Comments on: How Minimalism Helped Simplify My INFJ Life

By: Lauren Teresa Smith

Lauren Teresa Smith — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 18:54:00 +0000

I’ve been working on minimalism or just a simpler lifestyle for awhile. Odd aspect for me is that by the time I achieve a minimal goal, I go shopping and buy more stuff. I don’t know what to do with the time after achieving something deep. And most of my stuff I’ve got and have collected, I tend to just give it away to others. It is likely that there is very little we truly need in this life to survive. Aside from all that, I too am finding ways to make necessities myself; it’s healthier, safer, and satisfying. My goal is to DIY body & hand cleanser (soap is considered a cosmetic), hair wash (simple & effective- finding ideas thru Pinterest), cutting my own hair (found on YouTube, Pinterest, & bought barber set online- cheaper & freeing), drinking water (thru my water bottle), and making simple meals (including fruits, veggies, & some meats), started hand-washing my own clothes (takes time, but saves money & energy= worth it), and spending more time outside exploring nature to focus more on each present moment. I invested in a quality bike as a substitute for transportation and it continues to help me relieve stress and recharge my battery independently.

By: IBikeNYC

IBikeNYC — Sat, 04 Mar 2017 00:34:00 +0000

So much of this rings bells with me, but I’d never considered it as a function of my (particular) introversion. Thank you for the insight!

Also love your suggestion to, let me quote you:

“If you have been wanting to clear out your space for a while, but don’t know where to start, I suggest picking something that isn’t too sentimental for you.” Perfect!

By: Heidi

Heidi — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 19:35:00 +0000

I have pared down my living space also. Although it’s difficult with a small child and the endless color crayons, games, and puzzles – I have pared out what I can. Spare coffee cups, old clothing, etc. have been packed up over the last month and I can’t even explain the peace I feel and the space in my lungs I have to take a full breath. It feels liberating. I’m also saving money because I consider if I *really* love the item (almost never) and so feel appreciation for the beauty of the item in the store and am content leaving it there. There is real joy in simplicity.

By: Rachelle de la Rosa

Rachelle de la Rosa — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 03:01:00 +0000

In reply to Martin. Interesting, when you said digitally I assumed you organize your files and applications haha.

By: Rachelle de la Rosa

Rachelle de la Rosa — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 03:00:00 +0000

My parents were both quite hoarders, since they were ESFJ and ITSP, they were both very hard on me for my inability to function in a house that was so cluttered. I very often misplaced objects and would get in trouble for it. I think this was because I would be so overwhelmed by my surroundings (overwhelming my inferior Se) that I would revert to using Ni and forget what I was doing! Now that I live on my own, my house is quite minimalized, especially in comparison to the house I grew up in. It is very rare for me to lose anything anymore.

By: Nessie

Nessie — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 12:57:00 +0000

I’ve always loved minimalism..in everything, especially decoration. I always look for new ways to empty my space more and more until only the basics will remain. I’ve always dreamed of having a future mininal yet cosy little house that would be made to fit my own personality and needs. The thought of having a minimal, open and cosy space all according to my own taste is like dreaming of my little heaven on earth. I truly believe minimalism is the ”thing” for me and I think it’s also ideal or at least very helpful for most introverts and INFJs.

By: theletters

theletters — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 07:24:00 +0000

Thank you for sharing your journey with minimalism! I actually just watched The Minimalists documentary a few days ago so this was perfect timing. I’ve been traveling for about 3 months and living out of a suitcase, and it’s really shown me how little we actually need to be happy. Sometimes you just mindlessly buy things to satisfy yourself that day, but it isn’t really genuine. It also takes me forever to make decisions on what to buy, so the less I am looking for the better 🙂 As an INFJ too, I can definitely see the positives to minimalism, however someone defines it, and I’m excited to clean out when I get back home! Thanks for the inspiration 🙂

By: Steven Freear

Steven Freear — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 21:34:00 +0000

15 years ago we sold up and went from a 3 bed, 2 garage house to being able to fit all our worldly goods in a 6ftx6ftx6ft container. We found it a very cathartic experience.
After a year of travelling we had realised how little we needed and have never wanted our possessions or house to own us again.
From there we had 12 years of running backpacker hostels and moving house several times. Between moves we did accumulate a few more things but each time we moved we seemed to get rid of more than we accumulated.
Since 2014 we have been living on a canal boat that is 58ft long but just 6ft wide. When we moved aboard, we transported everything in 2 car loads.
Now we live quite happily without a TV, all my music is digital and the majority of my reading matter is either on a Kindle or comes from the library. We realised recently that we hadn’t purchased any clothes for well over a year. Despite this I still threw some more clothes away recently.
Saying all this I don’t consider myself to be minimalist, We simply have all that we need and live comfortably within our means. We have never been more content.

By: katie emblen

katie emblen — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 03:28:21 +0000

Thank you for the recommendation to watch the documentary. I just watched it and it really struck a cord with me. I have read a few books over the years about minimalism but I have never been able to follow through completely and my house is a cluttered mess. It bothers me but I get so overwhelmed to get started! I have recently been doing some soul searching and have found that I am most definetly an INFJ and I love your blog. It has helped me realize that I am not alone and I do fit in but in a different way than most. I think hearing your story about how minimalism has helped you will give me a little push to really get rid of stuff that doesn’t have a place in my life anymore. Thank you!!

By: Martin

Martin — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 17:21:14 +0000

And two days later started the process of either selling, or throwing/giving away the things I have no use for. So much harder than it has any reason to be, but will likely feel really good when the process is completed.

Thank you for the article. Seems to be the push I needed to really do what I’ve tried to do for somewhere around 5-6 years. Will get rid of nearly everything, rather than about 5%, which has been the result on earlier attempts.