I could write a whole book about the many benefits of minimalism.

Oh wait, I am (it’s an ebook but still).

I talk a lot about minimalism and mindfulness on my podcast.

I truly and wholeheartedly believe this lifestyle can spark a change in the world, help people feel happier, lighter, achieve financial stability, work less and live more.

There are no good arguments against minimalism, just like there are none against veganism.

That said, lately I’ve been exploring a different terminology. I felt as though the term “minimalism” wasn’t impactful enough.

Hear me out.

As shocked and/or rattled as people look when they realize we’re vegan, the same people don’t even flinch when they hear about my (our) minimalist journey and lifestyle.

Most of them think they know what minimalism is, or what it entails.

Most of them obviously don’t.

The word “minimalism” is somewhat self-explanatory, which, IMHO, doesn’t do it justice.

This really got me thinking, so I decided to come up (or explain further) my own work-in-progress minimalism: I call it green or eco-essentialism.

Green or eco for the environment, essentialism because I own the bare minimum, essentials only, no extras.

Let’s dive further into this.

As an eco-essentialist (aka green or eco-minimalist), one of the main focuses of my lifestyle is protecting the environment.

Consuming less leads to cutting down waste and living with a smaller ecological footprint. Simple.

I still own some stuff, but the things I now own and buy (when need be) is 100% environmentally friendly.

I also live frugally, and try to repair and repurpose all my belongings.

I’ve talked about this time and again on my podcast, but consuming less helps reduce the harmful impact of mindless consumerism on our planet. This makes my eco-essentialism a pro-environment and anti-consumption mindset and philosophy above anything else.

From shopping second hand and eco-friendly to investing in quality products (that last longer), my new shopping habits (close to nonexistent) help me reduce my carbon footprint significantly.

Mindful shopping and making sure I don’t bring any unnecessary things into my life is the first thing on my mind when I’m out looking for new things to buy.

Having the preservation of the planet in mind, eco-essentialists like myself follow a vegan lifestyle (and a plant-based diet) as the two (veganism and eco-essentialism) go hand in hand.

My other focus as an eco-essentialist is to experience the world without getting tied down to a permanent place and financial burdens.

Instead of embracing materialism, I believe creating memories of my experiences is one of the two most important aspects of my life, the other one being giving to charity and NPOs.

As a lifelong traveler, I’ve always had trouble finding the right amount of things to pack up, so I always ended packing way more than I needed.

Since embracing this lifestyle (and perhaps even before), I’ve noticed how traveling with fewer distractions allowed me to be more present and get the best out of each and every experience.

For some nomad minimalists, minimalism is just a practical way of moving around. For me, it’s challengingly fun to experience how little I (and now WE) can live with.

How about mindful-eco-essentialism?

Hang on, what’s that again?

Mindful-eco-essentialists worry about more than just the environment, we worry about peace of mind too.

That’s the other focus of this lifestyle.

Owning fewer things automatically reduce mental clutter, which is the number one cause of stress and anxiety.

Besides, owning less reduces distractions and gives you the ability to focus on self-reflection (hence this post), self-love and personal development (once again, hence this post).

As a mindful-eco-essentialist, my aim for fewer possessions and more headspace, for being present in the moment with my thoughts, my loved ones, my feelings and emotions helps me increase my quality of life in a significant manner.

It also helps me pursue an intentional and meaningful life.

I’m constantly working on shaping a better version of myself, pursuing excellence (a religious principle in my case) and adding value to other people’s lives.

I started my mindful-eco-essentialist journey to escape the suffocation of stressful and expensive lifestyles. By cutting down expenses, I rapidly gained more freedom and peace of mind.

So all in all, as I learned more about minimalism, I embraced other attributes of it and made it my own.

I cut down on literally everything.

I owned 51 pairs of shoes at some point. It’s a lot ! I now own 4, 1 of which is a pair of football cleats.

Furthermore, and as far as digital essentialism goes, I used to spend hours on Social Media every day ! Posting, tweeting, commenting.

I now spend an hour/day tops. I only use SM for work and promotion.

Stepping away from Social Media was a major turning point in my life, evil eye and all.

In short:

Cutting down on “stuff” helped me become more mindful about self-care and my core values as well.

Mindful-eco-essentialism, aka minimalism, has become a powerful tool in my journey of developing a better me. 

IMHO, learning how to be mindful of our possessions and reducing physical and mental clutter helps us become better humans.

Here’s a short list of my favorite minimalists:

• Leo Babauta from Zen Habits 
• The minimalists
• Sorelle Amore
• Colin Write
• Youheum from Heal your Living (personal fave)
• and of course Matt D’Avella