The Minimalist Lifestyle Trend on TikTok Is Making Many Want to Declutter

The minimalist concept isn’t anything new; in fact, it was first introduced in the late 1960s, per Britannica, but it was mostly tied to visual arts and music, not interior decorating.

But TikTok, as it’s known for doing, has turned implementing minimalism into your everyday lifestyle into an actual trend in early 2026, with everyone showing off how they’re doing it.

A lot of users partaking in the trend have also been setting their videos to the classic song “American Pie” by Don McLean (Gen Z, you might have to Google that one).

Here’s the gist of the minimalist trend on TikTok, plus a few solid examples showing life before minimalism and life after.

The minimalist lifestyle trend on TikTok is really just people showing what their homes or personal spaces looked like before implementing minimalism, and then how it looks after. And honestly, some of these before-and-after videos serve as real inspiration for why you might want to update your lifestyle to fall more in line with minimalism.

The “American Pie” soundbite added to the video also gives it some more feeling, plus a little bit of nostalgia for those of us who grew up listening to it on cassette (another thing Gen Z might want to Google).

Now, if you know anything about the minimalist lifestyle, then you can probably guess how these videos go. First, you start with a cluttered, crowded space, followed by a clean, organized one.

But the catch isn’t that people are just finding better places to hide their stuff; they’re actually getting rid of it. That’s because minimalists take the “less is more” approach.

You’re not holding onto every gadget, random piece of clothing you might wear someday, or knick-knacks scattered everywhere. As a minimalist, you keep what you need, but like, really need, not just things you kind of want or think you’ll use at some point (even though it’s been two years since you last touched it).

Sure, the minimalist lifestyle has a lot to do with your space and how you keep it organized, but the way it’s trending on TikTok also shows people applying it to their everyday decisions. Like TikToker @yeli.heidecker, who says being a minimalist has helped her not feel triggered to buy things she doesn’t need.

Instead, she gives herself about 72 hours to sit with it and decide, do I actually want or need this, or is it just an impulse buy? Because let’s be honest, a lot of what we’ve accumulated in our homes probably falls into that category.

She also says minimalism has helped her let go of things (instead of stuffing them into closets and cabinets like some of us do), which can quickly make a home feel messy and cluttered, and has helped her not feel so stuck.

For many who’ve adopted a minimalist lifestyle, there’s an almost freeing feeling that comes with it because you’re clearing out things you don’t really need and aren’t so quick to bring new items into your space.

As @yeli.heidecker also pointed out, and as a lot of people might agree, letting go of stuff can feel like you’re letting go of an older version of yourself, making room for the version you’re trying to be.