyone to help me and my family has deserted me how do I do this
@@kiddor909gmail That's sad, Carroll. Where are you based? I'm in Scotland... I would help if I could. I love decluttering but nothing to declutter now
I feel like my anxiety is way down. I’m also a lot more relaxed and not uptight about stuff. I have no idea why or how. Also, when I first noticed a difference in my house change from decluttering I felt weird and like now what do I do? I never would have thought this would happen. I’m not done with my journey I’m surprising myself with every item that I keep adding to a donation box.
How exciting
So satisfying that you included studies in this great video! I can relate to many of them, especially the one with cortisol level directly proportional to the clutter around us (🚪)
Yes, I think it’s important to know that there is research that backs up the anecdotal evidence! (The cortisol thing is so true, especially the men vs women part.)
I have watched my stuff take over while I have said,"I will get rid of..." for decades. I am now about 10 of your excellent videos into imagining how free I can be... I am very grateful for your inspiration and willingness to show your difficulty through this journey.
I love your videos, I showed them to my husband and we both decided we want to become minimalist. After selling some furniture and other items around the house I can already feel better. Its a process I know but I can already tell the difference in my home, family, budget, and marriage.
That is such an amazing story, good for you and it’s awesome you were able to get your husband on board right away! Wishing you guys lots of luck and progress. 🍀
Thumbs up = happy for you
YES To all of this!! I have been living as a minimalist for two years and its one of the best decisions I have ever made for my sanity and it is SO true, you clean less, enjoy life more!! I even have my parents on board with a more simple clutter free life!
It’s wonderful you can share this with your family. Thanks for watching! ❤️
🚪 I love that the less I have the less I need to be genuinely satisfied and happy, and the more I learn I never needed much to be fulfilled in the first place
One of the very best videos on decluttering and minimalism I've ever seen, and I've watched a lot. Very fact-based and inspiring.
Happy 5 years! 🥳🥳 wow look at all those benefits! I used to lose my keys ALL the time now I have a hook by my door where I keep my keys and purse and haven’t lost them since 🤩🙌🏼
Such a good hack! Thanks for watching. ❤️
🚪 I feel very blessed I found you!!! I am on a slooooow minimalism journey with a messy husband and four messy kids, my youngest being 5 months old (so I'm still in the not being able to wash my hair stage). Even though it's going slow, you and your story really inspire. I do feel daily pressure to get everything done everyday, and I just realized I need to give myself grace and accept that I can't do everything, especially with a tiny baby (and a troublemaker toddler!!) and that most of the pressure is from myself. Trying to do and be it all is exhausting. I need to take a minimalist approach to life as well as my home. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and for being you. 😊🙏
Kids will appreciate your spending time playing one toy with them for an hour, than see you cleaning STUFF for an hour.
Your daily goals even now, with small children, is to keep them fed, slept, cleanish, but most importantly make sure they know you love them. Anything else is a bonus at this stage.
I am but it takes a long time. Get rid of something every day, this is working for me. Thanks.
✨🙌✨
🚪 I've been watching you and the Minimal Mom a lot recently. It's been super inspiring on my decluttering journey
Love your videos! ❤️ I started decluttering almost 2 years ago and never looked back. I'm struggling with emotional items from my mom now, she passed away December 2019. My step dad lives in the house but I'm not ready to go through her items yet. The major benefit of living with less is by far how easy it is to clean my house and keep it clean. We have a 3 bed 3 bath ranch with a finished basement. Takes me 2 hours on a Saturday morning to clean and I do small stuff during the week. We all pitch in. Husband and 10 year old son. I no longer over buy at the grocery store either. I make a meal plan for the week and that's all I buy.
I’m sorry for the loss of your mother, big hug‘s. You’ve just got to give yourself the time that you need. 🤗 I’m glad to hear that the weekends are much easier for you, that’s definitely a big benefit for families!
My best friend passed suddenly 3 years ago. I have a whole new perspective on grief, which is to let go of everyone else's expectations. Don't struggle with those sentimental items. Wait for a time when it's not a struggle. You feel what you feel; that's real. Unless one's feelings present a danger to themselves, I think we need to realize that grief takes its own time. Unless there's an urgency because of costs for a storage locker, I'd say give yourself time.
🚪 Your videos are sooooo helpful! I didn't even realize I was an emotional hoarder until I started watching your videos!!! Your channel and all the work you have done with filming and editing and adding all the bells and whistles is such a blessing!!!
🚪 My husband and I are on our decluttering journey towards minimalism. Today we just delivered our fourth carload to the donation center. Already our home feels lighter and I am sleeping better. Thanks for sharing your videos I have been binge watching and doing this with the guidance of people like you! 😁 Why has it taken me this long to get doing this?🤯
I just looked it up and July 30th this year marks the 7 year anniversary of me starting minimalism! What a cool idea, I never would have thought to go back to amazon and check that! I definitely agree with all of these benefits! My coffee in the morning with my husband is so relaxing on the couch because we aren't distracted by so much stuff! We love opening the windows since we are close to the lake on the north side of Chicago there are so many birds! It is our favorite time of day and before minimalism we wouldn't have had the time to sit and listen to birds or just enjoy each others company!
One of the most informative videos on Minimalism I have seen!
I am working toward minimalism and one of the biggest benefits I have seen so far is the lack of panic when someone decides to drop by or whatever. I don't have to worry as much about "is it clean" which has made me socialize a lot more at home. That has a benefit for money and health because I am not eating out as much and there is less peer pressure to drink or consume more than I normally would.
I never thought of myself as super sentimental, until today. Today for the first time, i got SO emotional while decluttering toys. TOYS!! When my first born came into the world, I wanted him to have All.the.things. All thinks Pinterest, Montessori, Waldorf, you name it!
Fast forward 6 years, and he and his brother have outgrown so many toys. I have done rounds and rounds of toy purging, but today we decided to get rid of the play kitchen, and oh boy was I a mess!! I mean crying and blubbering! This was a toy that I wanted him to have so bad that I spent DAYYYYYS researching *the* kitchen. He was so little when we got it, and all the memories flooded in!
I got permission from my kids to let it go, and then I gave myself permission To let it go. It is no longer serving our family, as they would rather throw the food across the room (at each other!) than “cook”’it lol. But guess what? IM OKAY!! And why I will not be purchasing many toys in the future, I look forward to making lifelong memories with my babies!
Edited to say: I wish they voted to ditch the legos. Legos are amazing, and I still hate them! I feel like I’ll be picking them
Up well into retirement 😂
Oh my goodness I know exactly what you mean about the toys, but I’m glad that they were so on board with letting them go! It’s funny that I have felt this way, and I’ve heard it from other moms as well, that the toys that we are most attached to are not necessarily the toys that they enjoy the most!
When I think about it talking to you now, I think of it in terms of maybe it’s part of our “fantasy self” - what do you think? 🤔
@@AtoZenLifewow a full year late to reply! I fully agree it’s a fantasy self thing. The toys that I was attached to for my kids, were NOT the toys they were attached to. I fantasized about how they would play and how adorable it would be and how excited they would be to own xyz, and then either it didn’t happen, or the moment was fleeting.
We have *not* missed the kitchen 😂
Thank you so much for the value your videos provide!❤
@@meh5069 Better late than never - happy to have you here ☺️
My wife started reducing clutter from watching your videos (I love it! Thank you from an Indiana Dad/husband). Like Mr. Zen, it was definitely more so my wife, but I’ve also upped my game.
My BIG THING I’ve noticed: I’m less irritated about having other families over. Since we don’t have layers of stuff instantaneously exploding out all over the house, courtesy of our friends’ children and our children playing, I have much less stress.
Looking forward to enjoying entertaining once again!
You see, it’s little things like that that add up to make minimalism so amazing - well done! 👏
🚪🚪🚪Still on the journey. Loved the video. Just today I declutered 8 bags that were making me feel anxious. I looked at them and didn't decluter because of how much they cost me or because I barely used them so they just stayed there. But every time I looked at them I felt bad energy so today I let go of them. Even though I'm declutering for over a year I still have a lot to do but I feel I'm stronger now and more ruthless. My mind finally changed to the have less but always feel amazing and happy regarding every thing in my house 👌👌🤗🤗
I’m glad you were able to move past it, Madalena! Good luck going forward, too. 🤗
🚪We've always lived in small spaces so always decluttering. We live with my in-laws currently and we only have 3 rooms worth of things. Our main goal is moving to Europe so totally relate. We want to relocate to 🇦🇹 and eventually 🇩🇪.
Such a great video. I love the way you look at minimalism. I have experienced many of these. People probably won't believe this is true until you start to experience them for yourself! Minimalism gives me so much peace. I just love being in my house and also gratitude for the things I do have because I love them!
I have to say, I was definitely skeptical of the bold claims. 🤔 Glad you are loving it, too!
That's true. I used to go out because I didn't feel good being "at home."
Now with minimalism empty rooms, I feel ... content being at home.
A plastic snake toy (with realistic coloring) keeps the birds from pooping on our porch. They were nesting above the door and with the snake they all stay away. 🙌🏻 We tucked it above the door where people can’t see it, but birds can.
I’m going to tell my husband about this, does it have to be a certain size? Like should it be around fingertip to elbow length or should I get a boa constrictor LOL 🐍
We got a $1 from Walmart. It was about 18” long, but I chopped off about 3/4 of that and we just used the neck/head to tuck up above the door. I put a small square of Velcro so it won’t move in the wind. I suppose what size snake you need depends on the bravery level of German pigeons. 🤔
I’m thankful that minimizing materialism has shown me that stuff stands in the way of spending time with my family, children, myself, others, etc. Thank you for sharing your journey ♥️
Having suffered the effects of PTSD for decades without understanding it, and about the past 5 years with some awareness of it, I am now steadily decluttering the flat I share with my 7 year old and she is sort of on board. Christmas just made things harder - grandparent who knew we wanted less but still 'bought a few things' but we're keeping going. 2 weeks ago I found I had the headspace to identify my strengths and also what I dislike about my current job ... and to decide to start my own business with a development plan over the next 4 years. Your videos truly inspire, encourage and motivate me and my little girl watches them as avidly as I do 🤗 Thank you, Marissa.
Glad you are working towards that balance - it’s going to be so worth it for you and your daughter! My lil guys is also 7, tell her we said “hi” 🤗
@@AtoZenLife ❤️
It's Francine Jay actually, and her book is The Joy of Less so joy definitely comes in there somewhere! She was the first "professional" minimalist I ever came across. I learnt a lot about life in general from her and owe her a lot. Her books are well worth reading. And your journey is well worth following - thank you! So glad you are enjoying life in Germany with your family.
I am horrified because I misread her name, and I’ve been spelling it wrong this entire time!!! 😱😱😱 thank you for letting me know in a kindly way, take care! ✨
🚪 I’ve worked hard on my house for about 2 years . It’s still no where near done . I’m on my own with three children 7,4 and nearly 2. I love your channel as it keeps me going as I want an easier house 🥰🥰
Keep up the good work, Rachel, sounds like you’ve done a lot! ✨🙌✨
You've inspired me to do the same. I' started last year but I still feel like I still can't let go of a lot of things 😌 I know it's a process that is why your videos are really great help. Thanks 😊
I started to live by the third quote 😅 I reduced the silent to do list and I am making everything easier for anyone to clean up. I want nothing to do 😅
Nice 😆👍.
Someone make this video a PSA on TV and even in school. 😅 But seriously, people need this reminder. I need this reminder. From a young age, we’re taught and/or learn to just consume. It’s sad, but we live in consumerism (advertisements, billboards, etc.). We consume so much and waste so much.
Great points. Thanks for your informative, helpful, and inspiring videos! 😊
THE RACOON! HAHAHA 😍
For me, as an adult ADHD, minimalism is pure therapy. It's not the only thing, but the greatest changes in my life and diagnose came after starting my minimalism path!
Another great video 😊 My family have been living as minimalists for the past decade. Life is definitely more peaceful. We all enjoy slow mornings before school and work.
🚪 so happy you found the book!
I started to be able to declutter after the TV series last summer. Still going!
I’m ready to part with a lot more than I ever have (sentimental) but not going to landfill is such a priority for me!
Did a garage sale last weekend, and stuff still came back into the house - but it’s going! More to go too, hopefully :)
Thanks for this video, keeping me going💪
That is so wonderful to hear, and I feel you on the Netflix show! The one with the widow in particular resonated with me... I know what you mean about selling. If it was sentimental I was willing to take the time and list it for sale, even if it only sold for $.99 plus shipping on eBay! If things were truly special, I wanted them to go to a special home. 🏡
@@AtoZenLife same! I’m basically paying for some of the things to leave my house after fees... but that’s ok! It’s wanted and it’s not in landfill 🌱 lots of work, healing and growing in progress! 💕
I love that you said emotional hoarder cause that’s me but I’m starting to declutter and organize my house and life
So far the best Minimalist benefits video ever, with logic, statistics 👌🤩
Thanks Rashmi. ✨🙌✨
decluttering my youtube. notifications off. thanks for the tips and inspiration.
Sure thing. ☺️
🚪 really love that you are referencing to studies. I really look forward when we are done with the first round of declutter. We are slow but progress over perfection...
Such a good and healthy perspective to have. ✨🙌✨ And thank you!
I love your channel Marissa and I´ve got to admit, this video is my favorite until now, I feel super inspired! I have 3 kids and also live in Germany and it hs been very hard to me to declutter because nor my kids nor my husband want to have less stuff, but I see it is possible evertime I see your family, thank you!!! Greetings from Hamburg, Cristina
Women are considered responsible for the condition of their homes. Even if their mates are compulsive hoarders.
Kathy B.
We are trained by our culture to be responsible for making sure other people are fed and clothed. Also making sure things are put away, found, or cleaned.
Sadly backed by science. 😞
So true! If our house is messy and someone comes over, they judge me---not my husband.
And here I've been decluttering for a few years now, & I'm the only one in my house who cleans every day. He's the one who refuses to declutter and wants to keep absolutely everything "just in case we might use it some day". All the clutter for his hobby must be all over the living room and must not be touched. Large ugly decor must stay on display because a family member gave it to us. I leave for work in the morning & the kitchen is spotless. Come home & it's a big mess. That's when company comes over lol....right before I get home & I'm the one who's embarrassed. Doesn't even bother him. It's so unfair.
@@JamieM470 sounds like he needs to listen to you, sounds a very selfish person. Putting his needs before yours. You can only live that way for so long
@@JamieM470 i think if you don't calmly confront him on this subject you are going to explode one day and he's going to say "where the hell did this craziness come from?" Or go on strike ! You can only put up with that shit for so long.
It makes your home feel like your on holiday. Always clean. Lots of space. House and belongings all look nicer when there’s less. Everything in the house is what a love not like. MUCH nice to look at.
I love this video! It’s always helpful to have scientific discoveries to back you up when trying to convince others of the benefits of minimalism, yay! 😄👍
Science FTW! ✨🙌✨
🚪 We started our minimalism journey 9 years ago when we decided to lease our house and RV full time. Best decision ever! At first we rented a storage unit to make sure this lifestyle was good for us. We slowly kept getting rid of clutter until we no longer needed the extra storage. I am still in the process of decluttering stuff we have in storage at our kids houses. Lol.
After 9 years we are in the process of building a cottage as our home base and with this past experience I plan to be more mindful of what we bring into our new space. Love your channel and all your ideas! Thanks 😊
7:38 when u tears up, and ur voice trembling, I feel the pain, and I want to cry too!
Thanks, friend 🤗
Marissa Zen - Family Minimalism u know in therapy group, ppl become friends so quickly because we share and understand each other.
Love! Your 'empty' house! Those high ceilings!! And Windows.. So much space and light and ..air! 😍😀 I am 2 years in.. Still long way to go... Cannot part with some stuff... But benefit of owning much less than at the begining is obvious.. Its 4 of us and we just have 3 wardrobes in each bedroom as a storage, the kitchen cupboards obviously and one living room books/toys/shoes/else shelf... All of those consist of still too many items!.. .mostly papers old bills, kids school materials .. Toys.. 🙈
Once again! Love your space and energy! It's something that I aspire to! Thanks for motivation😀
I'm so fond of your content! Sense, voice, family and this clear space! Soul-soothing! I wish I had such an "empty" high-quality space. I totally need to come to this point myself
🚪 our family has been working on decluttering since August. I wish the decluttering process + good habits would be faster; but learned it takes time! Every item removed is so worth it!
It DOES take time - more time than most CZcams videos show LOL. Best of luck. 🙌
How is your one year progress?
@@cultureal9544 it’s getting so much better and just feel so free and more peaceful (time, money, mind, family dynamic, etc). It’s a life journey and now that i had a taste of it I will continue further into minimilism that’s for sure. My family is also seeing the benefits and are picking up some of the good decluttering habits. We even started to see that “some areas of our small house picks itself up”… highly recommend this life style.
@@sylviesoucie9310 good to hear how minimalism has helped you too.
Reminding myself that empty space is already filled with LOVE and space for activities.
Another great video! There were so many benefits that I experienced after doing some physical decluttering and I really wasn't even prepared! My life is so different than it was a few years ago and it's better than I could have envisioned. Thanks for laying it all out like this, loved all the factoids and quotes!!! It's all true - everyone, try it out and see for yourself the life-changing magic of tidying up! ❤️❤️❤️
I know you feel me girl, thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts as always. ✨❤️✨
Minimalism...a complete life change for the better.
💯
The word freedom comes to mind. Living more simply definitely brings time to enjoy the important things in life. Thanks for all your videos.
Neat, curtains. The spiky plastics keep pigeons away.
You look so much happier now compared to the 2019 flashback! That sold me instantly!
🚪I have been on my journey since 2019 and I’ve had my ups and downs.
This was the most inspiring video in a long time. Thank you 🙏🏻
Hey Marissa! I discovered your channel just today, and I'm already hooked!
I am so inspired and excited to start my own minimalist journey!
Thank you so much!
Thank you. This really resonated with me today. We downsized a lot since moving across the country last year but I've felt stuck to go any further. During this video, I started looking around the office and actually saw more that I can get rid of.
I took Marie Kondo's advice and started right away by selling her book after I read it. So freeing to have almost nothing!! Love your lounge room, Marissa. I want to buy the same lounge but maybe in the black.
I thought about giving it away, but for the purpose of my blog and my CZcams channel I actually referred to it quite often, so that’s why I kept it! 😂 By lounge do you mean sofa/couch?
Great video Marissa! I love the dragon curtains! In my house, we have our Mexican touches (a table runner and some embroidery on a pillow). It’s an ode to our time amidst the Mexican culture ❤️
I always took pride in my multitasking skills but I was so overwhelmed all the time! I am shocked that I was doing more harm than good.. I definitely will try to embrace having less to do and focus better on it
So happy for you and your family! Thank you for sharing your light!
Thank you so much, and thank you for being here and watching! ✨
I love this. I’ve seen your videos before but I am ready to start this journey now!
🚪 just found your site 😊 and just started my journey 🙏
OMG! 😂😂 I thought I was the only person whose things in her house called out to her!! I feel so much saner now. 😂
🚪 I was looking for something at the exact moment you stated the “55 minutes a day looking for something” statistic 😂 Thanks so much for this video, I’m a new follower and learning so much
So glad I found your channel! You are an inspiration and I really enjoy your videos! Thank you so much for sharing your minimalism journey! We also immigrated to another country with only 8 suitcases and selling, donating and giving things away was super hard work and thinking back I don't miss anything!
I just recently found your site, and you are a delight to watch as you don't just show how to declutter, but give info and insight on other areas in which clutter affects us. I too, lost my parents at a very young age, within 3 years of each other. They were both young, (my father was 37 and my mother was 43.) I had also lost five other loved ones during that time within a year. It caused too many issues to name here, but I was left with things that I had a very sentimental attachment to. Due to my ex's job, we moved 23 times with four children, and I dragged these items around for years. I also ended up with some of my kid's belongings after they moved out. I used to say that I was the "keeper of the crap", jokingly, but inside, I was very stressed about it. I started working on clearing things out of my life some time ago, but yes it can take a long time. The main reason I am writing is to address the letter from Robin. I know that my parents would never have wanted me to be carting their things around for years, and thought that this might be one way of putting it to her. I'm sure her parents, and aunts wouldn't have wanted this burden for her.
🚪 I'm really trying to simplify my life, with an autistic son and a toddler, and homeschooling, I need to streamline my time!
Lol swimming through toy clutter. Thanks for that visual 🤣 made me smile
🚪I also live in Germany. I want to start to declutter, was following a few CZcamsrs from some time now. But to start decluttering is the most difficult thing. I guess once you get into it, you find it easier. Hoping so for myself. Wish me luck. I have shared this video with my husband. Maybe together its going to be easier. 🙏🏼
Try with the book “the more of less” by Joshua Becker and/or the books of Brooke McAlary. They are really great to start the journey with! I wish I would have found them when I started my journey in 2017.
start decluttering your bathroom, thats usually the easiest, because most of the "clutter" is actually expired trash and i think, most of us don't have a strong connection to expired old make up or shampoo or cleaning products, thats not used
It takes time. Ive been on this journey for three years now and so many spaces already cleared up so much. Although there is still a lot to do. But miy bathroom is now officially minimalistic and I love it!
If you need to get the pigeons away from your window, put a fake snake in the window sill🤭 👍👍 love your videos!!! Thank you!
I knew I should rewrite our wills ( kids are 32 and 29 ) because the kids were in grade school the last time I wrote our wills BUT I needed to make a list of our investments and bank accounts for my husband and our firstborn who will happily be executor when that time comes BUT I needed all that information in files so I could describe where to find the info needed BUT a lot of the statements were not filed but were in various boxes SO that is where I had to start and once I bought a paper shredder I was off and running! Haven't rewritten the wills yet but I am so much closer and happier with the financial information organized and filed away! 🚪
This was so informative and truthful! Thank you for sharing. 😊
Thank YOU for watching! ☺️
Thanks for sharing this, it's very helpful. I'm just beginning to declutter my things, & while my husband said it's a bit nuts when I first started, he immediately noticed how tidy our sitting room is 😂. All i did was put his stuff in a box...and properly home mine. So, I have a loooong way to go, but I am already looking forward to enjoying all of these benefits.
🚪 for sure these videos help alot, we just moved house and have a baby on the way, so its a good time to declutter wardrobe and make lots of space. but also take some time to go through the stuff :)
Thanks for sharing the progress of 5-year minimalism!
Thanks for watching. ✨
Reconcile past decisions by making better decisions going forward
👏
🚪 five years in! It’s definitely something we get better at through the years, still have goals I’m challenging myself to meet ❤️
Here’s to 5 years and beyond! ✨
Hello Marissa.
I wuld like to thank you because after seing few of your videos, I bought Mari Kondo's book. In english (I'm french). Th ebook is better looking than the french one, and it makes me study english languege, that I enjoy and wuld like to use it more daily with italian. However. I decluttered things one by one, and when I tied my socks, it brought me so much joy to see my favorites. One of the F. And indeed, imagining that my house could be full of the items that bring me joy is amasing. So thanks to Mary Kondo and you for your videos and happiness and all. Mouak mouak :)
Wonderful I’m so glad you’re finding you joy ✨. Hugs and take care. :)
Loved the racoon in the window!
🚪yes! I am on a journey of decluttering and minimalism! I've decluttered clutter throughout the years so for all those who criticize your 5 yr journey... I say 🤐 It's not a one and done. I've always been good at decluttering.. Just not so good at minimalism. I continue to work on it as my husband and I plan a move and build a retirement home. Thank you for what you do. It keeps me going!
🚪 Three year journey. Yay! Feels great! 😁
I don't know if that plant has always been in the corner of this room, but it looks so nice there.
I decluttered after finishing my studies with the Mari Kondo method. It was the right time like a transition from one part of live to another. The Mari Kondo method was helpful, because, I had no experience with decluttering before. Since the start I am still at this journey. With increasing minimalism I had the same impacts on my life which you described in your video. Less and easier cleaning. No more searching for stuff. Less stress and an increased calm feeling in my flat. And also I automatically improved my financiell behavior by shopping purposefully.