The lifestyle change that helped me pay off debt and quit my 9-5 to travel: minimalism.

If you looked at the space I share with my boyfriend, you might not think I’m a minimalist or, at least, an aspiring one.

My desk is constantly littered with cups and sticky notes and pens and half-finished projects. Behind me, we have three and a half bookcases, a TV, a coffee table, and a ton of plant babies. This isn’t a studio apartment. It’s a bedroom, but it’s a workspace and living space too.

We have a lot of space and yet it still feels cluttered because we have so many things. He’s a game fanatic with shelves of console games and manga and model kits. We have several Lego Architecture sets displayed, and I have my love of stuffed animals, stationery, and books.

We’re basically a recipe for hoarding.

Decreasing the clutter I bring into our home is only one reason I aspire to live with less; my debt and my mental health are also contributing factors.

Minimalism is a way for me to be more objective with my purchases and, let’s be honest, minimalism helps me call out my own BS.

I’m a frugal person, but I also indulge in retail therapy. Even on my best days, I find myself impulse shopping and I always have an excuse to rationalize my purchase.

That $12 soy peppermint candle was totally necessary to ring in the holidays. Plus, I can reuse the jar.

But, really, it was a splurge item.

That kind of mindset—to question what is essential versus what is excess—helped me reduce my spending, increase my savings, and, ultimately, become financially free within two years of graduation.

For reference, in my first year post-undergrad—before I intentionally decided to live a minimal lifestyle—I paid off about $7.5k of student loan debt. In my second year after graduation, I paid more than double that amount.

While everyone’s minimalism looks different, I like The Minimalists’ definition best: Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important—so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.

To me, this means bringing in things, people, and experiences that align with my values and cutting out what doesn’t fit.

It means saying no to happy hours and social engagements that drain my bank account and energy. It means unfollowing or muting social media accounts that promote a lifestyle I realistically can’t afford, nor do I want to live. It means simplifying my decision-making by reducing the amount of choices I have to make so I can be freer and mentally well.

As I look at the pile of laundry that needs doing and the packaging that needs recycling, I take a moment to be grateful for what I have and remind myself I can do better. Because minimalism is a continuous practice and a mindset that supports a more intentional, peaceful, and abundant life.

In essence, minimalism is an act of mindfulness.

Like mindfulness, minimalism is part of my mental health toolkit because it isn’t just about having less things or people in your life. Minimalism is also about letting go of excess thoughts and negative beliefs. It’s about observing and questioning the ideas you let into your life and letting go of the ones that are, merely, distractions.

Having anxiety, panic attacks, and depression means I’m prone to overstimulation to the point of paralysis.

Take for example, getting dressed in the morning—we all do it. Getting ready is an everyday task that, for me, is a challenge.

Before minimizing my wardrobe, I would be reduced to tears, pulling at my hair, curled up on the floor, struggling to breathe. Some days, I’d just go back to bed, defeated. Defeated by clothes and the thoughts spiraling in my head.

In its simplest form, the clothes and the anxious thoughts were distractions from what I really needed: self-acceptance, self-compassion, and self-love.

By removing the excessive thoughts from my mind and the distractions cluttering my space, I make room for clarity. With a minimalist mindset there are less limiting beliefs and cognitive distortions holding me down. There are also less things physically getting in my way.

Now, when I’m getting ready for the day ahead and I’m already anxious, I have my go-to uniform: jeans, tee, and sneaks. Comfortable, functional, and very me.

I may not be the picture of minimalism, if there is such a thing, but with the progress I have made I find that I have more peace and freedom. It’s like this quote by one of my favorite architects, Tadao Ando, “If you give people nothingness, they can ponder what can be achieved from that nothingness.”

And, if anything, I am always inspired by @brownkids’ definition of minimalism too: Minimalism is the ability to travel light so you can travel far.

I can’t wait to see how far we’ll go and how much we can achieve when we focus on what is essential and let go of the excess.