Do you want to know why consumption makes you unhappy? Then you've come to the right place! Minimalism? Just a few years ago, I would never have thought of it, nor would I ever have believed that I could live a minimalist life. Since my childhood, I have always kept everything. I wanted to have everything that might have been useful at some point. Even in my youth, I thought it was absolutely necessary to always be "perfectly" equipped.
Does this sound familiar to you? And are you also considering making a radical change? In this article, you'll find out why I believe that consumption doesn't make you happy. And why I have decided to invest in a start minimalist life.
4 arguments why consumption doesn't make you happy
To this day, I have no regrets about consciously opting for a minimalist lifestyle. The following four reasons ultimately convinced me. And I hope that they will also give you important food for thought for more conscious consumer behavior.
1. advertising influences our consumer behavior
Surely you are convinced that you can make your own decisions and know what makes you happy. But is this really the case or does our subconscious mind interfere with our freedom of choice? We often don't even realize how we are influenced by print, online and television media. I'm sure you've caught yourself at some point being automatically guided by an advertisement: When we see advertisements for a certain product over and over again, at some point it seems natural for us to own or desire it. Persistent advertising makes a product seem more and more important, useful or desirable over time.
But advertising also manipulates us on an emotional level. You've probably experienced this too: You see a product and immediately have the current commercial in your head. If the ad is not your cup of tea, you probably immediately lose the desire to buy the product. If, on the other hand, it fascinates you, makes you laugh, or you identify with it, the product automatically looks more attractive to you and you tend to buy it.
Tip: If you want to know more about the Psychology of minimalism then take a look at the linked article!
2. media influence our buying behavior
Nowadays, we are flooded with visual and acoustic impressions through various media: television and the internet in particular are always available everywhere. Through social networks, we participate in the lives of countless people, most of whom we know only remotely or not at all. We are confronted with an abundance of lifestyles, products and leisure activities. This oversupply alone makes us unhappy because it stresses us out.
If we like a person's clothing, lifestyle or diet, we tend to gravitate in that direction too. Suddenly we want products that we never thought about before. Even if we like a person, we tend to model ourselves on them, especially if they are a celebrity.
Media therefore not only have an effect on our consumer behavior in the form of (obvious) advertising, but also through all the images they show us. A product that is currently in vogue or is being talked about particularly frequently for other reasons quickly appears attractive to us: by constantly seeing it and getting used to the sight of it, we gain the impression that we are still missing it. The effect is the same as with targeted advertising, except that we are even less aware of it. We then tend to consume - but it doesn't make us happy, as we don't actually lack anything.
As it is not the seller who presents the product to us, but we observe its use by satisfied buyers, we are particularly quick to trust that a purchase would be worthwhile.
Notice: Especially the Fast Fashion Industry lives from our consumer mania. New trends are issued every week to encourage us to go shopping. The environment and society fall by the wayside. In the article about the Slow Fashion Movement to find out what you can do about it!
3. our consumer behavior influences the environment
It has long been known that climate change threatens our future. But it's not just our eating, heating and travel habits that affect our carbon footprint: Our purchasing behavior does too. By adopting sustainable consumer behavior, you can already do a lot to protect the environment and make yourself happier in the process.
Tip: You can find out more in the separate article, why environmental protection is so important!
Firstly, this means quality instead of quantity. The indiscriminate or spontaneous purchase of products that you like at the moment ultimately leads to many things sitting unused in a corner or ending up in the bin. This wastes raw materials and creates large amounts of waste. Try to learn a conscious and thoughtful approach to your own consumer behavior. Only treat yourself to products that are really worth the money, that you need, that really help you or that you really enjoy after buying them. It's better to spend a little more money on something that's actually worth it. And not on as many unnecessary little things as possible. In the end you save money through sustainability.
When it comes to sustainability, there are of course many other criteria that play a role: Are the product and its packaging biodegradable? How environmentally friendly are the ingredients? Has the product been transported a long way or was it produced locally?
But more: The demand determines the supply! Conscious consumer behavior can make a decisive contribution to ensuring that manufacturers and sellers take on more ecological responsibility. You can also be a role model for family, friends and colleagues. By consuming consciously, you inspire the people around you to also pay more attention to conscious consumption. Classic domino effect.
Tip: Do you need a little more inspiration to force your luck? Then take a look at the Minimalism Quotes Collection.
4. more consumption does not mean more happiness
By buying something, we reward ourselves: we do something according to our wishes and needs; we spend our well-earned money on doing something good for ourselves. A new product gives us a feeling of happiness.
The catch: This satisfaction does not usually last long. This is particularly the case when we have bought a product that we don't actually need, that we only pay attention to for a short time or that doesn't meet our expectations. But we also get used to things that were well worth the money relatively quickly. We may like them in the long term, but the satisfaction we felt at the time of purchase is no longer present in the same form.
In both cases, our brain's solution is to buy something new for the next dopamine rush. This behavior makes us neither happy nor free. Rather, it constricts us.
Excessive consumption therefore does not make us happy and satisfied in the long term. It has the opposite effect. So if you feel the need to buy something just to buy something, you should do some soul-searching and think about an alternative that will make you happy. Stable relationships, self-determination, freedom and responsible action make you happy.
Tip: Have a look at the article about Good deeds in everyday life - These are things that will make you happy from the bottom of your heart.
When consumption makes you unhappy - live happier with minimalism!
When I first got involved with minimalism a few years ago, I was amazed at all the things I had in my cupboards. I had long forgotten about many things. When I looked in the cellar, I realized that I didn't even know I had some things. I had neither used nor missed countless things for years. Some things had been dragged from move to move.
Intensive consumer behavior not only becomes expensive in the long run, but also exhausting. At first glance, many possessions may seem like wealth, but they also quickly overwhelm us. Masses of books, clothes, shoes and decorative items take up space and give us the feeling of losing track of things. A full room quickly floods us with stimuli without us realizing it. This can subconsciously cause us massive stress, impair our ability to concentrate and ultimately make us unhappy.
By changing the way we deal with our own consumer behavior, we live more sustainablymore stress-free and happier. It can be difficult to get there, but it's worth it: you'll feel incredibly liberated and enjoy having regained control. That was the case for me. And even though I don't own much anymore, it still feels good to get rid of things.
In addition to a permanently conscious, targeted shopping behavior, a consistent decluttering of your home is essential. Limit yourself to the things that you really need, use regularly or that evoke positive emotions in you. Everything else should not be thrown away, but sold, given away or donated. This will not only make it easier for you to "say goodbye", but will also benefit your fellow human beings and the environment.
Do you have any questions or your own experiences with your consumer behavior and feelings of happiness? Then write me a comment!
Keep it minimalist,
PS: We have also provided you with an article with practical Minimalism apps compiled. Look gladly times purely!
Thank you very much for your ideas. We could find some interesting thoughts for ourselves in it. Even if life is good to us, our environment and ourselves are doing well, we are always happy about an extra pinch of happiness in life. "Vivre la vie" is a maxim of life in France, but for us Germans it is a dry "live your life". The triumphant quality of the language is missing, the outcry of life, of happiness for as long as possible. In our mind's eye, we often associate it with how youth approaches things in its lightheartedness, completely unconcerned in an awareness that life can only mean well with you. It is not difficult to find things that make you happy. The warm spring wind, the breeze by the sea, the cheerful evening get-together. It depends on the inner attitude and in the French Vivre la vie resonates something like "embrace life", hold it tight, with all your senses, live happily. As we age, it remains the art of life to hold on to those things that make us happy. To keep a good portion of lightheartedness and youth, even when the first little wrinkles dig into our faces. Laughter lines do not make us old, they keep us young.life remains for us as a chance and a challenge in search of things that make us happy, put us in a positive mood. Let's not be too hard on ourselves. Let us hold on to happiness when it has found us and learn from it for our lives. Happiness gives us zest for life and courage to face life, lets us survive even some difficult situations. With optimism and new strength we are able to grasp life and move things towards the positive. On the way there we have to take care of the big and small moments of happiness like a tender plant in the garden. Prepare the soil, give it the nutrients and occasional watering, especially when in the heat of everyday life we temporarily forget to think of ourselves, of our own personal happiness.