We live in an era of instant gratification, where we want everything right now. We’ve come to expect that whatever we need will be available at our fingertips through the magic of the internet.
And while this is great for things like groceries and clothes, it’s not so great for your mental health.
This is where mental minimalism comes into play.

Living with less forces you to be more mindful about your choices, your habits and even your relationships. All of these things have direct impacts on both your mental health and the environment around you.
Read more: Minimalism For Beginners: 10 Tips To Kickstart Your Minimalist Life
Table of Contents
- The Paradox of Choice
- What is Mental Minimalism
- How Mental Minimalism Can Improve Your Mental Health
- 1. You feel less stressed
- 2. You’re more focused
- 3. It makes it easier to form new habits
- 4. You see who your true friends are
- 5. You become more compassionate
- 6. You start making better choices
- 7. You enjoy what you have more
- 8. You have more time to pursue your goals
- 9. You have more energy to do the things you love
- 10. You appreciate yourself more
- 11. You don’t compare yourself to others as much
- 12. You’re more productive
- 13. You’re happier in general
- How to Live With Less Mental Stuff
The Paradox of Choice
Research shows that people who buy more material items are less happy than those who don’t. But how does this make sense? Shouldn’t owning more stuff lead to greater happiness? The answer lies in what psychologist Barry Schwartz calls “the paradox of choice.”
We’re bombarded with options. So many that no matter what decision you make, it feels wrong because there was another option you could have chosen instead but didn’t because you had too many choices.
This simultaneously makes you feel like a decision-making failure and unworthy of the thing you didn’t choose because it’s hard to appreciate something that’s always just one click away.
In other words, as Barry Schwartz explains in his TED talk, “the more choice we have, the less satisfied we become.”
And once you start down this path, it’s hard to break free You’ve trained yourself to believe that more is better so you can’t go back.
As you continue to accumulate more stuff, the expectations for what your purchases should provide rise as well.
So when you buy another sofa, not only are you paying for the sofa itself, but now you also expect it to be comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and last forever.
Living with less is how you can break out of this pattern.
By not buying more stuff than you need, you’re no longer faced with the paradox of choice because your foregone options are zero.
You don’t have to decide whether you want to keep the sofa or return it. You don’t have to keep making payments on that piece of furniture you’ll never use again.
You can go back to appreciating each choice that you make and feeling like a decision-making master, and thus, happier!
What is Mental Minimalism

Mental minimalism is when you focus on what’s most important to you, which helps you feel more calm and peaceful.
It makes your mind less cluttered with trivial decisions that aren’t really important, like whether to wear this jacket or that one. Instead, you’re left focusing on what actually matters.
As you’re no longer fumbling through the paradox of choice, you also have more energy for things that truly matter, like spending time with people you love or pursuing a life goal that’s always eluded you.
Read also: 9 Valuable Tips for Setting your Minimalist New Years Resolutions
You can achieve mental minimalism in two ways:
1. Decluttering your physical space
2. Decluttering your mental space
The first is the more easily understood way of living with less – simply getting rid of things you don’t use or need anymore. It’s also typically what people think about when they hear the phrase “living with less.”
However, living with less can be as much about what you don’t have in your life as what you do.
In fact, when research was conducted to see if minimalism could be beneficial for our mental health, they found that living with less actually impacted people’s emotions and state of mind even more than decluttering their physical space.
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How Mental Minimalism Can Improve Your Mental Health
1. You feel less stressed
It’s no secret that clutter is a stressor in our lives, but when your home isn’t cluttered, it’s easier to find what you need when you need it and have more mental space when everything has its place.
Additionally, when you’re surrounded by things that you love, you’re in a constant state of relaxation and peace because these are the things that make you comfortable.
And it’s just not just physical clutter. The same goes for mental clutter also.
When you don’t have as many choices to make, there are simply fewer things that can go wrong. This means that you have less to think about, which reduces your stress levels and makes it easier for you to focus on what really matters.
Read also: 21 Simple Living Tips To Reduce Every Day Stress
2. You’re more focused
Minimalism helps us find freedom, one of the three pillars of well-being.
When you live with less, you’re forced to prioritise and think deeply about what’s most important in your life. You learn to let go of goals that don’t align with your values and focus on the future you want for yourself.
Read also: How to set your priorities in life and what should be at the top of the list
As we do away with trivial decisions, we free up our time and mental energy that we can then invest in living a meaningful life.
3. It makes it easier to form new habits
When we feel overwhelmed by our options (i.e. we’re faced with too many possibilities and not enough time to explore them all), we often feel like we never actually accomplish anything, because there’s always something else that could be done.
However, having fewer options makes it easier for us to commit to an action – like going to the gym or eating healthier – because each choice feels significant.
4. You see who your true friends are

What’s more important to you: hanging out with your friends or going on a shopping spree to keep up with the Jones’?
When you consider what actually matters, you’ll realise that spending time with people is much more valuable than owning things.
This insight can help you discover who truly forms part of your circle. Are the friendships in your life based on what you can do for them or because they lift you up and make you feel great? Allowing yourself to see this will make it easier for you to replace a shallow relationship with a deeper one.
5. You become more compassionate
When you stop focusing on the materialistic aspects of life that aren’t important, you have more time to focus on what is, like helping others and making a positive impact.
In fact, studies show that those who live with less are actually happier giving than those who live with more because they see what really matters in life.
6. You start making better choices
As you become less materialistic and focus on what’s important to you, you slowly begin to realise that the things you own don’t define your worth.
This newfound perspective can help shed light on how much time, money and energy you’re actually spending on the things that matter to you. You’ll start to naturally see what needs to be cut out in order for you to overcome self-doubt and live a life that feels fulfilling.
7. You enjoy what you have more
When you’re surrounded by things that catch your eye and disrupt your peace, it’s harder to appreciate what you already own.
Even though they’re technically yours, the fact that they’re always distracting you means that they’re kind of not yours, either.
So when you get rid of your distractions – be it by getting rid of your stuff or just finding a better place for them to live – you feel more present in the moment because what’s left are only things that make you happy or bring value to your life.
Read more: Don’t Take Life for Granted: 15 Ways To Enjoy The Simple Things In Life
8. You have more time to pursue your goals

When you have fewer distractions, it’s easier to see what you want in life and go after it.
You’re no longer juggling appointments, events and errands that don’t matter much to you. Rather, you’re able to focus on yourself, your family or even just doing less because that’s what you’ve always wanted.
Read also: 12 Needless Things That Waste Your Time Every Day
9. You have more energy to do the things you love
When your mind isn’t filled with thoughts about clutter or distractions, it’s easier to reinforce positive thoughts about yourself and what you want out of life.
You’re happier with your current situation, which means you have the energy to go out and enjoy yourself, or simply take a break from things you don’t love anymore.
10. You appreciate yourself more
The less you have, the more you appreciate all of your choices and what they’ve brought into your life. You also feel less guilt because, let’s face it, no matter how much we try to justify our purchases, we know deep down that some things just aren’t worth it.
11. You don’t compare yourself to others as much
Minimalism is not about getting rid of what you have so that you can own more. It’s about being intentional with the things in your life so that you’re not constantly chasing after the life that someone else has.
When you detach from our desire for things, it’s easier to see how little materialistic things matter in the long run.
Read also: The Importance of Letting Go of Expectations
12. You’re more productive

Your home is not the only thing that needs to be decluttered in order for you to lead a simpler life. You also need to declutter your mind. Otherwise, there are too many things interrupting you when you try to focus on something.
When you have fewer distractions and more focus, you’re able to get your daily tasks done faster and with better quality. Plus, the added mental space means that you’ll be able to accomplish even more in a given day.
Read also: Disconnect to Reconnect: The Significance of a Digital Detox
13. You’re happier in general
Some people might think that living with less means you’ll miss out on experiences or will feel like something is missing all the time. But in reality, most people who live with less are happier because they have fewer distractions and more focus to spend on what’s important to them.
When you care less about physical possessions, it’s easier to enjoy life because there simply aren’t as many obstacles which means you can finally really explore your options.
Read also: How To Be Happy With What You Have: 7 Secret Steps
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How to Live With Less Mental Stuff
Be mindful of what’s most important for you
If it helps, write down all the things in each category that are most important to you. This list is the only place where the majority of your decisions should come from, not out of reflex or hesitation.
Get rid of anything else
When it comes time to get rid of all the extra stuff, go through this same process again and see what’s left. It might be more than you expect.
Read also: A Minimalist List Of Things To Get Rid Of
Repeat as necessary
Living with less is indeed a process, not an event. So even if you’ve already cleared out the extra clutter once, it might come back or you might need to do it again. That doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong–it just means you have more work ahead of you.
However, every time you’re able to declutter your space, you’ll also be decluttering your mind. And that’s a superpower we all need.
Read also:
15 Minimalist Habits that will Transform Your Life
9 Types of Minimalists: Which One Are You?
13 Brilliant Characteristics of a Minimalist Person
50 Powerful Minimalism Quotes to Inspire a Simple Life
Why More And More People Are Choosing To Live With Less
What are your thoughts on mental minimalism? Have you chosen to live with less in an effort to live more?

This is true. I remember when I was a stay-at-home Mom, and I had less, and I was happier. Great post!
This was such a interesting read. I’ve always thought that less is more but I never realised how much it could improve your mental health. Thank you so much for sharing this with us! Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
You are so right, physical clutter leads to mental clutter which leads to stress. I can always tell when it is time to downsize because I start feeling anxious by all the stuff around me.
It makes me wonder if the human obsession with owning things is the cause of the mental state of the world right now… my 11 year old got a taste of how good it feels to purge the excess stuff yesterday cleaning her room. We packed up a bunch and gave it to charity and threw away all the trash she had been accumulating over the last year. She felt so liberated afterwards
You’re right, consumerism gets to us all and there’s so much pressure associated with having the biggest and best, which leads to a constant battle. That’s so great your daughter did a clearout! I think donating to charity is great for kids too.
It’s funny how I resonate with this article AND I’m a sentimentalist. For example, we just took out a shelf of books that my child has outgrown or isn’t interested in, but I kept some to share with grandkids because my kids loved them so! It’s all about balance, right?
I absolutely agree, balance is key 🙂
This is so interesting about how having less helps your mental health. This is very insightful. Thank you for sharing these helpful suggestions.
This is beautifully written! I know I’ve already read it once but I know I’ll find myself coming back to read this again and again as a reminder because it really is a meaningful article with wonderful thoughts about how to make the most of a minimal lifestyle (physically and mentally)!
Thank you Stephanie
I definitely feel less stressed with less stuff! If my room gets too busy, I like to store things in cute boxes which makes me happy aha x
I do too! There are always little things that you need but don’t need to see all day every day so I organise them in cute boxes too 🙂
I know people who have reduced clutter and seen a real change in mental health- for the better! I can understand why xx
Thank you for this post! It was well researched and gave me a lot of additional reasons to have less stuff to live more.
Fantastic post! I see the value of your arguments and I must admit that I agree with all of them. I really enjoyed reading this!
Thank you Eri!
i really love this idea of mental minimalism. so much of materialism, body dysmorphia, and dissatisfaction with one’s physical belongings is a psychological process. it is so important to start with the mind first as we detox!
Absolutely agree!
This is such an interesting post! I’d never heard of the paradox of choice before, but I can definitely see how it applies to my life x
This is definitely what I needed to hear! I am at the beginning stages of decluttering my life and it seems overwhelming right now, but I know it will be worth it in the end. My mental health is more important than stuff! Very well-written post. 🙂
Oh it will be so worth it Heidi!
This is so insightful…thanks for sharing dear 🙂
I really like how you’ve broken all this information down as I really feel I naturally lean towards mental minimalism and could benefit from it. I don’t always know how/where to begin with it so have approached it rather clumsily — this was so useful!
Thanks Molly!
I’m starting to look at the relationship between clutter amd poverty. Thank you for incorporating mental health into the equation, because it’s definite there, too.
Minimalism truly makes a huge difference, both physical and mental. There are so many benefits and you’ve covered each topic perfectly. It makes you value your time, the people around you, and prioritize your goals. Thank you for sharing!
Yes, exactly! Thanks for reading 🙂
What a great read! I’m in the middle of decluttering my life and preparing myself for 2022. My mental health is so important so I need to take care of it more 🙂 Thank you so much for this post x
Absolutely Merry, it’s so important to look after your mental health. And in time for the new year is a great time declutter your life!
The concept of mental minimalism and only focusing on what’s important to you makes total sense, it’s a surprise so many people are surprised by it! I’m not a minimalist by any means BUT I do always feel better mentally when my life isn’t cluttered with stuff.
Exactly Jenny, I don’t think you need to identify as a minimalist in order to practice mental minimalism 🙂
This is the first time I heard of mental minimalism. It sounds good and should start practice it. I’m in my 30’s now and I want my life to be less drama. My 20’s was such a drama. Huhuhu……
Haha Fadima, I hear you! Mine too!
This was an interesting read. When I had less I was so much happier and my mental health was much more improved.
I love this post.
I am decluttering the house at the moment. It started after my breakdown and I think it literally is me slowly ditching what doesn’t matter anymore.
You’ve inspired me to complete a few more bits in the house tomorrow.
Thank you.
This is exactly how I got started with my minimalist journey – just after I had a breakdown a few years ago. It’s obviously not the ultimate fix all, there were other factors too, but reducing the amount of things I owned and things I had to do has hugely helped xx
I love this. I can attest to all the points you have made, because since we moved, we are (involuntarily) living a minimalist lifestyle. It’s nice to have only the things you need.
Moving house is a great way to declutter and start fresh with less!
I’ve always been a firm believer that the fewer choices and options that I have.. the happier I feel. But the people around me don’t “get” it. It’s hard to explain.. but this post was incredibly informative and helpful. Great points!
Coralle x
Thanks Corelle. I totally understand when you say others don’t ‘get’ it. Over time I’ve learned that they don’t need to get it, as long as I’m happy with my choices 🙂
I don’t know if my story falls under the realm of mental minimalism but I’ll share it anyway.
My mental health and life in general suddenly took a turn for the better when I quit all social media platforms that I was on.
As a result, I ended up losing 99 percent, if not all of my friends.
But the funny thing is, I realized that less is much better even when it comes to relationships with people.
Hi Brian, your experience definitely falls within the realm of mental minimalism. I’m sorry that you’ve lost friends because of this. But something to think about is the ‘friends’ we have on social media – are they really friends? The people you would call in the middle of the night if you have a problem? Sure, some of our friends might be on social media with us, but true friends are those you have real life relationships with 🙂
You’ve made a great point. These are harsh reality checks that come with growing up.