Throughout history, people have been prone to hoarding valuable items – especially during periods of economic or political uncertainty. One of the most high-profile examples of this came during the Great Depression in America when lots of people chose to hoard gold as a means of safeguarding their finances. While on a far smaller scale, the psychology of wanting to stockpile items or goods as a way to ease anxiety can be applied to our everyday lives; most recently we saw people rush to purchase essential items during the pandemic.
There’s no doubt that having easy access to all the things we might need can help us to feel more secure – but the opposite is also true. Having too much stuff in your home could lead to more stress and feeling overwhelmed, adding to the list of things we need to think or worry about. Cutting your belongings down and only keeping the things you need can seem unnecessary, but there are surprising benefits to going streamlined. Let’s find out more.
Gaining control
When you only own what you truly love, you’re exercising your personal taste and gaining a sense of control. Everything you have is something that is meaningful to you, and you’re no longer surrounded by items that don’t resonate with your likes and history.
If you’re someone who has previously struggled with impulse buying or being influenced by others, deciding to go minimalist may help you put a mental barrier in place. You’re making a blanket decision about how you’re going to approach shopping in the future, rather than having to talk yourself out of every purchase.
Reducing decision making
Every day is filled with decisions: what to wear, what to eat, how to reply to messages, what route to take home, what to watch on TV. Our brains can easily become overwhelmed with so many choices, leading to decision fatigue – you become emotionally strained and are more likely to just choose the easiest option, even if it’s not the best for you.
By having fewer items in your home and streamlining your day-to-day life, you’re helping your brain. There’s no removing all the decisions in a day, especially when you work, but by creating a capsule wardrobe, for example, you don’t have to spend 10 minutes picking out the perfect t-shirt.
Financial freedom
Buying things costs money. Whilst there’s a balance between remembering to buy nice treats for yourself and buying everything you fancy, committing to a minimalist lifestyle can mean that you gain better control over your finances and are able to work towards financial independence and freedom.
In turn, having enough money to support your lifestyle means that you should experience less financial stress, boosting your well-being. By buying less, you’re freeing yourself up to buy items that you really want, and potentially buy better quality too.
How to minimise your life so you can maximise your wellbeing
Most of us won’t start off by being minimalists – it’s something we need to work towards. To start with, make a commitment to be more conscious of your spending and accumulation of new items. Before you buy, try and wait for a few days, to reduce the chance of impulse buying.
Secondly, sort through your existing possessions. Over time, you can sort things into ‘to keep’, ‘to donate’ and ‘to get rid of’ piles. Don’t overwhelm yourself by doing every room of the house at once. Start small, and give yourself time to donate or throw away items as needed, so that you don’t quit before you really get started.