Minimalist Teenager: From Stress to Peace and Joy
Can a teenager be a minimalist? Yes, and it can turn stress into peace. This post was written by Andrea at 14, back in 2017. Their story comes first. After it, we’ve added a section for parents: how to support a teen who wants to declutter (or doesn’t), their questions as a printable list, and a minimalist teen bedroom checklist.
I think being fourteen just screams “hyper stuff consumer” right from the start. The opposite of a minimalist teenager. I was surrounded by lots of stuff that I never used. I had no peace, and no joy.
What Is It Going to Be Like?
At first I thought that being a minimalist teenager in today’s society would be really, really hard. Everyone around me was always telling me what I need, and that I’m somehow not cool if I don’t have it. (Excuse me, but last time you said that, I got it. And nobody treated me any differently.)
So when my Mom said that we were going to try minimalism, I wasn’t very optimistic. Society had a hold on me. It was telling me what I needed. So when Mom told me to give this a try, I thought about it. A lot. After thinking, I realized some things: What is society doing telling me what I need? How can they possibly know what I need if they aren’t me, and I didn’t tell them?
Watch our video: How to Purge as Teenagers.
Where Do I Start?
After thinking about this, it got me thinking some more. I thought that maybe I should try to get rid of all of the things that society has told me that I need, and start fresh. I was going to do this by only keeping the things that I need, and also by thinking about a purchase before I buy it. Before I buy anything, I ask myself these questions: “Do I actually need this, or have I been deceived?” “What if I didn’t buy this?” and “Does this add value to my life?”
By asking myself these questions, and answering them truthfully, I have cut my buying rate in half, if not more. I also have a lot more time to spend using the things that bring me joy, instead of going out and buying useless rubbish that I don’t need and won’t use. So far, becoming a minimalist teenager was working.
What’s the Next Step?
Now I have one teeny tiny problem: getting rid of all of the stuff that I already have and don’t need.
I’m all for getting rid of rubbish that’s broken, or has already been replaced and hasn’t been used in forever. It’s just that I don’t like getting rid of “perfectly good stuff.” So the question that I had to ask myself now was this: “What counts as ‘perfectly good stuff’?” Is what I think is perfectly good actually rubbish, and I just think it’s good because I have a sentimental attachment to it?
I decided that if I have a sentimental attachment to an item, I should leave it until the end, until I have developed the right attitude about getting rid of stuff. In the meantime, I get rid of the things that are meaningless to me. And to find out what a certain item means to me, I ask myself questions similar to the ones I ask before I buy something: “Do I still need this, or have I already replaced it with something else?” “When was the last time I used this?” and “Does this add value to my life?” (For the second question, if the answer is over six months, then you should get rid of it. Because if you haven’t used it in six months, you’re not going to use it in the next six months.)
The Results
Now that I am on the road to minimalism, I have found that I am much happier and that I have more time to do what I love. And I have more stuff to get rid of! And that means I have more time to spend on things other than cleaning the house! Nothing (not even my peers) is going to take that away from me.
We headed off on a Big Adventure. Have you seen it yet?
Want to read some more of my posts?
For parents: how to help a teenager become a minimalist
From here on, it’s us, the parents. Teens don’t declutter because a parent tells them to. They declutter when they see what’s in it for them: more time, more money for things they actually care about, and a room that feels like theirs. You can find the bigger picture in our guide to minimalism with kids.
If your teen wants to declutter
- Let them lead. It’s their room. Offer help (“Want me to haul bags to the car?”), not direction.
- Suggest they start with the easy stuff. Broken, replaced and never-used things first, like Andrea did. Sentimental items wait until the end.
- Give them the exits. Show them how to donate, sell online (with your supervision) or give things to friends and younger cousins. Letting them keep the money from what they sell is a strong motivator.
- Don’t comment on what they keep. If they keep 40 hoodies and let go of the trophies you loved, that’s their call.
- Get the bags out fast. Offer a same-day drop-off at the donation center so items don’t drift back.
If your teen doesn’t want to
- Go first. Declutter your own things and the shared spaces. Teens notice, even when they roll their eyes.
- Talk about the why, once. Time, money, less cleaning, less stress. Then drop it.
- Share the questions, not a rule. Leave the printable below on their desk. Andrea’s turning point was asking who gets to decide what they need.
- Set limits only on shared spaces. Their bedroom can be their business, as long as it’s safe and hygienic. The living room is everyone’s.
- Never declutter their stuff without asking. It breaks trust and usually makes teens hold on tighter.
A script that respects them: “I’m not going to go through your room. But if you ever want to clear things out, I’ll help carry bags, and you can keep whatever money you make selling stuff.”
Printable: a minimalist teenager’s questions
Before you buy something, ask:
- ☐ Do I actually need this, or have I been deceived?
- ☐ What if I didn’t buy this?
- ☐ Does this add value to my life?
When you’re deciding what to keep, ask:
- ☐ Do I still need this, or have I already replaced it with something else?
- ☐ When was the last time I used this? (Over six months? Let it go.)
- ☐ Does this add value to my life?
Tip: Start with things that don’t mean anything to you. Leave sentimental things until the end.
If shopping is the bigger problem, our guide on how to stop impulse buying goes deeper into these questions.
Minimalist teen bedroom checklist
A minimalist teen room doesn’t need to be bare or beige. It needs to be easy to keep tidy and feel like theirs.
- ☐ Clear floor: nothing lives on the floor except furniture and a rug
- ☐ One clear work surface: a desk with only what’s used daily on top
- ☐ Closed storage for the rest: drawers, lidded bins or a closet with a door
- ☐ A clothes limit: whatever fits in the dresser and closet, with nothing stuffed
- ☐ A laundry hamper in the room, not a floor pile
- ☐ A display spot (one shelf or wall) for the things they love, so special items are shown, not stashed
- ☐ A charging station in one place for phone, headphones and cords
- ☐ One memory box for sentimental things
- ☐ A donation bag in the closet for outgrown or unwanted things
- ☐ A 10-minute weekly reset to put everything back
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