Regan A. R. Gurung, social psychologist and professor of Psychology at Oregon State University, attributes the decluttering revival to a need for control: "People are feeling battered," he said. "Going minimalist means less to worry about."
Of course, it also buoys your bank balance. New York creative director Elysia Berman, 36, pulled back on spending at the start of 2024 after she found herself drowning in clothes, makeup and $48,000 worth of debt. "During the pandemic, social media shoved products down our throats and, since there was nothing else to do, we bought them," she said. Now, 8 months debt-free, she views her year-and-a-half "no-buy" period (with a few slip ups) as a way of "taking back ownership and autonomy."
The All-Season Capsule Wardrobe
Questioning which items "spark joy" might have been Kondo's MO, but today's minimalists often sidestep emotions. After Tim Childers separated from his wife, the 67-year-old retired educator from Chattanooga, Tenn., downsized from the family home to an apartment, which forced him to retain only necessities. He adopted a "Steve Jobs-style uniform": two pairs of black pants, 10 identical shirts and one pair of trousers for when he "needs to be dressier." He now lives by the one-in-one-out rule: "If I get rid of one shirt, I buy one shirt."
Soon after Connie Riet's husband lost his job in the 2008 recession, the couple sold their house, donated sentimental items to their daughters, digitized boxes of photos and began traveling full-time (they dart between Florida, Costa Rica and Vienna). Now Riet, 51, a life coach and self-proclaimed "nomadic minimalist," fits all her belongings into "one medium suitcase and a carry-on." To earn a coveted spot, an item must work in "at least five different outfits." Jeans, black pants, simple T-shirts, tank tops and button-down shirts from Banana Republic and Madewell feature heavily. A lightweight jacket and cardigan make for easy layering; a slip dress is her go-to for dinners and events.
Tips for Tackling It
Riet suggests writing down your lifestyle demands: where you live, the climate and what your days look like. "Be honest about your daily life, not your ideal one." Go for mostly neutral colors and "add a few accent colors that suit your skin tone." Avoid busy prints since they're harder to mix, she advises. Stick to "timeless cuts and quality fabrics like linen, cotton, wool, silk or cashmere." Only keep pieces you truly love. "If you just kind of like it, you'll never reach for it."
In 2018, Toronto pharmacist Christina Mychaskiw took stock of her shopping habits and embraced minimalism after realizing she had shelled out more than her monthly rent on a pair of boots. The 38-year-old's advice? Never buy non-essential items immediately; add them to a wishlist. "If you see it in January and still want it in March, it's likely a good buy." And don't shop when you're at a loose end, she added. "Boredom is expensive!"
Decluttering, the Swedish Way
Swedish death cleaning, or döstädning, is a longstanding Nordic practice that first rose to prominence with the 2017 publication of Margareta Magnusson's book, "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning," and the subsequent 2023 Peacock show of the same name.
While decluttering is about "getting rid of things that don't matter, like, 'let's toss all our expired condiments packets,' Swedish death cleaning goes deeper," said Kelly Brask, a professional organizer in Chicago. She called the process of taking stock of your total footprint "a more intentional type of downsizing."
The practice removes the emotional stress and guilt of throwing away a deceased loved one's belongings by encouraging families to sort through things together beforehand. It can take weeks, months or even years to complete, said Brask.
Despite death cleaning's implied demographic, and as gloomy as it sounds, Brask believes it's a useful framework for all ages. "I regularly ask my three daughters how many Valentine cards or participation medals they want to keep -- I want to teach them early that it's OK to let go."
Tips for Tackling It
Ella Engström, based in Dalarna, Sweden, is an interior designer, professional organizer and "fixer" on the Peacock show. She called death cleaning "an act of love, responsibility and freedom. All those just-in-case items we hold on to are really just postponed decisions." She never pushes anyone to let go of sentimental items. "We take time to talk about the story behind each item...clients often discover that the memory doesn't live in the object itself." When people get stuck on an item, said Engström, a "dilemma box" becomes a temporary home. Once everything else is sorted, it's pulled back out.
Brask charges around $100 per hour and requires a minimum of five four-hour sessions. She recommends that older clients pass along the history of an item to its inheritor -- say, add "a note in the bag holding a pearl necklace saying, 'Bud gave these to Pris when they got married.'" She encourages more-senior participants to create a box labeled, "Throw away when I'm dead." This allows them to hold on to keepsakes while freeing up their family later.
"It's not morbid, it's mindful," said Riet of Swedish death cleaning. "It invites you to look through your possessions and ask, 'Am I leaving behind treasures or burdens?'"
The TikTok Beauty Challenge Taking Over Bathroom Cabinets
While the project Pan beauty challenge dates back to Reddit circa 2015, it didn't go viral until it reached TikTok in 2025. The gist: People line up the products they already own -- all those makeup, hair and beauty purchases gathering dust in a bathroom cupboard -- and pause buying anything new until they've used them up.
After realizing that she owned "more makeup than anybody needs," Mychaskiw undertook "project pan" from November 2024 until November 2025. Today she considers the Merit Flush Balm Cream Blush, Clé de Peau Beauté concealer and ILIA's Limitless Lash mascara her only essentials (she swears the mascara doesn't transfer, even on "greasy eyelids"). Holden keeps all her previously accumulated shower gel and hair products in an IKEA storage box and shops "my home instead of Sephora."
Tips for Tackling It
Berman, the creative director, bought too many beauty products during the pandemic and hadn't finished any "in God knows how long." She took up the pan challenge at the prompting of some TikTok followers. The most valuable products? Those that can be used in multiple ways. Berman’s favorites include a Westman Atelier blush stick that can be dabbed on the eyes, lips and cheeks, and a Basma Beauty Foundation Stick that doubles as a concealer. She avoids makeup palettes: Unless you love every color in the set, they “generate a lot of waste.” She now only buys travel sizes of mascara, since it has a shelf life of 6 months.
Riet finds that a concentrated, 8-ounce bottle of Dermalogica face wash “can easily last me eight months.” Among her other essentials: the brand’s cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen. She uses “every product until it’s gone -- even if I don’t love it.” But you can avoid that situation, Holden said, by requesting samples from stores before committing to a purchase.