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wenty-three-year-old Cynthia Lestari suddenly felt uncomfortable in her very own bedroom three months ago. She then paid close attention to every single object she had and realized how the room had become cluttered with stuff she had amassed throughout her life.

That simple thought led to a revelation, as Cynthia said, that urged her to start decluttering. She classified her belongings into two main categories: used and no longer used.

“For objects that I no longer used, I asked myself whether I would use that again one day, whether its presence made me happy, whether it was still useful or only cluttering my room,” she said.

Later on, Cynthia came to know that what she did was an element of a minimalist lifestyle. A lifestyle that promotes simplification of one’s life through reducing possessions and increasing self-sufficiency.

To be minimal is to live against materialism, experts say.

She also encouraged her family to collect unused things that she would later sell through an online shop for second-hand items or give away to the less fortunate.

“At first, my mom and my aunt discouraged me by saying ‘don’t take this, it was expensive’ or ’it is a gift from a relative’ or ‘we might need that someday’. In fact, I’m certain that we’d never look for those things again once they’re put in boxes and placed in the storeroom” she told The Jakarta Post.

“I’m happier now. I feel more content knowing that something that I used to own and love can be meaningful for other people,” the Bekasi, West Java, resident added.

Such a lifestyle is popular in Japan — a country that is familiar with minimalism through the traditional Zen Buddhism. Many people have taken the concept to the extreme.

One of the most popular adherents is Fumio Sasaki, 36. The book editor lives in a single-room apartment in Tokyo with a roll-up mattress, three shirts, four pairs of pants, four pairs of socks and a few other belongings. In 2015, he wrote a book titled Goodbye, Things, in which he revealed that he used to believe that possessions would increase his self-worth.

Another Japanese adherent who is also a worldwide influencer of such a lifestyle is Marie Kondo. The author promotes a tidying method called KonMari. “Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service — then let them go,” she wrote on her website, www.konmari.com.

In Serpong, South Tangerang, blogger and homeschooling mom Anne Adzkia has adapted a minimalist lifestyle in her family since 2016. She said she had embarked on the minimalist journey after realizing that she often got cranky every time her house was messy.

“I noticed that we possessed way more objects than we needed. I talked to my husband, and we started decluttering and making more space in our home,” she told the Post. “As a Muslim, I learnt a saying that goes, ‘Put the world in your hand, not in your heart.’ This gives us strength to be not too attached to materialistic things.”

One of the most valuable lessons she and her family learned from the lifestyle was to always be mindful and responsible. She shared her thoughts and tips of adopting a minimalist life on her blog at www.anneadzkia.com.

“It’s tough, especially for my 14 and 10-year-old children. I teach them not to buy new clothes or shoes before the ones they have are worn out. I hope they take the lessons as they grow up,” she said.

A similar motivation drives both Cynthia and Anne to adopt minimalism: to live simpler. They realized that not many people in the city were aware of it, thanks to the ever-present malls and shopping websites that make consumptive behavior seem more acceptable than detaching oneself from material belongings.

Not many public figures are known to promote minimalism. One of the few is blogger Nike Prima, director of www.livingloving.net. Although she admits that she still collects memorable items, she said she was always mindful to ensure that the collection would not clutter her house.

To her 19,000 Instagram followers, she introduced the ‘Capsule Wardrobe’ idea — a tip to sort clothes, shoes and accessories that simplifies one’s wardrobe. She said that, for around two years, she had been living with six pairs of shoes and 37 pieces of clothing at most.

“The key is to keep only those with neutral colors that can match with many styles,” she wrote in a post.