Minimalism

I am a high school student in her final year. It is a year meant for celebration and accomplishment but instead, I have become ever so lazy and incompetent. I shifted the blame towards other people at times "I didn't do my homework because of you" or "I can't go out because I have so much homework", but even now as I am writing this, I am procrastinating and therefore avoiding the tasks laid out in front of me.

My room felt more complete this year
when I purchased a double bed and
new sheets

I tried for so long to find the source of my recent laziness. I considered new factors in my life such as the fact that I am in a relationship, or that my room has become much smaller due to my new double bed. But as I continually tried to blame something or someone for my lethargicness, it was always obvious to me that I was the problem. And it got me thinking, maybe the way that my room appears is affecting me. It sounds strange, how can someone's environment affect the way that they feel or perform? But if you think about it, your environment is everything.

I always preferred the outdoors, the swaying of the trees in the wind, the serenity of the flowers in my backyard and it seemed strange to me how I suddenly felt peaceful outside of my room compared to the inside. But it made sense. My room has always felt cramped. I am unfortunately not blessed with a massive room, but I am also not cursed with a tiny room either. From what I remember, it stands around 2.5x3M.

Moved my furniture in June this year and was
surprised with the amount of space I
actually have

I always loved moving my furniture around too. When I was 9, I was ridden with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) or what I at least think was OCD. All the surfaces in my room were hosed down with multi-purpose spray, my mirrors and windows had to be spotless. I was obsessed with IKEA magazines and how they organised small spaces so intelligently. I even owned white sheets which are such a burden to keep clean ever since I matured into a lady (that was the only way I could think of putting it nicely). And I admit, it was an unhealthy habit to have to constantly worry about the state of cleanliness around me; although my parents did appreciate my will to complete all the household chores.

But this idea got me thinking, maybe if I got rid of possessions that do not promote happiness, that I would feel clearer. My dad is a hoarder, and so am I. I feel as though I latch onto useless items in my life, for example:

- perfume boxes
- empty perfume bottles
- receipts
- birthday cards (they're in a box in my closet, I may not let these go)
- books from my childhood
- used school notebooks

These objects do not serve any purpose in my life other than to take up space in my drawers and closet. I get too emotionally attached to things that on numerous occasions when I clean my room, I have struggled to let go of these useless items. I have since let go of my perfume boxes and bottles, a few children's books and all my old school notebooks. And clearing these items out has motivated me to continue this journey into living in a space with more clarity. There are so many subheadings to this journey (makeup items, skin-care, electronics, items on my computer, books, stationery, perfumes, etc.) that I will most likely write a new post focusing on each topic.

But at this moment, I am living with the most possessions that I hope I ever will in my life. Not only will my venture into a minimalist lifestyle save me money, it will also provide me with a profound amount of happiness. Thanks for reading!

Please follow my blog for more updates on my journey, and feel free to leave a comment below with any questions.

- Amanda.S