10 Ways Minimalism Can Change Your Life in the Best Possible Way

Understand that minimalism isn’t just about materialism

Most people think minimalism means getting rid of stuff. “While that’s a good first step and the most visible step, minimalism really has to do with the benefits we experience once we’re on the other side of de-cluttering,” says Joshua Fields Millburn of The Minimalists. Those benefits, he says, extend to many unexpected areas of life, from health and finances to relationships and emotions. Millburn’s books, documentary film, and podcast, all produced with partner Ryan Nicodemus, include loads of tips related to those various areas. But, he says, they all tie back to this underlying philosophy: “Minimalism is the thing that gets us past the things, so we can make room for life’s most important things, which actually aren’t things at all.”