Interview with Karen Trefzger: Transform Your Home & Mind with Minimalism
Get to know Karen Trefzger—minimalism and minimalistic lifestyle blogger
“Minimalism is not a lack of something. It’s simply the perfect amount of something.”
-Nicholas Burroughs
I had the pleasure of emailing Karen Trefzger, a Yuba City–based blogger whose site has already garnered over 1.9 million views with its engaging minimalist content. Before launching her blog, Karen wore many hats—as a substitute teacher, choir director, bookkeeper, and English instructor for non-native speakers—until she embraced a minimalist lifestyle while raising her children as a stay-at-home mom. Now, a grandmother who once homeschooled her kids, she shares practical tips and insights to help readers simplify their homes, routines, and minds. Let’s dive into her story, her inspirations, and her advice for anyone seeking to adopt a minimalist approach.
1. What inspired you to embrace the minimalist lifestyle?
“It wasn’t minimalism per se that attracted me first. I wanted to stop teaching others’ children so I could raise and homeschool my own.
The first goal was to learn to live on just my husband’s salary. We had a lot of credit card debt, and I had some excessive shopping habits that needed to be brought under control. Not only did I want to find ways to lower our expenses, but we also needed to reduce our desires for the latest and greatest stuff. That realization is what led me to explore minimalism (or voluntary simplicity, as it was called in the 1990s).
Decluttering came a bit later, when we decided we needed to move into a smaller home. I began in my kitchen, then removed excess furniture and décor, and tackled the mountains of my children’s toys. Unlike past decluttering (which I had always done occasionally), I wasn’t merely making room for new purchases. It was a true reduction in the number of things we owned, which led to streamlined home care, laundry, meal prep, etc. I gained time and energy to homeschool, volunteer, and pursue hobbies, even though my children were still only about 5 and 7 years old and needed a lot of my energy and time.”
2. Why did you decide to begin blogging about minimalism?
“I had been a regular reader of several minimalist blogs, including Zen Habits, Miss Minimalist, and Becoming Minimalist. One day, I realized that not only did I have a lot to share on the subject, but that I could bring a slightly different perspective since I’m older than these other bloggers. Many people write about the value of minimizing when you have young children and teens at home (which I had already lived through), but I could also share the importance and value of minimizing as you get closer to retirement and old age.”
3. In your bio, you mention previous roles as an English tutor, substitute teacher, and bookkeeper. What prompted you to transition into blogging?
I’ve always been interested in writing. (In college, I chose to minor rather than major in English because I wanted to put more time and energy into my music.) I’ve journaled. I wrote many stories and poems for my children (and a few now for my grandchildren). I’ve taught writing. Blogging is just the modern version of journaling, but with an audience. Now that I’ve been at it for almost seven years, my style and message have become more refined than they were at first.
4. Do you believe there is a connection between mental health and a minimalist lifestyle? If so, in what ways?
“Definitely. When we think about decluttering, we’re usually focused on the physical aspects and results. But the emotional and spiritual benefits might be even greater. Reduced stress and anxiety, greater focus and mental clarity, more contentment, a better understanding of what’s important to you, and even enhanced creativity are just some of the positive outcomes. And the sense of relief and renewal doesn’t just come from removing physical clutter. When we unclutter our calendars and create more time and energy for the activities with the most meaning and value, we also remove some of the angst, competition, and desperate keeping-up that is so common today.”
Trefzger recommends the following articles to give you more insight and detail on this subject:
6 Powerful Emotional and Spiritual Benefits of Decluttering
Why You Need to Explore the Surprising Opportunities of Minimalism
16 Simple, Effective Ways to Declutter Your Mind
5. Have you explored Feng Shui principles, and do you integrate them into your minimalist practice?
“I’ve looked into them a little, and especially like Karen Kingston’s Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui.
One Feng Shui concept that I find very true is that possessions we don’t use, that merely fill our closets and drawers and under the bed, create stagnant energy in our lives. When our homes and lives are full of clutter, we have no room for change. I think we really do stunt our emotional and spiritual growth, and inhibit our creativity and openness to new possibilities. Clutter represents indecision and procrastination. It keeps us stuck in the past or exposes our fears about the future.
With less clutter, it’s easier to incorporate Feng Shui principles, such as keeping traffic flow open, not storing things under beds or in passageways, clearing windows and sills for more natural light, and removing broken and useless items.”
6. What practical tips would you offer to someone who wants to adopt a minimalist lifestyle?
“Start simple.
Discard some duplicates, such as extra kitchen gadgets, towels, mugs, tried-it-and-didn’t-like-it personal care items, tee shirts, etc.
Create one small, clutter-free zone – for example, a junk drawer, your bedside table, a kitchen or bathroom counter – and practice keeping it that way.
Delete just one extra obligation from your schedule.
Try a one-day shopping ban, and repeat as often as possible.
Put down your phone, just for a little while. Try not going to bed with it, not waking up with it, and/or not eating with it. See if a little less phone use helps you resist our culture’s constant messages to buy more, do more, have more, compete more, be more.”
If you’re eager to dive deeper into Trefzger’s minimalist journey, she recommends “Simple Beginnings: 15 Tiny Steps Toward Minimalism”—her must-read, small and inexpensive guide you can grab on Amazon here. You can also explore her full range of practical tips and personal reflections on her blog at Maximum Gratitude Minimal Stuff, or browse all of her works on her Amazon author page here. Whether you’re just starting your minimalist journey or looking for fresh inspiration, Trefzger’s insights are sure to help you simplify, focus, and live with more gratitude.
Don’t miss my new Spotify podcast, The Psych Chronicles—your go-to for psychology made for Gen Z with bite-sized case studies, digestible science facts, in-depth interviews, and crystal-clear explanations!