Which is Better: Simple Living or Minimalism?
Are you looking to simplify your life but not quite sure what type of lifestyle to shoot for?
Simple living and minimalism both feature similar elements, but they are also distinct from each other.
You may be interested in minimalist rules and elements of this lifestyle, but not want to identify as a minimalist.
Or you may want to live a simple life, but prefer to be a minimalist in all areas of your life.
Either way, it helps to know more about the differences and similarities between them.
This can help you determine which is better for you!
In this post, we’ll cover the key details that distinguish simple living from minimalism and which one may be better.
Related Posts:
- Essentialism vs Minimalism: How to Find Purpose and Increase Your Happiness
- 6 Ways A Minimalist Approach To Life Brings More Peace & Happiness
- Simple Living Tips: 7 Easiest Ways To Declutter Your Life
- Minimalism And Productivity: 27 Powerful Tips to Help You End Your Procrastination Habit
What is Simple Living?
Simple living is all about living more with less.
Less clutter in your life overall…
Simple living helps you to remove clutter to enjoy what matters.
Note: Minimalism essentially aims to do the exact same, so there is overlap in this area.
With simple living, you might live with more than you need, but you ultimately aim to live in a simple way that makes you happy and makes your life better.
Similar to minimalism, simple living is all about mindset…
Developing a mindset of “content with less” enables you to reduce the excess in your life and allows you to forge a new path of freedom and abundance, which brings you the most joy and peace.
Furthermore, minimalism falls under the category of simple living, but someone who practices simple living may not necessarily be a minimalist…
For Example: In some areas of my life, like my wardrobe, I consider myself a minimalist due to my decluttered closet and capsule wardrobe.
In contrast to minimalism, simple living is less decluttering-focused but more about living happier and stress-free with less.
Personally, I’m not a fan of labels and prefer simple living with minimalist elements.
What is Minimalism?
Minimalism is not just one definition; it can be many different things.
For some, what first comes to mind is the minimalist aesthetic with white walls and bare living spaces.
However, this is more of a decor or home style trend…
Minimalism, like simple living, is more about your internal world.
Here are some of the main elements of minimalism:
- Owning fewer things
- Intenionality
- Living only with what you need
- More decluttering-focused
- Removing the excess from your life
Types of Minimalism:
Here are some popular types of minimalist lifestyles that fit a wide range of circumstances:
- Nomad minimalist
- Extreme minimalist
- Balanced/moderate minimalist
- Eco-minimalist
What’s The Difference Between Simple Living & Minimalism?
While both simple living and minimalism are interlinked, here are some of the differences between the two:
Which is Better: Simple Living or Minimalism?
Benefits of Simple Living
Simple Living Benefits: Many benefits that come with simple living overlap with minimalism. Here are a few of note:
- Save more money
- Save time
- Less stress/worry
- More time speant intentionally
- Improved focus and clarity
- Better sleep
In addition, since simple living is less declutter-focused, you don’t need to worry as much about family being on board and completely simplifying your entire space.
Downsides of Simple Living
1. Downsides: In my opinion, there aren’t really many downsides to simple living. In our post about the downsides of simple living, the term is interchanged with minimalism and mainly explains the potential downsides of minimalism.
One common downside could be judgment from others due to decisions you make for the sake of intentionality.
Doing things like saying “no” more and saying “yes” to things less to please others can bring some judgment potentially.
Benefits of Minimalism
Minimalism Benefits: Helps you to remove unnecessary clutter from your life, which can be freeing and very therapeutic, with byproducts of less stress, headaches, and worry.
Downsides of Minimalism
1. Downsides: Can cause unhappiness if taken to the extreme, and getting rid of everything, even things you enjoy, for the sake of being “minimal.”
2. Downsides: Running out of clothes faster (happens to me because I enjoy having fewer clothes). This can cause me problems when I’m running out of clothes that I need, but since I run out faster, they need to be washed more frequently.
3. Downsides: Not having the support of your family and spouse to help declutter your home can be a big challenge when everyone isn’t on the same page.
The Verdict
Overall, there needs to be a balance of practicality, simplicity, and contentment.
If any one of these elements is missing, then the whole point of each lifestyle is missed.
My Opinion: One is not better than the other; it’s all about what fits your situation or lifestyle best.
Personally, I think a blend of both is very beneficial and makes for a solid balance in lifestyle.
And as long as you’re removing excess from your life and getting rid of things that collect dust, take up space, and are never used, you’re removing layers of clutter that are bringing you problems in different forms.
Overall, I don’t believe extremes help too much (unless, of course, that’s realistic for you and something you want).
Final Thoughts
Both simple living and minimalism are rewarding in their own right…
There’s really no better choice between the two, only the one that’s better for what YOU want out of life!
Good luck! 🙂
