“Less is More” – They say
“Less is Now” – Say The Minimalists
Many of us admit to having “too much stuff”; Too much in the home, too much in our lives, in our heads, too many apps on our phones.
And not enough space for it all.
The world tells us to acquire more, new things, better, different, to strive for success.
“Having too many things can cause us to feel distracted, overwhelmed, and frustrated. It can cause anxiety, indecision, and stress.”
– The Simplicity Habit
In this mad, busy and complicated world we live in, could adopting a “less mindset and lifestyle” lead to peace and happiness?
First let’s look at how big the problem is…
Oxfam says the average UK home has 143 unused items, including CDs, DVDs, homeware, clothes and accessories.^
Forbes Magazine says the average UK woman has 22 unworn items of clothing in her wardrobe.*
The average 10-year-old in Britain has £7000 worth of toys but plays with only £300 worth. ^^
Numerous studies show that:
“Too many toys create distraction, leading to poor quality play time and reduced concentration” **.
But it’s not only physical things either:
- Too many apps
- Too many notifications
- Numerous social messaging platforms
- Too much to keep up with/top of
- Streaming services
- Supermarket loyalty apps
- Emails, the list goes on…
“When we surround ourselves with excess stuff, we inadvertently sacrifice precious time and energy cleaning tidying and organising”
– Says Hayley, author of Simple Joy.
Do we all need a bit less in our lives?
The Solution – Finding Peace With Less
Numerous studies have shown a link between minimalism and improved well-being
Over 85% of people in a collection of studies reported increased well-being as a result of a minimalist mindset and lifestyle.***
Minimalism can promote less financial stress, less anxiety and give us more time to focus on our life’s true passions and values.
After experimenting with living with less and simplifying his life Joshua Fields Millburn of Netflix documentary “The Minimalists” says he experienced feelings of happiness, freedom and clarity about his life choices.
I would echo his description from my own experience experimenting with minimalism, and having a search through the mass media, many people report similar experiences.
After all, they say “money can’t buy happiness”, and research has accumulated over the years to support this.
So are you ready to be free from more? To have less in your home, your mind, your life.
Tips to living with less
- Start small, focus on what serves a purpose in your life
- Start with one room in your house
- Slowly increase the things you clear out
- Give to charity – this can also promote feel-good feelings and a sense of satisfaction
- Get rid of doubles
- Give everything a place
- Consider physical, digital and mental “stuff”
- Consider hidden storage solutions
- Shop quality not quantity
- Consider buying from charity shops or second-hand
- Make use of the library – they are tremendous resources
- Write down your purchases
- Use budgeting apps, settings on your bank account
- Create a separate “incidentals” bank account for non-essential purchases and set a budget
References
^ newspaper, D.E. (2016) Revealed: The shock amount of unused items stashed away in homes, Express.co.uk. Available at: https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/703871/amount-unused-items-clothing-cds-dvds-stashed-away-British-homes-oxfam (Accessed: 23 October 2023).
^^ Ten-year-olds have £7,000 worth of toys but play with just £330 (2010) The Telegraph. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8074156/Ten-year-olds-have-7000-worth-of-toys-but-play-with-just-330.html#:~:text=The%20average%20ten%2Dyear%2Dold,them%2C%20a%20study%20has%20shown.&text=A%20typical%20child%20owns%20238,per%20cent%20of%20their%20toys. (Accessed: 19 October 2023).
* Johnson, E. (2021) The real cost of your shopping habits, Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmajohnson/2015/01/15/the-real-cost-of-your-shopping-habits/ (Accessed: 19 October 2023).
** Knapton, S. (2017) Too many toys are bad for children, study suggests , The Telegraph. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/12/05/many-toys-bad-children-study-suggests/ (Accessed: 19 October 2023).
*** Hook, J.N. et al. (2011) Minimalism, voluntary simplicity, and well-being: A systematic review …, Taylor and Francis Online. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17439760.2021.1991450 (Accessed: 19 October 2023).
Photo by Harper Sunday on Unsplash