The Art of Minimalism by Olivia Telford

More than Just the Art of Minimalism

I have read another book by this author on mindfulness, and in this book, she brings mindfulness to minimalism in a variety of ways. The book is roughly divided into thirds: generalities and mindset about minimalism, specific strategies for decluttering your physical environment, and ideas for decluttering your relationships, your thoughts, and your day. What I like about this book is that you can tell that the author walks the talk. She isn’t just cobbling together a variety of information from online sources and other books as happens far too often in nonfiction books these days. Instead, she shares personal stories and insights as well as tips that she herself has come up with. I particularly loved the section on how to naturally clean all the areas of your home after you’ve decluttered. I’m planning to implement some of those ideas very soon.

I have read several books on minimalism, but her approach draws you right in because she helps you understand your thinking about the excess of “stuff” in your life and the history of consumerism. Much of her advice is very detailed, like the specific recipes for natural cleansers and how to use the pomodoro technique in your decluttering. The book has some unusual topics for a book on minimalism, like affirmations and time management—and of course, the entire last section that is more about the mental aspects, like clearing toxic relationships and thoughts from your life and replacing those thoughts with more positive ones. It might seem from the outside like it’s an odd combination of ideas, but the ideas do work together to help support you in decluttering all aspects of your life.