EMBRACING MINIMALISM: DECLUTTERING YOUR HOME

We spoke with Alyssa Mariano, co-founder and CEO of Bazaara, an app for buying and selling preloved clothing and goods. She outlines the benefits of decluttering before a move, and how minimalism can benefit you.

Moving homes can be an exciting yet challenging experience. As a transient country, the UAE attracts a diverse population, and with that comes the need to adapt and organise our lives accordingly. One action that can help is decluttering. By embracing minimalism and using second-hand fashion apps, you can streamline your moving process, reduce clutter and even make some money. Of course, your journey to a decluttered life may be fraught with internal and external battles, emotions and many big black trash bags, but it’s worth it for the peace of mind that it brings!

WHAT IS MINIMALISM?

While this ideology is currently enjoying its moment in the limelight, minimalism isn't a new concept. In fact, the work of Henry David Thoreau explored self-sufficient living in the 1800s. Broadly described as ‘a practice of awareness and intention about your belongings, time and energy,’ the idea has its roots in religious and spiritual practices, but garnered wider attention and appeal in the 1950s and 60s, as the minimalist art and music movements took hold.

A SMOOTH MOVE

Moving homes is a great opportunity to look through your belongings and prioritise what truly matters. Minimising the items you carry with you when you move home or country saves time, effort and money, whilst decluttering before a move allows you to focus on the essentials, making packing and unpacking a much smoother process. We all know people who move with lots of old paperwork, clothes and other unused things, that then simply get pushed into a cupboard or storage space, never to be touched until they move again. Don’t be that person!

A FRESH START