Here are some tips on how minimalism helps with happiness

Personality 1st Then Tech

Want to be happier? It's time to get rid of all your stuff!

That might sound a little counterintuitive, seeing as most of us like our stuff and that's why we got it in the first place. Nevertheless though, many experts say that getting rid of stuff is still the best way to boost the mood and to find your way to being permanently content and happy. Let's look at why that might be and at how far you should go embracing it.

Living on Less

While many of us have come to equate happiness with 'stuff', this is precisely what spiritual teachers like the Dali Lama suggest might be the problem.

When you base your happiness on how much you have, then you will never be quite satisfied, and you will always want more. This is especially true when you consider social comparison theory – the fact that we will always compare what we must what other people have.

At the same time, if your happiness is dependent on the things, you own then it won't take very much to render you unhappy again. All that would have to happen is for your items to get lost or stolen…

The idea then is that true happiness comes when you can make the most of any situation. If you have fewer things in your home, then you can just find different ways to entertain yourself. This might mean that you go for a nice walk, that you play a card game with a family member, or that you do a workout. And any of those things are much more fulfilling that merely watching TV…

Another point to consider is that 'stuff' creates work and commitment. If you were to cut the amount of clutter in your home in half, you would find that instantly your home became easier to tidy so you'd have less work and at the same time you'd be freer to move if you wanted to. In many ways, 'stuff' just makes us more stressed.

How to Try a Little Minimalism

Now most people reading this aren't going to want to get rid of their TVs and that's probably not right for most people anyway.

But you can try stripping back a little and going back to basics in some other ways. Maybe try getting rid of the boxes of items on your wardrobe that you never use, reducing the clutter on your countertops and finding other ways to entertain yourself. And next time you're thinking of adding to your DVD collection ask yourself: do you really need another one? Will it really make you any happier in the long run?

Don't forget to click the link to subscribe and share it with your community.

--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/daphney-phillip/message