WHY KNOWING HOW TO SAY NO AND MINIMALISM ARE INTIMATELY LINKED?
Minimalism is in our opinion a refusal of a certain established order. We refuse to own a lot when our society encourages us to always have more – even if it does not meet a need or a want. It’s a bit like “the one who has the biggest” game, but it’s the one who has the most. Finally, in the case of minimalism, we refuse to play the game. We think about what we have, what we really need, our consumption habits, and so on. So in refusing a certain established system, it is essential to know how to say no. And it can be learned.
SAY NO TO BAD HABITS
Before you alienate people, the main person to say no to is yourself. We don’t put a knife to your throat when you go shopping … On the other hand, we grant you, we make temptation almost everywhere. When you’re going to stock up on groceries for the week, you can choose not to buy certain products because they do not respect the values in which you believe. We can also refuse to go to certain brands because they make kids work on the other side of the world …
In bad habit, we can cite: The laziness and ease of buying in one store rather than another / Compulsively buying from Ikea or Action / Not asking yourself the right questions before buying … Take perspective on your way of consuming. You will realize your unfortunate tendency to consume or even over-consume. And you will need to put a mental alert when you are about to reproduce this unfortunate pattern. Once it hits you, you will have the opportunity to decline or accept the purchase.
SAY NO WHEN YOU DON’T NEED IT
Unlike Marie Kondo who asks you if objects make you happy, we prefer to ask ourselves lf if we need the objects around us or that we plan to buy. Do we need yet another black leggings when we already have two? Do we need new plates for everyday life? Do we need a new bed set when we have 4 in the closet? This question is quite simple in the end. We answer it with yes or no. It helps to make choices, especially when trying to break the purchasing dynamic that we are used to.
SAY NO TO POISONING GIFTS
Like everything, it is necessary that the info is repeated several times so that it is integrated into the minds of our interlocutors. Even if you decide to refuse the gifts, the message probably won’t get through the first time. Be patient, repeat, explain why you don’t want to burden yourself with gifts. And over time, you should receive less.
