…is an essential part of living minimally. Most of the things we’re asked to or recommended to do/see/try/buy etc. are rooted in other people’s desires, needs, and expectations, not from our own. You only have a certain amount of time in life. It’s a zero sum game—the more you fill it with one thing, the less you…
It seems like a contradiction, but having an abundant mindset is essential for living a minimalist lifestyle. The reason why most people buy and keep too much stuff is because they’re scared. They’re afraid that if they don’t buy something they’re missing out, and if they throw something away there won’t be a chance to…
I never travelled much as a kid. I moved house only once before I came to university. For various reasons, the only time I had been on holiday was when I was five. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to travel. In fact, it makes me want to travel even more. I chose to do…
When I was packing for university, I found it extremely difficult to let go of some of the things I owned. I knew I couldn’t take everything with me, but I kept asking myself ‘how could I possibly throw this away?’. What if I need it one day? What about all of the memories? Now…
what is a minimalist’s diet? True to the minimalist mind-set, a MD (Minimalist Diet) is about reducing food down to what is essential. Although I refer to it as a diet here, in this case I mean diet in the case of ‘a way of eating’ or a long-term lifestyle, not a fad diet that…
What phenomenon happens to every person on earth every day of their lives without anyone realising it or learning from? The answer is hedonic adaptation. It’s the tendency of humans to go back to a stable level of happiness, even after something good (or bad) has happened to them. If you’ve ever dreamed of doing…
Based on thousands of years of evolution, our bodies are biologically hard-wired to reward us when we feel pleasure, and punish us when we feel pain. If you do something that your body likes, it rewards you with a rush of dopamine, endorphins, and other chemicals making you feel happy. It hardly matters what the consequences…
This Part II of a five part series about the stoic philosopher Seneca’s work, On the Shortness of Life, read Part I – Finiteness. Of all the things we have, time is arguably the most precious. There is nothing else in which we are only given a set amount of it. However much we have,…
On the Shortness of Life is a moral essay written by Seneca the Younger, a Roman philosopher who lived between 4BC – 65AD. In his letter to his friend Paulinus, he lays out Stoic principles that have lasted centuries in teaching us about the value of life itself. Inspired by this essay, I have written a…
After receiving quite a few comments and emails over the past few months asking me about my minimalistic habits I’ve decided to start a new series called ‘My Minimalist…’ which details particular minimalist aspects of my life, such as what does my room look like? What do I like to eat? What’s in my wardrobe? Of…