The idea of becoming minimalist is appealing to me on many levels. As I look around my cluttered, crowded home I feel anxiety (someone might come to the door and they will see all this junk!) I feel overwhelmed (where do I even start?) and I feel depressed (ugh.) I just can't think clearly when I'm surrounded with clutter so its no wonder that when I'm home I frequently zone out by doing things on my computer, or watching television or something to distract me from "my life". But what if I could have a clean slate--literally? The thought is so attractive. To have less stuff means less cleaning up, less buying, less anxiety and more relationships because I wouldn't be telling my kids not to invite their friends over because that means I have to clean for several hours first...
I became aware of this concept about a year ago and since then, I've made very small steps to move towards this goal. I don't ever imagine myself living with one chair per family member, one plate, cup, spoon and fork per person--I don't think I need to be that extreme-- but to just simply have less is something I really want.
About 9 months ago, I began the process of "getting rid of" and from the beginning, it literally made me feel lighter. I donated a bunch of clothes and found that putting away my laundry became a far easier chore when I wasn't cramming things into overstuffed drawers. I felt like I was contributing to others as well, because someone else may really need that shirt I got on a great deal at Kohl's two years ago and have never worn it!
Just today, I became aware of yet another challenge underway and I'm going to give it a go--its called "40 Bags in 40 Days" and you can read more about it here: http://www.whitehouseblackshutters.com/40-bags-in-40-days-2015/ It sounds like just the thing to motivate me to get back into the decluttering momentum.
I encourage you to check out www.becomingminimalist.com, www.whitehouseblackshutters.com, and http://theproject333.com/about/ and entertain the idea of decluttering your life. See what a difference in your mental health a small change can make!