Self-Compassion and Minimalism

Mindfully incorporating self-compassion into my life, like minimalism, has radically changed me. Minimalism has given me more self-compassion and self-compassion has allowed me to pursue minimalism. In fact, there are few things I’m as passionate about as minimalism and self-compassion.

What is self-compassion?

I first learned about self-compassion in a book by Dr. Kristen Neff, also called Self-Compassion. Self-compassion is caring for ourselves regardless of our failures or successes. Self-compassion acknowledges that as humans, we are excellent, average, and bad at things, and that’s ok. We can forgive ourselves for our flaws and others for having them too. We can apologize when we are wrong, because being wrong doesn’t shake us to our core. Rather, we should comfort ourselves when we go through hard times, even if they are self-inflicted.

Dr. Neff differentiates self-compassion from self-esteem. Self-esteem relies on being good at things. Imagine that your self-esteem is supported by how good you are at your job. Getting a promotion at work would lead to higher self-esteem. But what happens if you’re criticized by your boss? Your self-esteem may waver in that moment when you need it most. But that’s exactly where self-compassion kicks in.

Self-compassion supports decluttering

When I really started taking minimalism seriously, I needed self-compassion. Decluttering my possessions was, and still is, hard. It can be a tour of painful memories or irresponsible purchases. If I didn’t have compassion for myself in those moments when I was decluttering hoards of items, I may never have done it. That would’ve been such a shame, because I would’ve never experienced the benefits of living simply.

Minimalism supports self-compassion

Minimalism has also helped me become more self-compassionate. Now that I own less beauty products, my makeup and hair are rarely flawless. Now that my wardrobe has fewer options, I often don’t have the ideal outfit for every occasion. Now that I limit the number of relationships I’m willing to maintain, I am much less “popular.” I am less perfect because of minimalism. I can’t rely on self-esteem brought on by my appearance or superficial relationships. Minimalism has given me a chance to offer myself grace for these flaws, which has reinforced my self-compassion.

In conclusion

If I were to impress upon you one lesson from this blog, it wouldn’t be to shop less or declutter more. It would be to have more self-compassion. You can test your level of self-compassion, and learn strategies to bolster it here: https://self-compassion.org/test-how-self-compassionate-you-are/

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