What is extreme minimalism?

How is extreme minimalism different from other types of minimalism? I decided to do this as a separate post from my last post about anti-mainstream minimalist concepts because there are so many different aspects of extreme minimalism. This topic needs an article of its own! 

What I find interesting is that when I looked into extreme minimalism, I think there are a lot of misconceptions about it. But I'll get into that in a little bit. Here is the run-down of topics:

1. What does extreme minimalism mean?
2. Examples of extreme minimalism
3. Misconceptions about extreme minimalism
4. The benefits of extreme minimalism
5. Is extreme minimalism selfish?

What does extreme minimalism mean?

Just as a refresher, "minimalism," as defined by this blog's original owner, means letting go of things that are less important--whether it be things, activities, or people--to focus on what's more important.

In contrast, extreme minimalism is about paring your life down to the necessities. Some people may refer to it as essential minimalism, or essentialism, which is evaluating wants and needs, with a preference towards only acquiring what you need. If you want more details about essential minimalism, we have a post all about it here.

Examples of extreme minimalism

Besides essentialism, there are several examples of minimalist archetypes that can fall under extreme minimalism. For one, there are types of experiential minimalists called nomadic minimalists (the article goes into some detail about minimalist nomad life). 

I also recently did a post specifically about sailboat-dwelling minimalist nomads because I read a book about it that I liked so much. Other types of nomadic minimalists are people who live/travel in vehicles on land or people who live out of suitcases or backpacks, like people who hop from one Airbnb to another or who are professional house-sitters.

But extreme minimalists don't have to be nomads. They can live in a small space in one place, such as an apartment. Their home can be very minimal in aesthetic, possessions, and cost. This can include a lack of decorations and furniture. I'd say my bedroom makeover in my old apartment probably falls into the extreme minimalist category. 

While a "normal" minimalist could streamline their clothing with a capsule wardrobe, an extreme minimalist would go down to a single change of clothes, shoes, etc. (plus an extra for wash day). 

They could also own a single set of silverware, one plate, bowl, cup, etc. per person. 

Some people choose to have mats or pillows as their only seating, no TVs or other personal electronics and place their mattress on the floor. They only have one set of sheets. They're "zero waste." 

Some people base their minimalism on how many possessions they own overall. I read about this 100 things challenge where you downsize until you have only 100 things left. I also saw that one person has 15 possessions!!!

I have to admit, I kind of drowned in all the ways you can be an extreme minimalist. I'm going to truncate my descriptions so it doesn't take you an hour to read this post. Here are some more:

• Fasting/intermittent fasting/very low-calorie diet
• Abstinence
• Sobriety
• Religious/spiritual pilgrimage
• Extreme frugal minimalism

Basically, any way you can be a minimalist, you can take it to an extreme level. 

Misconceptions about extreme minimalism

I think people unfamiliar with how regular minimalism works might look at extreme minimalism and think that it's normal minimalism. That everyone who says they're a minimalist only owns 15 things and lives in a 200 square-foot apartment with a mattress on the floor and a single pair of socks. 

I think this assumption is what leads people to go overboard in their minimalist journey, thinking they have to meet other people's expectations. They eliminate what's important because they think they have to. Then they regret their decision, end up "hating minimalism," and become anti-minimalists because they think that will make them happy.

Whether you take conservative steps or extreme ones, your minimalist journey should be about what's right for you. Giving things up that enrich your life is not minimalist. It's sacrifice. 

Likewise, people who criticize others for being too extreme or not minimalist enough don't really understand minimalism either. If a minimalist wants to have 50 t-shirts or 100 paper books or save 3000 pictures, how does that hurt anyone?

I also don't see a problem with someone being not minimalist for special occasions. Maybe they're a frugal minimalist all year, but they splurge on an awesome annual vacation, treat their partner to a luxurious anniversary date, or spoil their grandchild on their birthday.

The benefits of extreme minimalism

While this type of minimalism is not for everyone, there are some potential benefits. Even more so than standard minimalist practices, extreme minimalism could lead to more free time, debt elimination, stress reduction, early retirement, the ability to pursue your passions instead of chasing a paycheck, better physical health, and a smaller impact on the environment. 

It's just a question of creating a balance until you maximize benefits and minimize side effects. Depending on one's tolerance for extremism, in theory, the more extreme one goes, the more benefits one receives.  

Is extreme minimalism selfish?

As I was reading about this topic, I actually came across a few articles that addressed this question. In their minds, anything extreme has the potential to be selfish. 

If you minimize your possessions while only considering yourself, then this could lead to complications. For example, one person said she had dinner guests over and drank her wine from a coffee mug because she only owns 2 wine glasses. But, she reasoned, this was still better than not having enough glasses to serve them wine at all.

I guess that's one way to think about it. Another way is that it's pretty shallow and privileged to be worried about whether you're drinking your wine from a mug or a wine glass. I wonder how much of her concern was about her worry of how others saw her?

My predecessor on this blog told me that it isn't uncommon for RVers to not have enough chairs, cups, or even food to accommodate guests, due to their limited storage space and tiny little kitchen areas. She said this is acknowledged as part of RV life, and there's an easy solution for it. When one RVer invites another over for a gathering, you ask what you should bring. Whether it's side dishes, a chair, or even your own plate, this is something that's considered an acceptable ask of your guests. Nobody gets judgy about it or thinks it's rude. It's common for the RVing community to share what they have and help others when they can. Isn't that nice?

And actually, my parents raised me that a polite guest always asks what they can bring or do to help when they're invited to someone else's home. When did it become a rule that what someone brings has to be limited to a bottle of wine or a bag of chips? 

Someone else said that when he was a minimalist, he was a "taker" because he lived in a trailer and rode a bike everywhere. So he could be a guest, but not have a guest. And he couldn't give anyone a ride anywhere. He also mentioned that he was strapped for cash.

I don't understand why it's selfish if you can't afford a car or an extra bed sitting around in case, someday, you need to use them?? When did living within your means make you a "taker?" 

Or what if you just think that's wasteful? I think it's more of a problem that people are perceived as selfish for not owning excess things instead of evaluated for the quality of their personality and morals.

Also, if you only have to work part-time because you're an extreme frugal minimalist, maybe that means you can offer free dog walks to a neighbor or be available to drive your relative to their doctor's appointment. It means you don't have to miss important things in the lives of your loved ones because you're too busy working. That doesn't seem selfish to me.

But in the end, it isn't always bad to be a little selfish. Everyone is entitled to live in an authentic way, and sometimes that means that your wants and needs take priority over what other people want or expect you to do. It's unhealthy to give all your time and energy to everyone else. Even the most altruistic amongst us recognize the importance of keeping themselves healthy so they can help more people. 

Right now, there are a lot of problems in this world that are the result of perceiving things a certain way that is not the most useful. If we want to improve our situation, it has to start in our heads and being open to thinking differently. Extreme minimalism might not be for everyone, but the concepts are certainly food for thought. 

Skinimalism and 4 other anti-mainstream minimalist concepts

Tired of living like everyone else? Here are five anti-mainstream minimalist concepts to inspire interesting changes in your life. 

Of course, minimalism itself is typically considered anti-mainstream or counter-culture. But as it becomes more common, there are a lot of subtypes that are popping up. If going all-in on a minimalist lifestyle isn't for you, maybe these are some ways to give specific areas of interest a try.

1. Skinimalism
2. Childfree
3. Digital minimalism
4. Stoicism
5. Mindful minimalism

1. Skinimalism

Skinimalism is just a term for minimalist skincare and/or makeup. You might be a skinimalist and didn't even know that was the term for it.

If you're someone who currently or previously looked at any skincare or cosmetics prices, I'm sure you noticed that the costs have gone up astronomically over time. I mean, paying several hundred dollars for ONE tiny little container of skin cream? $50 for a tube of mascara? 20-step skincare routines???? 

An article from 2017 I found on Groupon cited a study about how much the average person spends on their appearance. Even back then, the average amount was around $3000 for men with women spending closer to $4000 (non-binaries were not mentioned). That amount included skin treatments, hair care, hair removal, and makeup. More than 1/4 of that amount was spent on the face. Over a lifetime (60 years), that ends up being an estimated $175,000 - $225,000 per year--but there's a flaw in that estimate. It's assuming that the amount doesn't go up, which is ridiculous. I mean, even a cheap haircut these days costs close to $20. I doubt it will be the same amount 40 years from now.

But there's more to the skinimalist movement than just cost. As people become more aware of the consequences of what they put into (and on) their bodies, they tend to take a "less is more" approach. They want the products themselves to be minimalist in terms of their ingredients. 

In my own search for natural products, I've been very disappointed about how little is available that doesn't have something harmful in it, but still is allowed to be sold on the market. Some of the independent third-party organizations that evaluate ingredients like the Environmental Working Group are criticized for being too harsh, but I disagree. If a chemical is even suspected of being harmful to my body or the environment, I want to know about it. I'm not taking chances.

The last reason people go for a more minimalist skincare routine is probably related to all the societal pressure about looks. There is so much value placed on looking perfect on the outside, and there's a lot of elitism involved. Celebrities rake in money by repping products, and then people think that maybe they'll look like celebrities if they spend their money. The problem is, claims made by cosmetic companies are not always backed up by actual testing and science. Depending on where or by whom a product was made, it may not have been tested at all!

If you want to avoid all that drama and rebel against the social "norms" about how we should look, becoming a skinimalist is a good way to do it.

2. Childfree

Whether you love children or they're not for you, I think there's no argument about whether kids add complication to the lives of their parents. Just from my high school babysitting experience, I know how labor-intensive it is to take care of a child. And that was just a small glimpse of the full picture of child-raising.

Other reasons people choose not to have children are financial. I think that's pretty obvious, so I won't go into much detail about that.

Some people also believe that having biological children puts extra strain on the environment and our food supplies. There's some debate on the accuracy of that. It seems like the problem is more about how we manage the food that we grow and what types of food are produced. If the systems were more efficient, then there would be enough food to support the population.

Regardless of the reasons, a lot of people are still shocked when someone says they will not be procreating. Even these days, many people assume that everyone has the desire to be a parent, and that's just not true. 

It's not practical for everyone, either. Many people's financial, career or health situations would be strained by having children, and that isn't good for anyone. Not to mention that there are some people who should never become parents, as evidenced by the neglect and abuse that occurs. 

3. Digital minimalism

The internet can be a stressful place. I've talked before briefly about how I shut down all my social media accounts. I did it because I was tired of all the nonsense, spam, and guerrilla marketing tactics. I also find most of the harmless aspects of social media, like memes and reposts, a huge waste of time.

But a digital minimalist can express themselves in other ways besides eschewing social media. For example, they may have extremely organized and empty email accounts. Their cloud storage has only the basic necessities. They don't keep every single picture they've ever taken on their phones--even the ones they took by accident, or are too blurry to make out.

Digital minimalists can also have minimal apps and software on their devices. Maybe they even have minimal devices, like just a phone, or just a laptop, or maybe a flip phone and a desktop!

It's also about how much time is spent in the digital world. Some digital minimalists prefer paper books over ebooks or painting with real paint over making digital art.

Some people are digital minimalists by necessity. They might have limited access to devices, poor or no internet availability, limited internet bandwidth, or a small amount of data, or an illness or disability that inhibits their ability to spend large amounts of time interacting with devices. So they spend very little time in the digital world and have other ways to occupy themselves.

Lastly, there are those that just don't like spending time in front of a screen. They'd rather be outdoors, talking to friends, or cooking. 

4. Stoicism

Stoicism is not a new concept. It dates back to ancient Greece, and it's all about controlling emotions and thinking rationally. 

Some people might view it as being cold and emotionless, but I see it more as rising above feelings that might cloud judgment and cause mistakes.

How is this minimalist? It's about focusing on making clear-headed decisions and sweeping out any feelings-related cobwebs. If having a healthy relationship with thoughts and emotions is important, then this is a minimalist way to approach life.

The tenets of stoicism include managing expectations, including being realistic about what change you can actually implement in your life. I think a lot of detriment occurs when people put large amounts of pressure on themselves to be different from who they are in incompatible ways. Then they lose sight of their true selves and realize the change didn't make them happy. Impulsivity and grabbing at every shiny object would not be part of stoicism. Taking the time to examine whether something is really what you want and how it will (or won't) add value to your life would be a stoic choice.

Another interesting part of stoicism is striving to live in harmony with nature. At first, I thought this tenet was out of place with the others. But then I read that stoics wanted to gain a better understanding of the universe and everything in it. They felt this was a step toward improving cognitive skills and also a way to better understand the nature of humans. By understanding the world around you, you can then live more harmoniously with it.

Overall, I think it's a very interesting concept, and something that could be useful in a number of different situations.

5. Mindful minimalism

I found some slight variations on the definition of this term, so I'll give you a combo explanation. Mindful minimalism is about letting go of excess so you can focus on the present moment. This allows you to find more peace and purpose in your daily life and remove stress.

I think this concept would be extremely helpful to a certain group of people. I'm thinking of someone who finds themselves counting down minutes, hours, days, etc. until a certain event. Whether it's waiting until it's time to clock out from work, praying for the weekend to arrive, or just barely hanging in there until you can take your next vacation, you're letting large chunks of your life pass you by, dismissing them as unimportant.

Most likely, when that long-anticipated moment occurs, it leaves you feeling unsatisfied. Then it becomes even harder to go back to the rest of your life, and it feels like time drags on forever until the next respite.

It may be difficult for someone in this situation to picture a life where they actually relish their day-to-day activities instead of wishing they were over with. I doubt it would be easy or happen overnight, but I think by adding a zen-like aspect to your minimalism, it is possible.

And if you think about it, nearly all types of minimalism are mindful in some form. Adding that layer of thoughtfulness to your actions is how you start making more informed decisions about what's best for you.