You may read blogs written by so-called minimalists -- people who live their lives with as few items as possible. The minimalism trend is really taking off, with people who participate claiming that it helps keep them focused on what's important in life. If you're looking for a way to simplify your life, you may be considering adopting minimalism. But getting rid of everything you own all at once is a big step. Thankfully, there's a better way: renting a storage unit.

How do you use a storage unit to experiment with minimalism?

The idea is that you'll rent a storage unit and use it to house most of your things. You'll then live with only the essentials in your home for a few weeks or months to see how you like this lifestyle. If you like living with less, you can then sell everything in the storage unit and live the minimalist lifestyle more permanently. On the other hand, if you decide living with less is not for you, then you can move everything from the unit back into your home. Of course, there's the option of going halfway. You can move a few things back into your home, but get rid of most of them -- resulting in a more minimalist life, but not extremely so.

How large of a unit do you need?

Since you'll be putting most of the things you own in the storage unit, you'll need a big one. A 15 x 20 foot or 20 x 20 foot unit will work well in most cases.

What should you put in the unit?

Deciding what to send to storage and what to keep in your home won't be easy. However, keep in mind that if you change your mind and need something you put into storage, you can always go get it again.

An easy way to approach this decision is to pay attention to everything you use for a week. Keep those things in your home, and put everything else in storage. Make sure you do not keep any duplicates in your home. For instance, if you have five spatulas, put four in storage and only keep one in your home.

Once most things you own are in the storage unit, your home will feel empty. You might find this refreshing, which is a sign that minimalism is working for you, or you may find that it makes you anxious. Wait a few weeks to see what your overall opinion is, and then decide from that point forward what you'll do with the things in your storage unit. For more information, contact a business such as Bill King Moving.