How Owning Less Will Make You Happier & Healthier

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In today’s society, owning too much stuff has become synonymous with wealth, success, and happiness. The more you own, the more successful and happier you become in the eyes of other people. But in reality, that’s not the truth.

More is not always better. More material possessions beyond a certain level is just more stuff we have to manage and take care of. Owning more than you need complicates your life, increases your stress level, drains your bank accounts, and robs you of your happiness.

“Unnecessary possessions are unnecessary burdens. If you have them, you have to take care of them! There is great freedom in simplicity of living. It is those who have enough but not too much who are the happiest.” ~ Peace Pilgrim

Benefits of Owning Less Stuff:

There are some great benefits of owning less and living a simple life. The journey begins with simplifying your life first. Examples include decluttering and reducing your possessions, being mindful of new purchases, downsizing, eliminating multitasking, and freeing up your mental and physical spaces. Doing some or all of these things can improve your overall well-being and increase your happiness significantly.

Here are some great ways how owning less will make you happier and healthier:

You will spend less and save more money:

One of the great reasons for owning less is that doing so will save you a good amount of money. When you intentionally choose to live with less, you will buy less stuff and no longer be spending your hard-earned money on replacing, repairing, maintaining, and insuring the stuff you don’t need.

Voluntary simplicity is a lifestyle that minimizes consumption and the pursuit of wealth and material goods. Most people who journey toward owning less and simplicity find that material goods provide far less satisfaction than they ever realized.

With that realization, when you decide to own less and declutter, you usually tend to buy less. You then have more money to save for retirement, emergency fund, college savings for your kids, or taking that family vacation you have always wanted to take. Not only owning less can put more money in your bank, but it can also give you more financial freedom to spend your money on meaningful pursuits.

You will find things quickly when you need them:

This might just be the best part. If your home is filled with stuff, it sure makes it hard to find the things you need – when you need them. But when there is less clutter obscuring what you are looking for, it’s super easy to find it.

With less stuff in your home, you can find a home for every item you own, and it will be less hectic or stressful to locate the items you need that you haven’t used in a while.

Owning less leads to less anxiety and stress:

When you choose to simplify your life and own less, you get rid of all those things that create chaos and mess in your home, steal from your happiness, and take up your space and time. As a result, you experience less indecision, your life becomes less stressful, you sleep better, and feel more relaxed.

Studies have revealed that a cluttered unorganized environment can cause stress and anxiety in people. By decluttering, you can remove a significant source of stress from your homes and lives, and lower your anxiety level as well.

Think about how much more time you can spend relaxing if you don’t have to constantly go through your stuff looking for things you need, clean them, organize them, or take care of them! The less you own, the fewer times you spend worrying about managing them, the fewer chores will dominate your schedule, and the more you can relax.

More time to spend with your loved ones:

Wouldn’t you all like to be able to spend more quality time with your loved ones? A simplified life frees up time in your day. When you stop focusing your time on acquiring unnecessary material possessions, you are more likely to focus on your relationships.

If you reduce or remove excess stuff from your home and life, you are able to spend more quality time with the people who matter to you. When your home and your chores take up less of your time and energy, you have more time and energy to invest in your relationships with the people you love and care for!

You can give your loved ones more of your time, attention, and energy because you are not busy with unnecessary cleaning or doing meaningless things. And when you can invest your time and energy into your relationships with the people you love most, those relationships become stronger and grow deeper! You may even be able to reduce your work hours so you are home earlier, can take your kids to the park or local library, help them with their homework and projects, and have dinner together every night.

Great relationships are not built on ownership of possessions, competition, or guilt. They’re built on shared moments and great memories.

More time to do what you love and enjoy:

When you own less and choose a simple life over a cluttered, complicated one, you will create more time in your day. You will be free to use this time to engage in activities that you truly love and enjoy. You will have more time for reading, learning, writing/creating, gardening, traveling, practicing self-care, and appreciating the little pleasures of life. The opportunities are endless.

When your home is filled with unnecessary stuff, the things that have real meaning in your life, tend to get lost in the shuffle. As you declutter and get rid of all the unnecessary, random stuff from your home, you tend to become more mindful of your time and priorities. Then you are better able to make intentional choices if your time and attention are going where you want them to.

Owning less will improve your health:

Living a simple life can also be beneficial to your physical and mental health as research has revealed. The reasons for this could be due to the fact that developing a more simplistic lifestyle often means less stress and increased rest. All these benefits could come from spending more time with friends and family, getting more physical activity, eating healthier food – prepared at home, and changing jobs to find something more fulfilling and less money-orientated.

Having fewer possessions and not worrying about cleaning, upkeeping, and “keeping up with the Joneses” can significantly reduce your stress-related symptoms, and thus, improve your health.

More space to enjoy:

When you choose to own less and live a simple decluttered life, you get rid of the unnecessary, extra stuff from your home that takes up most of your living spaces. Your home feels so much bigger, and you may no longer need a bigger house after getting rid of all the excess.

As you accumulate less stuff, you free up more space for yourself and your family to make room for the things you all love to do and enjoy frequently. Some examples are: an exercise room, a comfortable reading nook, kids’ play room, or arts and crafts room.

More life experiences and adventures:

Chasing less material possessions leaves room for chasing more life adventures and experiences instead. When you shift your focus from material possessions, choose to live with a few quality stuff, get rid of the unnecessary things, and spend time doing meaningful things, you feel relaxed and enjoy your life more.

When you begin to shift your focus from material possessions to memories, you might not only have more space in your home, you will have enough great memories to keep you smiling for a lifetime. This is the stuff a great life is made of.

Also, when we are content with what we have and strive to experience more beautiful and meaningful things, our kids learn to be happy with less stuff, too. They learn that it doesn’t take a lot of toys to have fun or a lot of stuff to be happy. They become more creative and thoughtful.

More peace of mind:

Since having less stuff significantly reduces your stress level, it will naturally increase your peace of mind. By decluttering and reducing the stuff you own, you are able to create a calm, peaceful home where you can relax and unwind after a long day without having to worry about cleaning or organizing things. That definitely means more peace!

You can afford to own higher quality items:

Buying less stuff doesn’t mean living without any quality fancy stuff. When you buy less random and unnecessary stuff that you don’t need, you will have more money in the bank. With more financial freedom, you can invest in higher and better quality items so you can use and enjoy the things you really love – for a long time.

For example: instead of owning 10/12 cheap handbags or purses, you can save up and own a really nice one of better quality.

You feel more grateful:

When you deliberately choose to have/own less stuff, you have more time and energy to value and appreciate what you do have. You recognize that what you have is what you love and what is necessary.

When you simplify your home and your life, you make room for those people and things that add value to your life and make your life more enjoyable. It’s easier to appreciate what you have when it’s valuable to you because you love and use what you own. And when you truly appreciate something, you become grateful for having that in your life.

You become more efficient and productive:

Since you will be able to organize your stuff easily and find your things right away when you need, you will also become more productive. If you have fewer items, it’s easier for you to know where they are. You never waste time looking for the things you need.

Our material possessions consume our time and energy more than we realize. When we choose to own less stuff, we can save both our precious time and energy, and use that for something productive and meaningful. That way, you will be able to focus on your important tasks and be more efficient.

By owning less you enjoy more freedom:

Dave Ramsey, financial advisor and New York Times bestselling author says: “We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.”

Deliberately owning less stuff means less comparison, less show off, less jealousy, and less selfishness which gives you more mental freedom from being a slave to materialism. Own less, and you will experience a freedom like never before: a freedom from greed, unhealthy comparison, obsession, debt, and overworking. When you have more freedom, you can make choices that support your ideal lifestyle.

Imagine the freedom you would experience if you could let go of that pressure, and just do what you want to do. You would have more freedom to travel, to take a day off to relax, to work for yourself, or to take a job doing work you actually love and enjoy!

You live in the present:

A lot of people own more stuff simply because they are tied up to their past and can’t let go. When you finally choose to live with less, you stop hoarding stuff from your past, and get rid of all the things that don’t allow you to live fully in your present. Once you let go of all the unessential sentimental items in your house, you will be able to detach yourself from the past, and live in the present and truly focus on it.

Possessions can also breed guilt — clothes which are rarely worn, unused accessories, or unappreciated gifts all become burdens. What you own should serve you, not the other way round.

The Takeaway:

Voluntary simple living and happiness go hand-in-hand. Happiness naturally comes because you gravitate towards the things that matter to you the most. Rather than buying and accumulating more and more possessions, consider spending more of your time and money on experiences and create beautiful memories. They are good for your mental and physical well-being, and your overall personal growth.

Do understand that owning less doesn’t mean giving up your hobbies or the possessions you enjoy. It means only owning what you need, use, value, treasure, and truly enjoy, rather than blindly accumulating stuff because our society says you should. It is living intentionally, on your own terms, and every individual or family can benefit from doing so.