Why Less Is More: The Value of Living a Minimalist Lifestyle

In a capitalist society, the impulse to consume and acquire goods is powerful. Although this urge has existed throughout American history, it has grown especially prominent in recent decades. Wartime production during World War II propelled America’s economy out of the Depression, and decades of limited access to consumer goods left Americans more eager than ever to purchase the newest and best products. 1 As a result, consumerism surged, and spending on consumer goods comprised more than two-thirds of the economy in the decades following the war. 1, 2 It shows no signs of slowing down. In the past 50 years, spending on material goods has more than doubled, and the average American household today has nearly 16, 000 of credit card debt. 3 This relentless pursuit of goods suggests that many consider material possessions to be measures of their identities: a mindset known as materialism. According to the functional perspective of Shrum et al. , 4 materialism refers to the “extent to which individuals attempt to engage in the construction and maintenance of the self through the acquisition and use of products, services, experiences, or relationships that are perceived to provide desirable symbolic value. ” Despite appearing harmless on the surface, materialism has been shown to have adverse effects on our lives, including worsening financial habits, greater risks of mental health issues, and difficulty maintaining meaningful personal relationships. 5, 6 The antithesis of living materialistically is living a minimalist lifestyle. People who embrace minimalism reject materialistic ideals imparted by society and reduce their dependence on the instant gratification that comes from purchasing material goods. 7, 8 In this editorial, we highlight the overlooked issues with living materialistically, discuss how implementing a minimalist lifestyle will improve physicians’ performance and well-being, and provide practical strategies for incorporating minimalism into both personal and professional life. MATERIALISM: WHAT IS WRONG WITH WANTING NICE THINGS? In 2010, Americans spent 1. 2 trillion on nonessential goods and services, a figure that has continually risen for decades. 9 Many people believe that owning a luxury car or a larger house will substantially improve their happiness, shaping both their spending habits and use of time. 5 A OnePoll online study of 2000 Americans found that respondents spent an average of 54 hours per year shopping online, with 52% reporting an increase in their online shopping habits over the past year. 10 This excessive consumption heavily affects the environment; nearly 60 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the production and use of household goods and services. 11 Studies are increasingly documenting the hidden side effects of consumer-driven lifestyles. A series of studies examining the spending habits of Icelanders found that materialism was associated with a greater likelihood of being in debt and financial worries, less control over spending habits, and a greater tendency to make compulsive spending decisions. 6 These financial challenges inherent in consumerist ideals are especially relevant to residents and early-career physicians, who are often concerned with their long-term financial future and paying off student debt. 12 Materialists were also found to have lower levels of life satisfaction and well-being. A 2014 meta-analysis found that materialism has a strong adverse effect on risky health behaviors and can cause poor self-image and low levels of life satisfaction. 13 Consumerist ideals have also been found to damage relationships, a factor many researchers believe directly contributes to the reduced well-being observed among materialists. 5, 14 This issue is especially concerning for physicians, who already report greater difficulty maintaining meaningful relationships compared with people in other professions. A 2024 Mayo Clinic Proceedings study of 6271 physicians found that they were 165% more likely than nonphysicians to claim that their career leads to detachment and isolation from the people they value most. 15 Given the elevated rates of mental health symptoms and suicidal ideation among physicians, 16–18 and the well-documented benefits of strong personal relationships in reducing burnout, 19 it is crucial that physicians adopt lifestyle changes that promote mental and emotional health. THE SOLUTION: A MINIMALIST LIFESTYLE In Walden, 20 published in 1854, Henry David Thoreau reflects on his 2-year hiatus from mainstream society, during which time he lived in near isolation in a self-built cabin by Walden Pond. Thoreau emphasizes the value of a simple life and criticizes society’s soulless campaign to seek external validation and obtain more possessions. Thoreau argues that we cannot be truly free if we rely on goods to be happy and that excess material goods only add clutter to our lives. 21 Mahatma Gandhi, the inspirational Indian leader and independence advocate, echoed this perspective. Despite his privileged upbringing, Gandhi embraced minimalism, as shown by his insistence on wearing only a loincloth (dhoti) 22; he reportedly died with fewer than 10 possessions. 23 As he famously said, “You may have occasion to possess or use material things, but the secret of life lies in never missing them. ”23 These sentiments have influenced modern subcultures, particularly the lifestyle movement known as voluntary simplicity, a philosophy that embraces material simplicity, self-sufficiency, and ecological awareness to enhance quality of life. 24 Members of this social movement were found to have greater levels of life satisfaction and reported being happier than they were before adopting minimalism. 25 The benefits of incorporating minimalist ideals into our daily lives extend beyond what the voluntary simplicity movement has shown (Fig. 1). A 2020 qualitative grounded theory study found that individuals who identified as minimalists reported greater success at living according to their internal ideals and felt a greater sense of control over their emotions and environment. 24 In another study of 482 participants between the ages of 18 and 40 years, minimalists were found to have a significantly greater level of well-being and lower levels of stress and anxiety. 26Fig. 1.: Benefits of living minimalistically. From Lloyd K, Pennington W. Towards a theory of minimalism and wellbeing. Int J Appl Positive Psychol. 2020;5: 121–136; and Jain VK, Gupta A, Verma H. Goodbye materialism: exploring antecedents of minimalism and its impact on Millennials’ well-being. Environ Dev Sustain. 2023: 1–27. For physicians who operate in environments as complex as an operating room, a greater sense of control over one’s daily life can help retain focus and reduce errors. 27 Physicians are expected to be immune to the stress and anxiety that is inherent to their work, but studies into physician well-being show that they experience mental health issues such as depression, as well as suicide, at greater rates compared with the public. 16–18 By freeing up mental space, minimalists can live happier and more purpose-driven lives. HOW TO INCORPORATE ELEMENTS OF A MINIMALIST LIFESTYLE In “How to let go of materialism, ” journalist and psychotherapist Tori Rodriguez28 outlines previous research on proven methods for reducing materialistic tendencies. Building on existing studies, we have derived 3 main methods to limit dependence on unnecessary material goods: decluttering your life, reimagining priorities, and cultivating awareness of spending habits (Fig. 2). Fig. 2.: How to adopt a minimalist lifestyle. Decluttering Your Life Whether it is in the garage, attic, or a kitchen drawer, nearly every home has at least one space that houses a seemingly random assortment of items. Do the majority (or any) of these items add any value to your life? Do you even know where to search if you needed to use one of them? The simplest, and perhaps most difficult, step toward reducing materialism is to get rid of unnecessary goods. According to professional organizer Regina Lark, the average American household has 300, 000 items in total. 29 Many of these items are necessary for our daily lives or considered indispensable because of their sentimental value; however, most of our homes and workspaces contain unnecessary items that only add to the clutter of our daily lives. To help declutter our living and work spaces, neuropsychologist Dr. Diane Stoler30 recommends several steps that improve time management, increase working memory, and boost productivity. First, she advises starting decluttering efforts on a small scale. By setting manageable goals and clearing one space at a time, the process is less overwhelming, and one is more likely to commit to getting rid of clutter. Second, it is recommended to enlist the help of a trusted friend or family member to help determine what is essential and what is just taking up space. For items that hold minor sentimental value, taking a picture of the item instead of keeping it will facilitate memory preservation while removing the item from your workspace. Third, it is useful to have a plan in place for unwanted items before you begin decluttering. This will streamline the process and ensure you do not get off track. For example, deciding in advance to donate all discarded items to Goodwill removes uncertainty from the decluttering process and enables one to focus on evaluating each item’s value. Decluttering extends beyond homes and into professional spaces. In medical practices, reducing the quantity of extraneous objects has been found to improve the patient experience and reduce stress. 31 Incorporating simple measures, like eliminating old magazines and other unused items from the waiting area, removing large desks from consult rooms, and limiting the number of visible papers and equipment, will help create a more relaxing and patient-friendly atmosphere. In addition to physical items, disorganization can also appear in our lives in digital and relationship spaces. Digital clutter, such as unread messages and disorganized digital files, has been found to increase stress and lower productivity. 32 Taking measures such as deleting unnecessary documents, cleaning off your desktop, and responding to emails and messages immediately can help maintain digital organization, improve productivity, and reduce the potential of letting valuable tasks slip through the cracks. 32 In addition, a cluttered schedule can significantly affect productivity. Given the endless list of leadership roles and tasks that a physician often undertakes, it is crucial to take steps to ensure physicians are not wasting time on tasks or commitments that are not productive or do not align with their priorities. One easy method to help clear the schedule is to delegate tasks that do not require one’s expertise to other team members to free up time and energy for more crucial tasks. 33 Using clinical artificial intelligence platforms, such as DeepScribe or Tebra, to automate routine tasks like scheduling and billing can help streamline extraneous activities that take time away from treating patients and conducting research. Simplifying one’s schedule has the added benefit of improving work–life balance, a benefit that is a crucial component of avoiding job dissatisfaction and burnout in physicians. 34 Reimagining Priorities Previous research has shown that materialistic individuals are prone to turn to possessions to counteract feelings of insecurity and low self-esteem, a never-ending pursuit that can never be fulfilled. 5 Reasons for this tendency include societal expectations, believing that happiness can be bought, or attempting to fill a personal void. 35 Identifying what is truly meaningful can help shift focus from material acquisition toward other sources of fulfillment, such as relationships and personal growth. An effective method for determining what is most valuable to any individual is to sit down with a pad of paper and rank the areas of one’s life from most to least significant. Physically writing this information and evaluating its importance will force one to consider elements of life that require more attention. 36 Categories that physicians might consider include research, patient care, spending time with family or friends, hobbies, leisure time, personal health, religion, and financial security. After these aspects are ranked, each item can be carefully considered, and whether time is being spent in a way that is consistent with one’s ideals can be evaluated. In addition, it is helpful to take a conscious moment to think about the people who matter most and reflect on how to spend as much time with these individuals as one desires. 36 Doing this can help shift the focus away from material objects to meaningful relationships and purposeful living. Another method for reimagining priorities is to track how free time is spent. Time is a physician’s most valuable resource, yet much of it is often unintentionally wasted. Keeping a simple log of free time might reveal that the time spent shopping for the newest electronics or clothes was more extensive than initially realized. 36 Cultivating Awareness of Spending Habits As with many habits, how we spend money is often subconscious. This lack of awareness can quickly lead to a buildup of unnecessary goods, which drains savings and clutters spaces, ultimately adding to stress and anxiety. It can also reinforce practices that conflict with personal values, such as purchasing products that exploit child labor or harm the environment. One way to align spending with ethical and sustainable practices is to prioritize buying from companies that are B Corp Certified, 37 a designation that requires the company to consider the impact of all of its decisions on the environment, workers, communities, and customers. The nonprofit organization B Lab consolidates company data to freely provide ratings of certified companies’ performance on governance (ethics and transparency), workers, community, environment, and consumer categories. By limiting purchases to B Corp Companies, consumers can ensure their money does not contribute to causes they oppose. Another method to encourage mindful spending is the simple one-in, one-out rule, 38 which requires one to sell, donate, or recycle an old object before they can buy a new one. By forcing a conscious evaluation of new purchases against existing belongings, the rule prevents impulsive spending and promotes intentional ownership. To make this rule more sustainable, professional organizers recommend keeping a donation bin as a constant reminder of the commitment to living more minimalistically. 38 Implementing this rule can help ensure material belongings serve a defined purpose, rather than contributing to unnecessary clutter. In a society filled with endless advertisements and social expectations to acquire the latest styles and devices, resisting the consumerist movement can feel daunting. Yet research consistently shows that materialistic drives are associated with lower levels of life satisfaction, greater tendencies toward anxiety and stress, and greater financial distress. By comparison, individuals who embraced minimalistic principles were found to have greater levels of well-being, feelings of control over their environment, and success at living by their internal values. By taking conscious steps like decluttering our lives, prioritizing what we care most about, and following the one-in, one-out rule, we can reduce our reliance on excessive material possessions and live a more minimalist lifestyle. DISCLOSURE Dr. Chung receives funding from the National Institutes of Health and book royalties from Wolters Kluwer and Elsevier. No funding was received for this work. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors thank Mike Stokes, staff vice president of communications at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, for peer review and edits.