By wanting less (going after fewer materialistic things), you can improve your happiness. Check out this new episode on practicing minimalistic consumerism and how it will boost your happiness.
Transcript:
Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in about 2 minutes a day, through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life.
I'm your host ...
By wanting less (going after fewer materialistic things), you can improve your happiness. Check out this new episode on practicing minimalistic consumerism and how it will boost your happiness.
Transcript:
Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in about 2 minutes a day, through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life.
I'm your host Katie Jefcoat and I’ve been recently obsessed with this idea that wanting less will boost my happiness. I know that I could “have” a new handbag, I could financially afford it, but do I need it? No? Do I want it? Maybe not? I’ve started looking at material goods through the eyes of happiness and satisfaction. What do we really need to be happy?
Sometimes I find myself so anti-material status type things, that I am running around in my athleisure all day not even trying.
Of course we want to reach for the next rung on the ladder and have this feeling of satisfaction within us. I am not sure us humans are hardwired to achieve satisfaction. On some level, we are all reaching for the next step. Whether that’s a goal, a professional achievement or the material thing that only makes us feel happy in the fleeting moment.
I’m consciously trying to get off the treadmill and it’s hard. We are hardwired to want. We’ve talked about this, the hedonic treadmill. We think satisfaction is getting what we want. The promotion, the achievement, the material thing. But really, satisfaction is wanting what we have. The hard work is keeping satisfaction. When you are satisfied with what you have, and a week or a month passes and even a moment, and you truly don’t want for more.
What I’ve found is that this is something that needs constant awareness for me. When I can check myself and ask myself, why do I want this? I am better equipped to make a rational decision of whether I truly need the thing I want.
Celebrating the wins also helps to solidify the achievement. Most of us tend to chase the next thing, rarely slowing down to celebrate the achievement. So this is a great way to slow down and feel the feelings.
Today is a great day to reflect on whether you actually do want less. Ask yourself if you require less and if so, how are you going to stay mindful about this as we run full speed ahead like I know we will.
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And remember, kindness is contagious.
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