Minimalism encourages us to ask ourselves things like:
* What are my highest values?
* What do I need? What do I want? And what do I like?
* Will this (thing, job, person, event) bring me joy? Will it add value to my life?
* What is … enough?

Brene Brown is quoted as having said “The opposite of scarcity is not abundance. It is simply enough.”

THAT seems like exactly the right message for just about everyone. But I think the highly sensitive person (HSP) is uniquely qualified to speak to it.
In Melissa’s article “Why Highly Sensitive People Need Minimalism” on her website www.simplelionheartlife.com she states that one of the key benefits of minimalism for her is that it “calms her as a Highly Sensitive Person. A lot of people feel stressed or unsettled in a cluttered environment. But Highly Sensitive People particularly feel the effects of chaos and clutter. Too much sensory information, including visual clutter, can easily make a Highly Sensitive Person feel overwhelmed and stressed.”
Many begin to feel overwhelmed (something HSP’s are always trying to avoid), anxious, and defeated around the idea of decluttering their homes. The decluttering process doesn’t need to be painful. In fact, there are a variety of people who have come up with some fun, creative ways to get started. Here are just two examples of many:

1. Take the 12-12-12 Challenge. Locate 12 items in your house to throw away, 12 items to donate, and 12 items to be returned to their proper home – 36 things dealt with already! This could even be made into a quick competition between partner (and kids?) and you.

2. Give away one item each day. Colleen Madsen at ‘365 Less Things’ gives away one item each day. Over the past several years, she has experienced quite a transformation simply reducing her stuff one day at a time.