Minimalism is everywhere these days. Whether it is fashion or home decor or design aesthetics, everyone is jumping on the “less is more” bandwagon. Maybe it is an idea whose time has come because we are drowning in our possessions.
I am no exception. A love for travel, a pack rat mentality inherited from my family and a nostalgic streak has combined to make my house a veritable flea market. Add a dislike for throwing away perfectly good things in working condition to that and you have a potential recipe for disaster. I don’t recall what prompted the need for a change, but it could have been the avalanche of empty Amazon boxes stacked to the ceiling in the sunroom that knocked me down recently, along with the realization that every one of them represented an additional item in the house.
I found myself wondering why we collect so much stuff and why we find it so hard to let it go, even when we know we don’t really need it.
The answer, it appears, lies in human evolution. Survival for humans depended on their ability to gather and store foods for lean times. So there was an evolutionary advantage for those who were good at it. In more modern times, a display of one’s wealth (and health) demonstrated one’s suitability as a life mate. Collecting, in its most primitive form, was critical to the continuation of the human race and gave us a sense of security. This has morphed into a consumer culture through which we have come to be defined by our possessions.
It has been proven that acquiring things we like tends to light up the pleasure centers of our brain. “Retail therapy” is real. Unfortunately, its effects are temporary. Hence, we are filled with the need to go out and get more time and time again. The reason we find it difficult to give things up is because our brains remember the pleasure associated with acquiring them. Other factors like social conscience, nostalgia and natural parsimony give us more reasons to hold on to things long after their need has lapsed.
So how do we let go? The trick is to create a situation where there is greater pleasure in giving up an item than there is in keeping it. We need to find a reason why letting it go is better for us in the long run. Whether it is donating, re-selling or even simply throwing it in the trash, if doing so meets a need associated with a cause or value that we hold dear, it will be that much easier to move forward with that action.
Find your why. Whether it is making room for a baby, setting up a home business, moving in with someone, downsizing or simply the pleasure of an organized and clean home, letting go of things you don’t need will make you happier and may even put some money in your pocket. What’s not to love about that?
Nita Awatramani has lived in Southlake with her husband, Fazle Naqvi, for nine years. Her daughter, Zoya, is a sophomore at USC. Nita is a cybersecurity expert and a passionate soccer fan. She loves reading and traveling.
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