Hello and welcome back to the english with neil podcast.
This is episode number 21 and today we are going to talk about minimalism.
So in today's episode i'm going to be covering what minimalism is, why it was started, some of the benefits And at the end I'm going to give you some tips if you would like to start living a minimalist lifestyle.
But before we get started, I'd just like to let you know that if you would like a full transcript of today's episode, including a vocabulary list and study guide, You can find all of that and more at englishwithnealcom.
Okay, everyone, let's get started.
So first, I'd like to cover what is minimalism?
What is that exactly?
Well, it's basically a lifestyle of owning fewer things.
And specifically, it's about owning things that are only essential.
And it's basically this idea of getting rid of things, removing things from our lives, So that we can live a more free and fulfilling lives.
And minimalism teaches us that we don't need things.
We don't need physical possessions to make us happy.
So it promotes internal happiness.
It's a great lifestyle.
And so I'd like to tell you why it was started.
Well, this idea, this lifestyle was started in America to combat consumerism.
If you've ever been to America or you know about American culture we have.
We place a lot of importance on things wanting more things.
More more, more more.
We have to have the new iPhone.
We have to have a better car than everyone else.
We're always competing with one another.
It's not enough to own two pairs of shoes.
We need 10 pairs of shoes.
We don't need three jackets.
We need 20 jackets.
More, more, more.
And so, you know, in America, we have this toxic culture of always wanting more.
And so minimalism was started to combat that, to go against minimalism. wanting more.
It's about freeing ourselves so that we can be more happy with less.
And that is the core of minimalism.
So let's talk about some of the benefits.
What are the benefits of living this minimalist lifestyle?
Well, number one is you have more freedom.
You have more freedom to focus on things that are more important, such as your mental health and relationships.
Okay.
Some people also report of having less anxiety after starting this minimalist lifestyle, because they're no longer competing.
They no longer have this desire, this yearning to buy more, more, more, more.
Instead, it's about less.
Less, less, less so that we can be more happy.
So some people report having less anxiety.
And the other thing, probably the biggest thing is people feel more fulfilled in life.
So I've been practicing this minimalist lifestyle.
I think for the past five years.
I don't really know when I started, but once I realized that I have so many things in my house that I don't use, I either Donated it.
I gave it away or sold it at the thrift store.
And when I was able to remove all of these things that I haven't used, I felt so much weight lifted off of my shoulders.
I felt like, wow, I'm free.
You know, I walked into my closet and I walked into my room and I was like wow, there's nothing here.
I feel so free.
And so personally, I felt just a more freeing experience in my life.
I no longer feel the need to to buy the next. the next thing, the newest thing.
I just appreciate what I have.
And that's another benefit of the minimalist lifestyle.
You learn to appreciate the things that you have, the essentials that you have.
And you no longer desire to buy the next thing because it's not essential.
You no longer desire buying another pair of shoes because you already have shoes that meet your needs right now.
And so these are some of the benefits of the minimalist lifestyle.
So next, I like to talk about how you can start living a minimalist lifestyle.
So, if this lifestyle sounds appealing to you, if it sounds like something that you want to try well, how do you do it?
Well, it's very easy.
All you have to do is get rid of things that you don't use.
Throw away things that you don't use.
And here's a tip.
If you look around your house and you see something that you haven't used for the past six months, throw it away.
Get rid of it.
If you have things lying around your house, your bedroom, your living room, and you say man, I haven't used this in the past six months.
I haven't used this in a year.
Throw it away because chances are you will never use it again.
And by throwing those things away. you can free up space.
And we know that environment, our environment has a huge impact on our mental health.
So once you start throwing things away, you'll automatically start to feel lighter, more free.
And this is the easiest way to start living the minimalist lifestyle.
Just throw things away that you don't use and keep the things that you do use.
Keep the essentials and that's it.
So if you are interested in this lifestyle, leave me a comment.
If you call yourself a minimalist now, Talk about the benefits.
Leave a comment and talk about the benefits so other people can know about this lifestyle.
So that is it, everyone.
I hope you enjoyed today's episode.
Again, if you like transcripts, vocabulary lists and a study guide to go along with this episode and previous episodes, you can find all of that at englishwithnealcom.
Thank you, everyone, and I look forward to speaking with you in the next episode.
Take care and talk to you soon.
Peace.
