When People Take Minimalism to the Extreme

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the propensity of humans to take ideas or activities they become attached to and extremify them. (I honestly didn’t know “extremify” was a word until I typed it and there was no red underline telling me I made it up. Definitely will be using it more often!)

One day, someone begins to feel the benefits of running, the next – they sign up for 4,000 races per year, start spouting strong opinions about Asics vs. Nike, and side eye your lazy Saturday mornings because those hours were created by God for “long runs.”

(Unpopular opinion: Anything over a mile is a long run.)

Or maybe someone really likes how their face looks when they shoot up a little botox. Then the next thing you know, they go full 2010 Heidi Montag. 

I’ve noticed the same thing happening with minimal living. We might start decluttering and realize how good it feels, so we don’t want to stop. Eventually, we look at the pictures of our kids on the wall or the letters from our deceased mom and think, “I shouldn’t be attached to anything on this earth!” and take a match to it all. (Not literally. Or maybe literally?)

WHOAAAA there, pony.

I’m a big believer that there is too much of a good thing. Running, botox, and minimalism all have this in common, along with warm chocolate chip cookies, The Bachelor, and puppies. Truly, the only thing I’ve found to never be too much is the amount of Vanessa Hudgins characters in The Princess Switch series on Netflix. Last Christmas, we got 3 Vanessas in one movie, thanks to The Princess Switch 2: Switched Again. Come onnn, Netflix, give us 4 Vanessas this year!!

Wait, I’m distracted. 

So anyway: Minimalism.

If you gravitate toward a visually minimalist aesthetic, I’m not telling you you’re going to hell for not hanging pictures of your kids. And if you throw away cards from your mom, it doesn’t mean you don’t love her. You’re certainly allowed to get as stark as your little heart desires.

However, before you denounce the existence of color and Steve Jobs (v.) your wardrobe, make sure you’ve considered the possibility that you’re eating an entire platter of warm chocolate chip cookies and might feel sick later.

Maybe it’s time to slow down.

If your home is functional, i.e. your floors are cleared, your countertops are sparse, your wardrobe is minimal, and your sentimental items fit in a single bin…you can take an excursion off the decluttering train for a while.

Bask in the arrival before you decide if you really want to get back on the train and go even further. You might find that you love exactly where you are.

There’s no “right” stop on the decluttering train. I stopped in the land of kid artwork still on the fridge, a gallery wall of family photos in the hallway, and my old American Girl dolls waiting for their second chance at life in my daughter’s closet.

Our thresholds for an enjoyable home will all be different. Love that for us!

Remember: We can change our consumption habits, keep a loose rein on the importance of physical items, and adopt tidy-living habits without making it a competition with ourselves of how extreme we can be.

Humans are so silly like that. We’re like, I’m running with this and I don’t care how weird it gets!!

Yes, push yourself a bit. Yes, get serious about changing your relationship with stuff. But remember: The goal of minimalism is to live in a functional home, and to make room for what actually matters. Owning less makes both of those things infinitely easier, but it doesn’t have to end with you sitting on an empty floor with no furniture or sign of life in sight.