Minimalist Lifestyle

In present time, life is increasingly and incessantly getting more complex and cluttered, and things are designed with distraction and overstimulation in mind in order to keep people dependent on them. As an undiagnosed autist, I (like many other people) experience heavy mental fatigue and sensory overload due to this issue, often manifesting themselves through autonomic system malfunctions such as nausea and chronic pain. It didn't take me too long to realize that removing the things that don't matter allows more space for what does.

Like autism, minimalism is also a spectrum that differs between people; it ranges from the removal of minor annoyances to people living in a cabin in the woods, and so, to each person there's a personal perception of what's considered "minimalism," which is okay! Here in this article, I'll just be speaking in a generalized mmanner.

Dietary Minimalism ~

Food is often a primary source of executive exhaustion, especially if coupled with a food intake disorder, which can lead to entirely skipping meals sometimes. Unlike forcing culinary variety (just for its own sake), establishing a predictable dietary pattern helps with health in just about every way possible. You may also prepare lunchboxes at home (ahead of time) instead of eating out or buying from vending machines. Cooking is fun.

Adopting a minimal and routinely diet eliminates the daily mental strain associated with eating, and dramatically cuts down the energy spent on grocery planning, shopping trips, and cooking. It also diminishes the amount of toxins and unnecessary additives. Streamlining what goes onto the plate saves precious mental bandwidth that can be utilized elsewhere, while simultaneously contributing to physical health.

Digital Minimalism ~

Digital clutter is often the most invasive source of mental fatigue. Modern software is bogged down with unnecessary features (especially online, as I've mentioned in Abandon Social Media) that serve only to grasp attention, drain energy, and oftentimes even invade privacy. Every notification and convoluted GUI is an active demand on your cognitive load.

Privacy is the default state of other people not knowing where you are, what you do, or what you think. Privacy is lost whenever your brain detects another person (or a group of people) invading your personal space. However, civilizational development has allowed those privacy violators (corporate hardware manufactorers and proprietary software developers, for instance) to hide behind technological devices to avoid triggering our biological intrusion detection system. Yes, they live inside our computers. Disassemble your device right now.

Thus, digital privacy works similarly to real-life privacy, except that the person is replaced by an electronic device (or rather hiding inside of it); your computer, your phone, your credit card, your printer, your "IoT" fridge, CCTV cameras, etc. Through giving up dependency on technology, we regain privacy (and a peaceful state of mind too), but with this absolutist stance, we would lose all the advantages that technology has to offer us. Hence, there must be a balance between privacy and technology. This article will talk about maintaining such a balance through minimizing the usage of technology in favor of digital privacy.

To begin, the usual privacy nerd usually comes in with the attitude of replacing his current violators with "privacy-respecting alternatives":

"Instead of Chrome, I'll use Firefox and Brave. Instead of Google, I'll use DuckDuckGo and Startpage. Instead of WhatsApp, I'll use Signal and Telegram. Instead of Gmail, I'll use ProtonMail. Instead of Google Maps, I'll use... umm..."

The same person in a few years will be looking for how to replace every single service, no matter how dumb or unneeded it may be. This isn't the right approach, however. The only way to take control of digital privacy is to minimize the usage of technology itself, and so, the right approach isn't about "alternatives" and "replacements" to services, but rather; do you actually need them in the first place?

Google Maps has been introduced to the public in 2005, Amazon Alexa in 2014, Siri in 2011, smartphones since the 2000s. Yet, a lot of people today can't imagine a life without those, although all of us did fine without them before year 2000. Knowing this fact, it becomes obvious that technology modifies the way society works through the capitalist focus on the "shiny new gadget" marketing strategy, which is the only thing that keeps them alive, along with the convenience that these "gadgets" (or "apps") bring so that people become increasingly lazy and dependent upon them. Real privacy, therefore, has to start with eliminating the dependency on the violators instead of trying to replace or mitigate them:

Digital maps and GPS:

Paper maps still exist.
You can memorize your town's layout.
You can ask the local people for directions.
Do you even need a map when you barely get out of your room?

Digital calendars:

Paper calendars still exist, too.
Do you even need a calendar when you don't have anything going on in your life?

Digital translation:

Human translation is much more accurate.
Learn the language yourself.
Do you even need translating when you rarely even interact with people?

Social media:

Abandon Social Media and make a personal website.
Do you even need social media when your online "friends" don't care about you?
I'm sorry. I'll stop the self-projection.

Alarms and clocks:

Use actual alarms and clocks (including analog/digital wristwatches and the sun).
Ask for the time.
Let others wake you up, if human dependency is reliable.

Digital music streaming services:

Download directly to ~/Music/ using yt-dlp -x.
Use an MP3 Player.
Isn't music Haram to begin with?

Ebook reading apps:

Embrace the Superiority of Ebook Readers.
Read physical books, otherwise.

Note-taking apps:

Paper and pen.

Camera:

Useless if you think about it, especially if you take and share pictures of yourself; think about OSINT.
Use digital cameras, if you're really into professional photography.
Film photography makes memories much more memorable and is also seeing a resurgence in popularity.
Draw or textually describe the scene.

Flashlight:

Use an actual flashlight.

Smartphones:

With the above eliminated, is there even a need for a smartphone?
Use dumbphones if your work requires it (and don't carry it all the time).

Online storage:

The cloud is harmful (see: Better Software > Ownership).
Use local storage (with regular backups, see: Backup Guide).

Digital purchases:

Curb your consumption.
Buy used, you'll save much more money!
If you pay for digital "services" of any kind, you are a certified retard.

"AI" chatbots (LLMs):

Use your brain, maybe?
Use search engines in case your brain isn't enough.
If you want to talk to a chatbot for entertainment, this is just so sad. </3
Talk to me instead! :3

Home assistants:

Do things yourself; there's no better way to scratch your own skin than your own nails.
Bring back slavery (or butlers, maids and servants, if you like euphemisms).

Television (satellite and cable):

Government propaganda in a box. Everything is heavily politicized and commercialized.
Destroying the satellite dish is more entertaining than literally anything on TV.

IoT devices:

Why would anyone want to connect his toilet to the internet?

The more you cut off the dependency on technology you don't need, the less exposed you are to technological devices and the less your privacy is violated, especially online, where "services" tend to enslave you, which is why you should download media instead of accessing it online (you can use tools like curl, wget, yt-dlp, and gallery-dl). Of course, data hoarding can also get a bit bloated and useless sometimes, so it also needs to be minimalized to necessities.

As for the technology you truly need, it needs to be carefully handpicked (by prioritizing hardware freedom, having Better Software choices, and relying on trusted and well-established services that are built up upon them and that have darknet support, Monero acceptance, anonymous registration, minimum logging, no Cloudflare, etc.). The more privacy requirements you stack up, the more you eliminate the need to rely on any "recommendation lists" anymore (which are prone to bribery, fanboyism, low-quality research, outdated information, etc.).

While I admit that it isn't easy to get rid of certain technology, such as "smartphones," it's only a matter of determination and preserverance. The only reason I successfully got rid of my phone was because I kept forcing myself so much over the years that I eventually forgot how to use it, and even grew a total aversion towards it. It's been collecting dust for more than a year, and I think it's a milestone for me seeing how something like that is basically a requirement in today's society, especially after being pressurized by way too many people to use it. Here are some tips to avoid spending unnecessary time on your phone:

Remove all unnecessary files.
Try to limit online presence (especially on proprietary platforms).
Uninstall all unnecessary apps (whatever doesn't provide a specific function, or make you feel "fulfilled" once it's used).
Block all notifications (unless urgent).
Set phone to grayscale so it's less stimulating to look at.
Block recommendation algorithms on social platforms to keep content consumption focused and motivated.
Use extensions that block unnecessary information (such as SponsorBlock and DeArrow for YouTube).

Environmental Minimalism ~

Of course, managing environmental clutter is of utmost importance, and I usually want everything surrounding me to be intentional. Certain furnitures and appliances are useless for my use-cases and thus can easily be discarded for simpler, cheaper, portable, and more comfortable options; elevated beds are inferior to sleeping on the floor (or hammocks) in every way, ovens and air fryers are useless when all you need is a stove and a microwave, and you already have a dishwasher (it's called a "sink").

Items that fall into the "merchandise" and "collectible" territory are even more useless. That doesn't mean I want to own nothing; I own a bootleg Koishi fumo (whom I dearly love) and I've put up a couple of posters and frames on my wall, but by owning fewer decorations, the ones I do have are appreciated much more.

Moreover, environmental minimalism extends directly to what I wear and what I use daily. As an example, I own fewer clothes (eliminating the mental strain of indecision and requiring less laundry work), opt for reusable/refillable items (saving myself the stress of researching new products), and refuse to save things for "special occasions" (so as to avoid hoarding items indefinitely).

Moreover, environmental minimalism extends to what I wear and use every day. I own fewer clothes (eliminating the mental strain of indecision and requiring less laundry work), opt for reusable/refillable items (saving myself the stress of researching new products), and refuse to save things for "special occasions" (so as to avoid hoarding items indefinitely). I also prefer natural fabrics (organic cotton, wool, linen, hemp, sometimes silk) for clothes and bedding over synthetic fibers (polyester, nylon, acrylic), since I find them more comfortable and breathable. With shoes, I'd rather buy one good pair that lasts for years than keep replacing cheap ones. In the kitchen, I prefer glass, steel, or ceramic containers over plastic ones (especially for food going into the fridge, freezer, or microwave). Cast iron and stainless steel cookware also appeal to me more than constantly replacing non-stick pans. For cleaning, I prefer keeping a small set of multipurpose products rather than buying a specialised cleaner for every surface and task; some soap, a brush, and reusable cloths are usually enough for most things.

Health Minimalism ~

For minor health problems and everyday ailments (common colds, mild headaches, sore throats, or stomach bugs), I'd rather go with herbal medicine than reach for anything Big Pharma. It's natural, and people were using it for thousands of years before the likes of Rockefeller reshaped the medical industry. You don't need a gym membership to stay active either; push-ups, squats, planks, sit-ups, and other bodyweight exercises cost nothing and can be done almost anywhere. Walking, running, cycling, or doing some basic exercises at home can be more than enough to keep you moving, especially if the gym is expensive or you're barely using it. There's little point in paying every month for equipment you could replace with a bit of space and consistency.

Most antiperspirants contain aluminum and a bunch of other chemicals I don't want on my skin. Baking soda mixed with water (or a simple solid deodorant) works well for this purpose, and it naturally removes odors while being much cheaper. The rest of the bathroom shelf can go as well; one simple bar of soap can replace scented body wash and liquid hand soap, and bar shampoo can replace bottled shampoo without filling the shower with plastic. Most skincare routines are just marketing, too. People should stop treating every minor inconvenience as a problem that needs a specialized product; the fewer products you need, the less there is to buy, store, and worry about (perhaps the only skincare product a person might need is Vaseline, as a basic moisturizer), and the same principle applies to makeup (which can be entirely skipped). For dental care, a simple manual toothbrush, a durable metal tongue scraper, and plastic-free floss or interdental sticks can reduce unnecessary waste too. As for the barber, learning to cut your own hair or having someone you know do it for you can be a viable way to save money if haircuts are expensive enough for the savings to be worthwhile.

As for sleeping, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day (including weekends) does more than any sleep tracker, and after a while you might not even need an alarm. Eating light at night, being active (even slightly) at day, and avoiding screens (especially bright and blue-light-heavy ones) before bed can help too. Instead, read a book at dim light, take a warm bath, or have a relaxing tea. You don't need any sleep monitoring gadget to tell you how well you slept; paying attention to how you feel (and optionally noting it down in a diary) is usually enough.

Linguistic Minimalism ~

Language is often treated as something automatic, but it can just as easily become another source of clutter. The more loosely and carelessly one speaks (especially through excessove use of slang and netspeak), the more room there is for misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and unnecessary mental effort. By being deliberate with one's speech, communication becomes clearer, calmer, and less exhausting for everyone involved. Hence, instead of relying on excessive sarcasm, dramatic intonation, or ambiguous hints, I prefer to say exactly what I mean and make my intentions easier to understand. I also try to verbalize my emotions plainly rather than assuming others (and especially autists) will automatically infer them from tone alone.

As a socially avoidant introvert, I used to gaslight myself that I have to socialize every now and then to remain healthy, but I no longer believe that. I'm much better off when I ignore other people's expectations and choose my social time more carefully. A small number of meaningful relationships is enough for me, and I don't need constant outings or a large social circle. Rejecting invitations has saved me energy for the people and interactions I actually value.