Easy to follow three habits to continue a simple minimal lifestyle.

I started my simple minimal journey out of desperation. We had moved again, the third time in two years, we had a busy toddler, and I was pregnant with our second child. I was overwhelmed and needed to quickly simplify our life.
The amount of stuff we had stressed me out!
I started on this journey for a more simple minimal life and have not looked back since.
What is a simple minimal lifestyle?
There are so many ways to look at a simple minimal life. But my definition is to keep only what you use and love on a regular basis.
I also aimed to have clutter-free surfaces and clutter-free storage spaces. What is your definition of a simple minimal life?
How long does it take to have a simple minimal lifestyle?

It took around one year for my family and I to pair down our stuff to a more manageable level. It might take you a shorter amount of time or a longer amount of time than that.
Take your time as you need with your process. After all, it is a journey not a destination for a more simple minimal life.
What is a habit?
A habit is a routine or practice that you complete without thinking about it. An example of a habit is brushing your teeth. Most of us will do this daily task without having to think about it.
Three habits to continue a simple minimal lifestyle
Clutter-free Surfaces

Clutter brings on more clutter. I have found that if I keep the surfaces in our home clutter-free then I’m able to maintain a more minimal life.
At the beginning of my journey, I knew that I had worked hard at declutter all the stuff. About a year in I still felt overwhelmed at times.
But then I took a picture of our surfaces and realized that we still had too much out.

Luckily this problem was simple to solve. I was able to move everything that was on top of the surfaces to other locations of the house, like a closet or drawer.
How was that possible? There was space inside of the cabinets and closets because I had decluttered so much previously.
Now I try and keep our surfaces as clutter-free as possible.
Place items in their home right away

A few years ago this was a daily occurrence of chaos.
The children and I had arrived back home from a fun playtime at the park. We dumped everything on the floor and carried on with our day.
I started to make lunch but the mess of jackets was getting in my way. The children were hungry, the diaper bag was a mess because the baby had gotten into it, and my keys were missing.
Several hours later, I was confronted by the mess we let strewn about the house. And I didn’t want to pick up the mess.
However, if left the leave the mess, then tomorrow morning would be even more chaotic.
So I grumpily pick up the mess and told myself that tomorrow would be better.

Chaos used to describe my life after an outing. But now we enjoy a much more peaceful and calm experience ever since adding in this one habit.
Place all items back where they belong RIGHT A WAY!
I recommend placing items back as soon as you enter the house. Making sure everything in your home has a “home” helps.
My children, husband, and I make it a habit to place the jackets back in the coat closet, the car keys away, and all other going-out items back where they belong.
If you place all items back, right away then it is so much easier to maintain a simple minimal life.
Do the dishes every day

If you hand wash or use a dishwasher, make sure you wash, dry, and store your dishes away every day.
For many, kitchens are the heart of the home. As a family, we are no different.
Cluttered surfaces and a sink full of dishes stress me out to the max! A messy sink makes me feel like our life is out of control.
I have found that if I am able to keep a clutter-free sink, then it is so much easier to continue a simple minimal life.
New to minimalism? I share the first 3 steps to jump-start a simple minimal life.
Of the three habits to continue a simple minimal lifestyle, what habit(s) are you going to start today? Or what habit(s) do you already do?
Thank you so much for stopping by! I love sharing about simple routines for simple living.
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Great tips, thanks for sharing!
These are great minimal living tips! I’ve got our dishes pretty under control, and just that alone reduces a lot of stress. I’ll have to work on surface clutter – my nemesis lol!
I feel ya! If the dishes are under control then everything else is under control. At least that is what I tell myself:)
We try to live this way too. Doing the dishes every day is such a simple task but very helpful and impactful. Thanks for sharing!
Great tips! With spending more time at home over the last has made me realize just how much stuff we have and how much clutter affects my mood. I couldn’t just leave the house to escape it, like I could in the past. Big eye opener!
Yes! So true.
This is so great! I love tip #2 especially. The best organization (or minimal lifestyle) won’t work ig you don’t put things in their proper place.
Love the tips!
Love these tips, I try to do these but I need to be diligent to stick to it. Thanks for the reminder your house makes me want to declutter and simplify again!