Why slowing it down is important to life

Simple living has gotten a lot of attention in recent years. Blogs, books, and social media influencers are flooding us with information about how cutting down and getting by with less will change our lives. With our entire cultures being geared toward tying materialism with happiness, simple living seems to fly in the face of everything we've learned. 

Yet simple living is gaining traction from some of the most surprising demographics possible—those who have had it all. It's often people who earn a six-figure income who suddenly turn around and choose to adopt a simple life instead. 

 It reduces stress

When you have a closet crowded with clothing, more pairs of shoes than you could possibly wear, and a dozen different types of cereal lining the pantry, you've put an unexpected source of stress on yourself. Too many choices can lead to something researchers call, “Choice Overload.” When presented with too many choices you end up feeling tired, grumpy, and unwilling to make a decision at all.

When you start your day with an extensive amount of choosing, you're already setting yourself up to be burnt out by the time you get to serious decisions. It's better to make what you wear that day and what cereal you eat a no-brainer, so your brain is rested and ready to make more important decisions—like what stock options you should buy.

It saves money for the things you actually want to buy

When you choose a simple life, you're not choosing to stop buying things altogether. You're simply evaluating the things you have, or are about to buy, and deciding whether these are things you actually want and will use. Maybe you think you need the newest, most up to date car, but if you like your current car and it drives fine—why not save the money and spend that $300 a month on a vacation or an emergency fund?

When you know you have enough money put aside to weather any storm, it can benefit you in a variety of other ways as well, helping you to be more confident in decisions that would otherwise frighten you.

It can improve your relationships

Living simply doesn't mean a spartan existence where you get by with nothing but a single coffee cup and a bed. It's about letting go of all the things you don't need or use. When you realize that dinner with a friend is more important to you than yet another dress that will sit in your closet for a year with the tags still on, both you and your friendships benefit.

Voluntary simplicity frees you to focus on the people and hobbies you enjoy, instead of getting caught up in the materialism you don't. 

 It's better for the environment

One of the top recommendations from ecologists is to buy less in order to help the environment. Creating a new product takes a surprising amount of energy, water, and fossil fuels in order for it to come into being. If they're purchased and then never used, all that energy has gone to waste.

Buying only stuff you know you will use isn't just environmentally friendly, it's a sensible choice. Being good to yourself means shedding all the things that you don't need, and living happier.