How to Become a Minimalist in 2025 & Embrace Simplicity

Want to go the road less travelled and ditch the products, glamorous social media posts, and mass marketing? Learn more in this guide!

So, there I was one day, standing in my closet, surrounded by clothes I haven’t worn in years, feeling completely paralyzed by choice. I then opened my laptop to 47 browser tabs, 1,243 unread emails, and that sinking feeling that I was drowning in digital quicksand.

Sound familiar?

Learning how to become a minimalist gives you a powerful way to reclaim your mental bandwidth for what actually matters.

This guide will show you exactly how to cut through the chaos and create space for a life that energizes you instead of exhausting you.

What Is Minimalism?

Minimalism is the intentional practice of keeping only what serves your goals and brings you genuine value.

But unlike the surface-level branding of perfectly curated, all-white spaces you see flooding Instagram, real minimalism is actually a much deeper personal endeavor. Minimalism is about identifying what supports your ambitions and confidence, and then having the courage to let go of everything else.

Think of minimalism as strategic editing for your life:

• Physical minimalism: Your capsule wardrobe of 30 versatile pieces that make getting dressed effortless, not exhausting
• Digital minimalism: An inbox with zero distractions and apps that actually help you achieve your goals
• Mental minimalism: Focusing on the three priorities that move your career forward instead of drowning in a 47-item to-do list

Research (source) shows that people who adopt a minimalist lifestyle report higher life satisfaction and lower stress levels. When you remove decision fatigue from choosing between 20 similar shirts, you free up mental energy for the choices that actually matter, like which project deserves your best thinking or how to approach that challenging conversation with your boss.

Every item in your space either supports your vision of success or it doesn’t. That kitchen gadget you used once? Not only is it taking up drawer space, it’s taking up mental space every time you see it.

Your overflowing email subscriptions? Digital clutter that’s consuming precious cognitive energy that could be devoted to the messages that could advance your career.

Want to master the art of focus and influence in all your interactions? Check out:

3 Signs Your Life Needs Decluttering

Sometimes we’re so deep in the clutter that we don’t realize how much it’s sabotaging our success. Here are three red flags that your environment is working against your goals:

Your Space Drains Your Energy Instead of Fueling It

Walk into your home office or bedroom. How do you feel? If the answer is “overwhelmed,” “anxious,” or “tired,” your environment is actively undermining your confidence and motivation. A 2023 study (source) showed that cluttered spaces increase cortisol levels (the stress hormone), making it harder to think clearly and make good decisions.

You Spend More Time Managing Stuff Than Using It

Are you constantly searching for things, reorganizing the same spaces, or feeling frustrated by your possessions? When maintaining your belongings becomes a part-time job, you’re trading time you could spend on growth for time spent on stuff management.

Decision Fatigue Hits Before Noon

If choosing what to wear, which notebook to use, or what to eat for lunch leaves you mentally exhausted, you’re experiencing decision fatigue. High achievers know that willpower is finite, and that reserving it for the decisions that build their careers and relationships is paramount.

It’s the reason Mark Zuckerberg wears the same gray t-shirt every day. As he puts it, “I want to clear my life to make it so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community.”

Action Step: Walk through your main living or work space right now. Notice what items make you feel energized versus what makes you feel drained. That contrast tells you everything you need to know about where to start.

Why Minimalism Matters in 2025

2025 isn’t exactly designed for mental clarity. Between hybrid work setups, 24/7 digital connectivity, and the pressure to keep up with ever-changing trends, our brains are processing more information than ever before. It’s the perfect storm for decision overwhelm.

Studies (source) show that the average person makes 35,000 choices per day. Most of these decisions happen subconsciously, overclocking your brain’s RAM without you even realizing it.

Just like how freeing up RAM on your computer speeds up everything else, adopting a minimalist lifestyle is like running a cleanup program on your mind. It clears out the background processes so the important applications (your goals, relationships, and creative work) can run at full speed.

Think about all the trivial choices you make in a day:

• What should I wear?
• Where did I put my keys?
• Which of these 47 apps should I check first?
• What should I cook for dinner tonight?

Imagine if none of these questions crossed your mind. Think about how much energy you’d have for choices that actually shape your future.

I want to drive home this point: the benefits of minimalism aren’t aesthetic. A prettier space is nice, but what we’re really aiming for with minimalism is what that clean space provides: an environment to claim back your cognitive resources for what matters.

How to Become a Minimalist in 5 Steps

Ready to transform your relationship with your stuff? These strategies work whether you’re starting with a studio apartment or a four-bedroom house, whether you’re decluttering alone or convincing your family to join you.

Start Small and Build Momentum

The biggest mistake people make when learning how to become a minimalist is trying to declutter their entire life in a weekend. That’s like trying to run a marathon when you haven’t jogged around the block.

Instead, pick one small area that you can completely transform in 15-20 minutes. This could be your:

• Bathroom medicine cabinet
• Your car glove compartment
• Your work station
• Your junk drawer (you know, the one filled with random batties, chargers, rubber bands and takeout menus)

Here’s why this works: success breeds success. When you experience the calm satisfaction of one completely organized space, your brain gets a hit of accomplishment that motivates you to tackle the next area. Plus, you’ll have a concrete example of how good minimalism feels when someone questions whether all this decluttering is worth it.

I started with my junk drawer. It took me exactly 12 minutes to sort through everything and suddenly I had this one perfect, organized space. That tiny victory gave me the momentum to tackle my desk drawer the next day, then my bathroom cabinet the day after that.

Pro Tip: Take a before and after photo of your first small project. When you hit resistance later (and you will), these photos remind you exactly why you started this journey.

Master the 90/90 Rule

The 90/90 rule is a simple decision-making framework that cuts through the emotional attachment that keeps us stuck with items we don’t actually need.

The rule: If you haven’t used something in the last 90 days and can’t identify a specific need for it in the next 90 days, it’s time to let it go.

This works because it removes the “what if” spiraling that keeps us holding onto things. Instead of “But what if I need this random cable someday?” you ask “Have I needed this cable in the last three months? Will I definitely need it in the next three months?” Usually, the answer is a clear no.

The 90/90 rule is especially powerful for:

• Kitchen gadgets you thought you’d use more
• Clothes that don’t fit your current lifestyle
• Books you keep meaning to re-read
• Cables, chargers, and tech accessories
• Papers and documents you’ve been saving “just in case”

Create Your Strategic Wardrobe

Learning how to become a minimalist with clothes starts with understanding that your wardrobe should be a tool that supports your goals, not a source of daily stress.

Instead of thinking about what to get rid of, think about what you want to keep. Successful people often develop a signature style or uniform because it eliminates decision fatigue and projects consistency and competence.

My friend Sarah transformed her morning routine by creating what she calls her power uniform. She kept exactly 30 pieces: 5 blazers, 8 tops, 4 pairs of pants, 3 dresses, and 10 pieces of footwear and accessories. Every piece works with at least three others, and she says it cut her morning getting-ready time from 25 minutes to 10. “I used to stand in my closet feeling paralyzed by choices,” she told me. “Now I grab any two pieces and know I’ll look polished.”

Start by identifying your uniform for different situations:

• Professional meetings: What outfit makes you feel most confident and capable?
• Casual work days: What’s comfortable but still polished?
• Weekend relaxation: What helps you truly unwind?
• Social events: What makes you feel like your best self?

Once you’ve identified these core looks, everything else becomes optional. Aim for 20-40 total pieces that you genuinely love wearing and that work together in multiple combinations.

Action Step: For one week, pay attention to which clothes make you feel most confident and capable. Those are your keepers. Everything else is just taking up space and mental energy.

Digital Detox for Mental Clarity

Have you ever opened up an app, scrolled mindlessly for a few minutes, closed it… and then opened it again?

Studies (source) reveal that the average person checks their phone 96 times per day! Your phone and computer are probably the most cluttered spaces in your life, and they’re also the ones you interact with most frequently.

Here’s how to become a minimalist in your digital life:

• Email: Unsubscribe from anything that doesn’t serve your current goals or bring you genuine joy. Those random weekly alerts from a retailer you never shop at. That newsletter you never read. Gut ‘em.

Pro Tip: Aim for inbox zero weekly, not daily. Perfectionism is the enemy of progress.

• Apps: Delete any app you haven’t used in the past month. For social media apps you keep, remove them from your home screen so accessing them requires intentional choice rather than mindless scrolling.

Pro Tip: iPhones have a feature called “Offload Unused Apps” that automatically uninstalls apps you haven’t used in a while. These apps will still appear on your phone, but you’ll notice that there’s a little “download” icon next to them. This feature is already doing the work for you by flagging what you’re not actually using: now you just have to delete them!

• Digital subscriptions: Cancel streaming services, newsletter subscriptions, and software you’re not actively using. They’re creating background mental noise about all the content you “should” be consuming (not to mention draining your bank account!
• Photos: Set up automatic cloud storage and delete photos from your phone monthly. Keeping thousands of photos on your device slows it down and makes finding specific memories harder.

For a comprehensive guide on how to perform a digital detox, check out our guide: How to Do a Digital Detox: 3 Easy Steps for Success.

Practice Mindful Acquisition

Unless you’re planning to become a monk and live off the grid, some level of consumption and stuff acquisition is inevitable. Thus, the final piece of how to become a minimalist focuses on being strategic with what you let into your life going forward.

Before making any purchase (beyond basic necessities), ask yourself these three questions:

1. Does this support a specific goal I’m working toward? That expensive planner might seem productive, but if you already have a system that works, you’re just adding complexity.
2. What am I hoping this will do for my confidence or capabilities? Sometimes we buy things hoping they’ll transform us into the person we want to be. Usually, the transformation happens through action, not acquisition.
3. What will I let go of to make space for this? Everything you own has a cost: the space it takes up, the mental energy to maintain it, the time to organize around it. What are you willing to trade?

When you’re clear about what supports your goals and what doesn’t, spending money becomes much more satisfying because everything you buy actually improves your life.

Here’s a handy overview of the 5 steps we covered:

Applying Minimalism at Home and Work

The beauty of minimalism is that it scales perfectly for 2025’s hybrid work reality. Whether you’re juggling Zoom calls from your kitchen table or managing a team across three time zones, the principles remain the same: keep what serves your goals, release what doesn’t.

How to Become a Minimalist at Home

Your home should be your sanctuary, a place that restores your energy instead of draining it. This doesn’t mean your space has to look like a magazine (real life is messier than Instagram), but it should feel calm and functional.

• Kitchen: Keep counters clear except for items you use daily. Store appliances you use weekly in easily accessible cabinets. Everything else can go in deeper storage or be donated.
• Living areas: Designate specific homes for items that tend to wander (keys, wallet, charging cables). Having a dedicated spot for these everyday essentials eliminates the daily treasure hunt that steals your time and focus.
• Bedroom: Your bedroom should promote rest, not stress. Remove work materials, exercise equipment, and anything else that creates mental activation. The goal is a space that signals to your brain that it’s time to recharge.

How to Become a Minimalist at Work

Your workspace—whether it’s a corporate office, cubicle, or shared workspace—should support your productivity and professional confidence.

• Desk setup: Keep only current projects visible. My colleague James transformed his productivity by applying what he called the “one project rule”: only materials for his current priority project stay on his desk. He says it cut his task-switching time in half during busy workdays.
• Digital workspace: Use one project management app instead of juggling five different systems. Organize your computer desktop like you would your physical desk. Create folder systems that make finding files effortless, and delete outdated documents regularly.
• Professional presence: Having a go-to outfit formula for work reduces morning decision fatigue and ensures you always feel polished and confident.

For leaders, encouraging minimalist lifestyle practices among your team can boost productivity across the board. Simple changes like promoting clutter-free desks or adopting one shared project management system can transform team efficiency.

Hybrid Work Minimalism

For many of us living the hybrid work lifestyle in 2025, your home workspace needs to pull double duty as both your sanctuary and your office.

I learned this the hard way during my first month of hybrid work when my cluttered desk made every video call feel chaotic. After clearing everything except my laptop, one notebook, and a water bottle, my focus during virtual meetings improved dramatically.

• Video call setup: Create a dedicated camera zone that always looks professional. Keep personal items and clutter outside the frame to maintain a polished appearance during meetings.
• Work-life boundaries: Use physical cues to transition between modes. Store work materials in a specific drawer or box that you can close at the end of the workday, even if you’re working from your dining table.
• Daily workflows: Prioritize your top three tasks each morning instead of trying to manage endless to-do lists. This becomes especially crucial when you’re managing both home and work responsibilities in the same space.

Action Step: Pick one workflow area (e.g., email management, file organization, or meeting scheduling) and simplify it this week. Notice how reducing complexity improves your performance in both home and work contexts.

Building a Minimalist Culture

Minimalism can be contagious. Once your family sees how much calmer you’ve become after decluttering your space, or your team notices how much faster meetings run when the conference room isn’t drowning in random supplies, everyone starts wanting in on the action.

Here are some tips on spreading the minimalist lifestyle:

Minimalist Culture at Work

• Meeting spaces: Start meetings by clearing tables and removing unnecessary materials. This simple act signals focus and professionalism.
• Shared resources: Implement a “one in, one out” policy for office supplies and materials. When space is limited, this prevents accumulation of unused items.
• Digital collaboration: Choose one primary platform for each type of communication instead of scattering conversations across multiple apps and email threads.

When my team implemented a “clear desk, clear mind” policy, we noticed that meetings became more focused and productive. Without visual distractions competing for attention, people engaged more deeply with the actual work.

Minimalist Culture at Home

• Family buy-in: Include family members in the decluttering process by focusing on the benefits they care about. This could be more space for activities they enjoy, less time spent cleaning, or easier mornings.
• Shared spaces: Establish “homes” for items that everyone uses (like keys, charging cables, or important documents) so no one wastes time searching.
• Gift-giving: Shift toward experiences over things for birthdays and holidays. This reduces clutter while creating memories that actually last.

Pro Tip: Make sure you’re comfortable and settled into your minimalist lifestyle before trying to develop it as culture. Not only is it good to practice what you preach, but people are much more inclined to buy in when they see the benefits first-hand.

Conflict Resolution Tips for Minimalism Challenges

Not everyone in your life will immediately understand or support your minimalist journey, but that’s okay! When I first started decluttering, my husband kept rescuing items from my donation bags. “But what if we need this someday?” became his daily refrain.

Three months later, when he realized how much calmer our home felt, he started making his own donation piles.

Here’s how to handle resistance with emotional intelligence and grace:

When Family Members Resist

• Use “I” statements: Instead of “This house is too cluttered,” try “I feel more focused when our shared spaces are clear. Could we try keeping the kitchen counter clear for a week and see how it feels?”
• Start with your own space: Focus on areas that are completely yours first. When others see how much happier and more productive you become, they may become curious about trying it themselves.
• Find compromise: Suggest designating one clutter-free zone that everyone respects, like the dining table or kitchen counter, while leaving other areas more flexible.

When Colleagues Question Your Approach

• Connect to results: “I’ve found that keeping my desk clear helps me focus better during our video calls” is more compelling than defending minimalism as a philosophy.
• Lead by example: When your workspace supports your productivity and others notice your increased effectiveness, questions about your methods usually shift to requests for advice.

When You Face Internal Resistance

• Start smaller: If 15 minutes of decluttering feels overwhelming, try 5 minutes. Progress matters more than perfection.
• Focus on gains, not losses: Instead of thinking about what you’re giving up, focus on what you’re gaining: time, mental clarity, financial savings, and space for what matters.

Pro Tip: Some people might object to the clean, ascetic vibe that the word “minimalism” gives off. These people might not be ready to buy into what they see as a complete lifestyle overhaul. In these cases, instead of proselytizing “minimalism” as a way of being, simply ask what would make their daily lives easier or more enjoyable. Often, the solutions involve removing obstacles and simplifying systems, which is exactly what minimalism does.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Becoming a Minimalist

What is a minimalist lifestyle?

A minimalist lifestyle focuses on intentionally keeping only possessions and commitments that support your goals and values. It’s less about living with as little things as possible, but more about being strategic with what you choose to include in your life. The goal is to reduce decision fatigue and environmental distractions so you can focus your energy on what matters most to you.

How do I start becoming a minimalist?

Start with one small area you can completely declutter in 15-20 minutes, like a bathroom drawer or your car’s glove compartment. Use the 90/90 rule: if you haven’t used something in 90 days and won’t need it in the next 90 days, let it go. This builds momentum and confidence for tackling larger areas later.

How to become a minimalist with clothes?

Learning how to become a minimalist with clothes starts with identifying your signature style for different situations: work, casual, and social events. Keep only pieces you genuinely love wearing that work together in multiple combinations. Aim for 20-40 total pieces rather than trying to reach a specific number. Focus on quality items that make you feel confident and capable.

What are the benefits of minimalism in 2025?

The benefits of minimalism in 2025 include reduced decision fatigue, increased mental clarity, and more time for pursuing goals. With hybrid work environments and constant digital distractions, minimalism helps you maintain focus and reduce stress. Research shows that people in organized environments demonstrate better concentration and make more thoughtful decisions.

How do I maintain minimalism long-term?

Maintaining minimalism requires practicing mindful acquisition. Learn to be intentional about what you allow into your life. Before purchasing anything non-essential, ask if it supports a specific goal you’re working toward. Schedule monthly 15-minute decluttering sessions to prevent accumulation. Focus on systems that support your lifestyle rather than perfect adherence to minimalist rules.

Your 2025 Minimalism Key Takeaways

Learning how to become a minimalist is about creating space for more of what matters. When you remove the distractions, decision fatigue, and mental clutter that comes with excess stuff, you free up cognitive resources for the goals that matter in your life.

Here are your core strategies:

• Start small with one drawer or surface to build momentum and confidence
• Apply the 90/90 rule to cut through emotional attachment and make clear decisions
• Create a strategic wardrobe that eliminates daily clothing decisions
• Digital detox your devices to reduce mental noise and improve focus
• Practice mindful acquisition by questioning whether new items support your goals

Your minimalist journey starts with a single decision to prioritize what matters over what’s convenient. Pick one small area today, apply the 90/90 rule, and notice how much lighter you feel when your environment supports your ambitions instead of competing with them.

Ready to build other powerful habits that support your goals? Check out our comprehensive guide: How to Slowly Build Good Habits (The Ultimate Guide).