27 Easy Minimalist Habits That Will Change Your Life

When we discover minimalism and how this lifestyle can simplify our lives, we slowly start adopting different minimalist habits over time.

These habits may seem like small, insignificant ones.

But we often don’t realize how powerful they are and how they can transform our lives for the better.

They have a positive impact on our daily routines, our homes, our mindsets, and how we spend money and see the world.

If you’re on your journey towards minimalism and you’re looking for some inspiration to simplify your life further, you’ve come to the right place!

I’ve compiled a list of 27 powerful minimalist habits that will completely change your life over time, as much as they have changed mine.

This blog post will help and inspire you to make your life simpler, easier and clutter-free!

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27 powerful minimalist habits that will change your life

1. Brain dump

At the end of each day, take a piece of paper or your journal, and take five minutes to write everything that’s on your mind.

What you write doesn’t have to make sense, it does not even need to be well written.

Just put all your thoughts down onto paper to declutter your mind.

That way, you’ll be able to go to sleep without thinking about all the things that are bothering you.

You can also make your to-do list of all the things you need to accomplish the following day so that you do not forget about them.

2. Clean and tidy as you go

When you notice something that’s out of place in your home, take it without thinking too much about it and place it back where it belongs.

Similarly, if you see something dirty that would only take a minute to clean, do it immediately.

It takes no effort to wipe the counters after you’ve done the dishes, or pick up a candy wrap from the ground and put it straight in the trash can.

This simple minimalist habit will make cleaning your whole house so much easier at the end of the week!

3. Mindful spending

Whenever you’re at the store or browsing online, never buy things you want immediately.

If you like this lovely sweater or this nice mug, wait at least a week before actually buying them.

During that time, reflect on whether you truly need or want them, and if they will bring value to your life.

Ask yourself all sorts of questions.

I find that we are easily tempted to buy new shiny things when we see them.

But this feeling wears off as time passes: we usually either forget about them or realize we don’t want them anymore.

For more tips about mindful spending, read my blog posts about how to stop impulse buying and how to do a no-spend month!

4. Deal with things that enter your home immediately

Whenever you bring something into your home, immediately decide what you want to do with it. If it’s trash, put it in the bin now.

If you received ads in the mail, put them straight in the recycling bin.

And if you’ve just bought a new item of clothing, cut the tags off and put it in your laundry basket.

Also, decide whether you want to keep that thing or not. If you know you want to declutter it, put it in your donation bin.

One of the best minimalist habits that will change your life is to deal with things that enter our home immediately.

5. Keep toxic people away from you

I know it is easier said than done, but for your sanity, stay away from toxic, negative and unsupportive people as much as you can.

Those people can drain our energy and make us feel bad when we’re around them, so keep them out of your life.

Your life will be so much more positive without them!

6. Batch similar tasks together

This is one of my favorite minimalist habits on this list!

Batching similar tasks together saves so much time!

For instance, if you need to go to the bank, which is next to your grocery store, buy your food just after your visit to the bank.

That way, you won’t have to go there several times. It saves gas, money, and time.

If you have to book a dentist appointment, book all your other medical appointments so you make all the calls at once.

7. Get rid of the excess in your home

You can hardly make any progress on your minimalist living journey if you don’t declutter your home regularly.

So go through your belongings every couple of months and decide what needs to leave your house.

Get rid of things you’ve not used in a year and free yourself from all the clutter.

Decluttering and maintaining a clutter-free home are minimalist habits that will truly change your life!

If you’re looking for some inspiration, here is my checklist of 70 things you can declutter in your home today.

Also, don’t forget to declutter these areas for a successful decluttering session!

8. Keep empty spaces clear

If you’ve already minimized your home, you’ve probably created some empty spaces.

Take advantage of it and keep them clear!

I often struggle with this because it is so tempting to add something else, and we want to optimize our space, right?

But believe me, it is so refreshing and relaxing to see clear surfaces or an empty shelf!

It reduces visual clutter in our homes, so our spaces look tidier and well-maintained.

9. Turn off the notifications on your phone

When I became a minimalist, I realized that we are constantly using our digital devices, which can prevent us from living in the present moment.

Phone notifications are particularly annoying and grab our attention so many times during the day.

Turn them off and you’ll see how much less distracted you’ll be!

10. Stick to your favorite products

Instead of always chasing the next best thing, stick to your favorite products and only buy these the next time you run out of them.

Yes, it may be fun to try and experiment with different products, but if we already have products we really love and that work well for us, why change?

11. Delegate what you can

If you’re overwhelmed with all the things on your to-do list, see if you can delegate some of the tasks to other people.

This could be hiring someone to do something in your home or getting a robot vacuum cleaner so that it does the cleaning itself.

Ask your children to pick up all their toys from the floor at the end of the day, or ask your spouse to help you with something you’ve been dreading doing.

Sometimes, we think we have to do it all, but we need to allow ourselves to ask for help when we need it.

So delegate to lighten your load, it will really change your life!

Delegating tasks is one of my favorite minimalist habits. It will really change your life!

12. Have “life admin days”

I discovered this concept thanks to the YouTuber MuchelleB, and I’m so happy I did. Every month, she has what she calls a “life admin day”.

During that day, she does everything that she’s been putting off, that has been bothering her, or that was on her to-do list for a while.

This could be all sorts of tasks, from booking appointments to finally cleaning your windows to fixing any broken things around the home.

It is essential to regularly schedule “life admin days” in your calendar.

Otherwise, you might never take the time to complete these tasks because there will always be more urgent things to do.

13. Ignore what you cannot control

If you struggle with anxiety like me, you probably regularly stress about things that are out of your control.

When this happens, know that it is completely normal and human to feel anxious at times.

But to feel better, realize that you cannot control everything.

So worrying about it is useless and you should try to let those feelings go.

Because you might even be worrying about something that will never happen!

14. Regularly do a digital detox

While technology brings many benefits to our lives, we also need to live in the real world.

To enjoy life without always living through a screen.

So whenever you feel the need to, do a digital detox and free yourself from your devices.

It could be as simple as leaving your phone at home when you’re taking a walk in nature!

Since I spend all my work week behind my computer, I make sure to have it turned off the whole weekend.

I also try to have my phone on airplane mode as much as I can on my days off.

You might also want to delete some of your social media accounts for a month and see how much better you’ll feel.

To learn more about how to break free from our addictive devices, read my blog post about my best digital minimalism tips!

15. Be grateful each day

Dedicate at least one minute a day to thinking about what you are grateful for in your life.

Make a list in your journal or simply think about it mindfully.

You’ll see that, even if you’ve had a bad day, there are blessings in your life.

It could be the smallest things like “it was sunny outside” or “I woke up without pain today”.

Over the long run, these things are not small.

The simple joys of life are what makes us happy, and realizing it, day after day, will change your life forever!

16. Invest in quality

It might be tempting to buy cheap things at the store, but how long will they work properly?

The price tag often reflects the quality of an item and how long it will last (not always though).

One of the best minimalist habits that will change your life is to choose quality over quantity.

When things are not made to last, you will have to buy and replace them more regularly, which is not sustainable.

Whereas if you invest in a quality piece, you will be able to enjoy it for many years.

Invest in quality products so you don't have to replace them regularly.

17. Regift unwanted gifts

Whenever you or your children receive a gift you don’t like or want, don’t open it!

You will be able to give it to someone else who WILL enjoy it.

There is no point in keeping a present you don’t like.

It’s only taking up space in your home and making you feel guilty that you’re not using it every time you see it.

So free yourself from the guilt and regift it!

It is so much more sustainable because you are giving an unwanted item a new home.

Plus, it means you won’t have to buy a new present in the future, which saves resources and is great for your wallet!

18. Use up consumable things before buying any more

The next time you plan what you have to buy at the store, check if you don’t already have this specific item in your fridge, freezer or pantry.

If so, commit to using it up before buying more of it.

Yes, sometimes we need to stock up on some pantry staples, but we all tend to overbuy food and household products.

For instance, if you already have three bags of pasta at home, you may not need to buy it again this time.

If you still have two bottles of shampoo in your bathroom, finish them first before buying any more.

19. Don’t buy things you already have at home

Similarly to what we do with food and bathroom products, we sometimes buy clothes, homeware or stationery supplies without realizing we already own something similar that we can use.

I recommend that every time you declutter, you reassess everything you have.

That way, you will know exactly what you own and will not buy duplicates in the future.

You’ll save a lot of money and have less clutter at home!

20. Ask for experiences or consumable gifts

If someone asks you what you’d like for your birthday or at Christmas, ask for something you’ve been needing or wanting for a while.

If you don’t need anything specific, you can also ask for some useful consumable products such as soaps, teas, or chocolates.

Experiences are another great gift for minimalists as you will make precious memories and not add to the clutter in your home.

21. Pack light when traveling

Traveling can be stressful, but it is especially true when we overpack and bring overflowing suitcases with us.

So one of my favorite minimalist habits is to pack light every time I go somewhere.

I have been traveling with a backpack or a carry-on suitcase for the past five years, and I’m loving it!

It is so freeing and makes moving around so much easier and stress-free!

22. Beware of free stuff

Sometimes, people give us things that we absolutely don’t need or even want, and yet we feel bad saying “no”.

However, free stuff then accumulates in our homes, adding to the clutter and volume of things we have to manage.

So if you don’t immediately need these things or don’t plan on using them, give yourself permission to politely decline.

Saying no to free stuff is an important minimalist habit to adopt if you want to change your life.

23. Go digital

If you’ve not done so already, ask to receive all your bills digitally.

We may not realize it, but over the years, bills we receive at home accumulate and they quickly become a big stack of paper that takes up valuable space.

Also, avoid printing unnecessary things that you can have on your phone.

For instance, we can now have most plane and train tickets on our phones, which is awesome!

Going digital is one of those minimalist habits that will truly change your life, and it saves so much paper, which helps preserve forests and trees.

24. Aim for inbox zero

A great way to apply digital minimalism to your life is to regularly declutter your inbox.

I try to do this at the very least once a week so that emails don’t accumulate.

Delete useless emails and unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters and junk mail.

Reply to emails you have to answer or take action on.

Finally, store and organize the ones you need to keep in specific folders.

25. Unfollow people

We often follow people on social media who make us feel bad about ourselves.

They seem to live their best lives and have it all figured out.

But remember, people only choose to share their best moments online, so this is not their complete reality.

If you feel bad when looking at some accounts, unfollow them and try to only follow inspiring people in the future.

26. Fix or discard broken things ASAP

I find that whenever something breaks in my home, my boyfriend and I tend to hold onto it for a while.

Usually, it is because we want to try and fix it.

However, we have to be realistic about whether we’ll fix something or not.

If you know you will never take the time to repair it, you might as well discard or recycle it as soon as possible so it does not clutter up your home.

But if you know you will try and repair it, schedule it in your calendar so you don’t forget to do it.

27. Use the library

Finally, one of the best minimalist habits that will change your life if you love reading is to take advantage of your local library if you have one.

Borrow books from there instead of buying them; it will save you a lot of money and it’s the most sustainable option!

Plus, since you can only keep the books for a given period of time, you will be motivated to read them quickly.

Final thoughts on these powerful minimalist habits that will change your life

I hope you’ve found these minimalist habits helpful and that they will change your life for the better!

Adopting new good habits can be as difficult as breaking bad ones. But in the long run, it has the power to completely transform our lives.

These minimalist habits will help you create a clutter-free home, save money, make your days more manageable, and keep life simple.

If you liked this blog post, you will also enjoy reading the following article: 20 lazy habits for a clutter-free home.

What are the best minimalist habits that have changed your life?

Drop your answer in the comment section!

Also, share this article with your friends to help and inspire them on their simple living journey!

27 POWERFUL MINIMALIST HABITS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE