I watched a documentary the other day called The Minimalists: Less Is Now, over a concept called minimalism. I knew what it was beforehand, but this documentary gave me a lot more insight into it.

Minimalism is what I’ve been trying to do myself for the past two years. I just didn’t realize there was an actual name for it. I would often find myself digging through the infinite dumpster called my drawer just clearing things out. Often times I would find things I hadn’t seen in years, or find things I didn’t even recognize anymore. According to the documentary, the average American household carried about 300,000 items in it. I don’t think I use that much on a daily basis. Naturally, I decided to throw some of these things away.

But there were other things that I would keep, even though I didn’t need them anymore. I kept them because they served a nostalgic purpose for me. Like a coat I used to wear back in elementary school. I barely wore that coat, but seeing it reminded me of the few times I did. Those were in elementary school, and those triggered memories from my childhood that I cherished.

There were books that I had read and put up on my shelf years ago, letting them sit and gather dust until one day I finally had the urge to clean out my bookshelf, setting aside things I didn’t need anymore, and only having things that I felt were necessary for my day to day life.

So I cleaned out my whole room, including my closet, sorting out the necessary from the unnecessary. I found clothes that didn’t fit me anymore, books I had read, outdated video games, journals from middle school, and so much more. Some of these things were thrown out, because they had served their purpose. Others were put aside to be donated.

When something loses its purpose with you, it’s probably a good idea to give it to someone else. You never know when someone else may need it, and at the end of the day that person and you will be feeling pretty good about yourselves.

So I sorted my room and felt pretty good about myself. I felt less stressed, knowing that much of the stuff that I didn’t need anymore was gone. Even though I hadn’t touched these things in ages, I felt relieved.

Some people may think that this lifestyle brings happiness, but the truth is minimalism can, for many, be a tough way to live. But at the end of the day, it is worthwhile. Nobody is perfect at it, and everyone still has their bad days. Minimalism won’t bring perfection to one’s life, nor will it bring a sense of true happiness. But it can help bring some form of contentment, because it can serve as a way of looking to the future.

That’s what happened to me, at least. When I finished sorting my room I felt this unrelenting wave of calm wash over me. I didn’t find myself thinking about memories in the past or have nostalgic thoughts that would normally be stimulated with things that supposedly carried that power. I had gotten rid of those things, and instead of feeling regretful, I felt more empowered and motivated.

In reality, these objects don’t carry any significant meaning. At the end of the day we put meaning into the objects by becoming attached, even though we really don’t need them.

I’m not a perfect minimalist, and honestly I’m not sure I really am a minimalist. But I do try. Having things we don’t need around the house can be anxiety-inducing, and contributing to that overwhelming feeling of stress. Stress isn’t a terrible thing, but if we can take steps to reduce it, why not? Getting rid of what we don’t need, minimalism, is one way to do that.