Staying In

Why Minimalism Makes Coliving Easier

Hello FlokqJune 3, 2020

For the past years, minimalism has been trending as an alternative lifestyle one can look up to. It is one of the ways of coping with the overwhelming world situation, where everything is fast-paced including the making of your food, even fashion. In the middle of a world where industrialization becomes a particular check-point for successful countries, minimalism lies as a space to reflect within our mental state, not the supply and demand graph. 

Things You Should Know Before Choosing Coliving

However, people still tend to miss the essential values minimalism could actually bring for the sake of their well-being. The point of being a minimalist is not about being lonely, snobbish, or preferring monochromes over the colors of a rainbow at all. In fact, to apply minimalism in a coliving space is possible. Also, it is a great method to wholly manifest home within the space itself. Thus, harmony, tranquility, and serenity greet in the morning, while caressing at night. Here we present to you a full narrative on why minimalism makes coliving easier for everyone. 

1. It’s less stressful

Before we start digging into this, let us all make it clear that everybody has their own preferences. In this particular case, too many things in your space could trigger stress because somehow you just lost so much space to breathe in and out. Imagine it this way: having only the essential stuff enables the fresh air to occupy more space for your sanity. When you feel like the world is falling apart and you can’t do anything about it then choose to go outside for a brief walk. It’s actually oxygen you’re looking for. 

To apply minimalism to achieve maximum stress reliever is significant, especially if you live with other people. Rather than having to see your friends’ old magazines lying around the shared-space while you’re trying to calm yourself down, it’s much better to breathe oxygen in the house. 

2. It’s a self-control exercise 

The ultimate problem that makes most people failed to apply minimalism is to decide whether this or that thing could still belong in the house, the secondhand store, or in the garbage. We’re living in a world where industrialization is seen as a primary marker of a successful civilization. Thus, over-consumerism inevitably entails. When we see cute pottery with bright colors is on sale, we immediately thought, “this is a sign for me to spend every cent on it!”. Back home, the similar ones are barely kept, even acknowledged, because we couldn’t really see the use of them at all. To laugh it off is your usual coping mechanism when it comes to regret since they’re just on-sale potteries. However, this won’t be suitable for a long-term matter. Before it’s all too late, try exercising your impulsive buying behavior, or overall self-control by committing to minimalism.  

The exercise could get more fun if you and your friends agree to commit to it together. So, each one of you could always remind the other one about the practice you’re diving into at the moment. Eventually, the task of decluttering every week will also become easier because it won’t be just you in it alone. 

3. It gives you more space to focus

Related to the first point, the same thing is equally applicable to enhancing your focus when working at home. It’s pretty clear that a messy table won’t get your tasks done unless you start to clean it up. Such impulse shows so much about minimalism. In order to get things done and over with, you should remove all the destructions you have in hand. In fact, in 2011, researchers from Princeton University have found that these irrelevant clutters could overwhelm the visual cortex. Making it hard for you to allocate your full attention to the things you should complete. 

In conclusion, prepare your working space with the things you’re working with only. Plus, let an effective airflow go through it in order to turn on the relaxation mode. Coliving with others sometimes could be hard. So, save your personal working space really well to stay ahead of the game! 

4. It’s easier to clean up

Yes, the logic is easy on this one. The less you got in the room, the emptier it also got. This also means to vacuum the dust off the floor or any crucial corners are much easier. Thus, as it’s an easy thing to do, you’d love to have a regular cleaning session in your space. It is very healthy for both your body and soul. Furthermore, a 2010 study which was published in the scientific journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin collects individual discussions regarding their homes to be analyzed with a linguist analysis software. The results conclude that those who describe their spaces with “clutter” or some “unfinished projects” tend to express higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. It causes them to feel depressed or fatigued. 

While living with others alone could be depressing or tiring, don’t even bother piling it even more with cluttered space. Setting regular clean up schedules based on a justified discussion with your flatmates is a great way to start a whole new chapter of healthier physical and mental states. 

5. It’s a way to save up more money 

It’s unbelievable to witness your money being flushed away by so many unnecessary items. Such impulsive-buying behavior is considered normal these days when so many productions are done in a month period. You could buy a shirt on Monday, then coming back the next week to see five new shirts showcased in the store’s display window. When you don’t have control over yourself, all the five are bought and brought on the way home with you unconsciously. Adopting a minimalist lifestyle is then one of the keys as it guides you towards a more controlled state. 

Most millennials face such a very hard time to be wise in their money. It often ends up having big loans because their expenses exceed their income. If you live by sharing spaces with other people, it’s important to show some integrity. One of the ways is by never paying the rent or other bills after the due date. Start practicing your money-saving skills today because it’s such a great investment—even better than gold— for tomorrow! 

The mentioned five points on why minimalism makes your coliving life easier are just the demo version of the overall testimonies coming from people who have succeeded being full-time minimalists in a space shared with two or three other people. If you agree and find it actually interesting to try out, why run away? It’s free and will always be free anyway.  Now, before it gets way too much with the closing, it’s just better to stay minimalistic even to this very point.