Minimalism
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Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport: 5 Lessons to Tame Technology
“I finally finished it!” my brother told me on a train headed to the north of Germany. By “it,” I could tell, he meant Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. Not just because I had recommended the book to him a few months prior, but also because there was a smugness in his voice that probably…
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A Non-Minimalist Guide to Curbing Impulse Purchases
Of all the advice minimalism sprinkles into the world, I’ve always found one area particularly unsatisfying and one-dimensional: impulse purchases. Conventional tips include: Delay the purchase. Stick to your budget. Shop with a plan. Sure, these things might pamper ascetics or seasoned minimalists, but they never worked for me. Isn’t it the very nature of…
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Mono No Aware: The Secret Key to an Intentional Life
I try to catch it, I try to save it, I try to control the damage. But it’s too late. The most expensive wine bottle I ever bought is nosediving toward the ground. For the few milliseconds before impact, I find myself in a liminal state between wholeness and destruction. I know what will follow.…
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‘The Longing for Less’ by Kyle Chayka: 5 Key Lessons on Minimalism
I have a strange problem with most content on minimalism: It’s all a bit too convenient. See, the typical minimalist hero’s journey goes like this: (1) discover you feel miserable, (2) blame all your problems on your stuff, (3) get rid of as many possessions as you can, and (4) be happy. It’s a neatly…
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I Decluttered 3 Boxes of Sentimental Items. Here’s What I Learned
I had been dreading this moment, although I was unsure why. In fact, I’d forgotten what I would find inside the boxes. I just knew they had been there all this time, taking up physical and mental space — like uninvited guests at a party. I stood there for a while, feeling the cold basement floor beneath…
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The One Thing People Get Wrong About Minimalism
For years, I completely misunderstood minimalism. I used to think minimalism was about living a frugal life, eliminating as many possessions as possible, and creating a clean aesthetic. Flashy colors should be banished, I assumed. Just like owning multiple versions of the same item, physical book copies, my smoothie maker. I couldn’t have been further…
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5 Minimalist Purchases That Bought Me Endless Clarity
Talking about minimalist purchases may seem ironic to some people. The best minimalist purchase, these people might argue, is no purchase at all. But I think that purchases and minimalism are two sides of the same coin. How? Our purchases unveil our relationship with stuff, and talking about them makes this relationship visible. It’s like…
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3 Minimalist Principles That Significantly Simplified My Life
Over the past three years, I tried countless things to create a simpler, more minimalist life. To name a few: I cleared out my entire apartment, lived out of a backpack (twice), went on a pilgrimage, and radically changed my consumption habits. But I also did a lot of stupid things. I bought stuff I…
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McMinimalism Is Sabotaging Your Quest for a Simpler Life
Minimalism has become mainstream. And honestly, it’s easy to see why: With thousands of ads, notifications, and inputs bombarding your brain every day, minimalism promises an effective antidote to chaos. If you trim down your life to the essentials, you’ll finally gain space to breathe. That’s the promise, at least. But here’s the big fat…
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Sleeping on the Floor: An Obscure Practice That Drastically Simplified My Life
I was skeptical. Actually, that’s an understatement. I was suspicious, wary, and immensely critical. Sleeping on the floor just always seemed so strange to me. If anything, it was a cliché promoted by minimalist influencers to propagate their lifestyle — never a worthwhile custom, though. But then, something changed. I moved to Munich. And as this is…