What Happens to Your Stress When You Own Less

I have a theory that most of us underestimate the effects of stress in our lives. Not only the ways it affects our mental health and emotional stability, but also how it can lead to physical ailments.

For example, I used to think that stress was bad for you, but all you had to do was manage it and get through the season. Now, I think that stress is bad for you like cigarettes are bad for you. They have an affect that compounds in a dangerous way over time.

That’s why I strongly believe that we should do everything in our power to eliminate stress and calm our nervous systems. And that’s why we are making a big push towards eliminating clutter and excess material goods from our home. I used to think it didn’t bother me, but as I’ve got older, I find that a chaotic living space is a real energy drainer and source of daily stress.

Gone are the days when I can just push through stress— now I’m convinced that my well-being depends on keeping stress under control.

Weight of responsibility

Each item you own takes up a small amount of mental space. You know it needs to be maintained, kept track of, and sometimes used. The more things you have, the more responsibilities you are shouldering and the weight of this can feel heavy. By owning less, you alleviate some of this mental and emotional load.

Never feel settled

When you have lots of stuff, the opportunity to be spontaneously creative can be limited. You can go into a room with plans to write, say, or paint, but can find that you’re drawn to clean up the room or organize it. Instead of being immediately creative, you’re constantly reminding yourself to be more organized.

Constantly have to move things

Do you have any idea how much time you spend shuffling things around, looking for things, and moving them from one spot to another— all because you have too much stuff? It adds up and it’s not a small amount. Having too much stuff is like having too many tabs open on your browser, it causes you to lose time, slow down, and become stressed.

Always tidying up

Instead of actually deep cleaning your house, one of the biggest time wasters is constantly tidying up after yourself— moving things back to their place, and straightening things up. This is not fun work, and it’s mostly a result of having too much clutter.

Visually overwhelming

Perhaps one of the most obvious and immediate stressors in a home with too much stuff is that the environments are visually overwhelming. Ironically, this is most obvious in my life when I visit a hotel room that is spare of any furniture or accessories, but is peaceful and refreshing.

Loss of focus

A cluttered space can also clutter your mind. With too many objects around, it’s easy to get distracted by things unrelated to the task or activity at hand. This loss of focus can lead you to feel even more overwhelmed because it feels that no matter what you do, you can never get caught up on your responsibilities.

Financial pressures

While I no longer believe having more money will solve all of your problems, I have come to appreciate that money can definitely solve financial problems. And having less money than you think you should have is a big source of stress. Many people don’t go into debt because they buy huge luxury items they can’t afford, it’s because of death by a thousand cuts. The small purchases add up and before you know it, you’re deep in debt.

Emotional attachment

Strangely, having fewer items has helped me to appreciate them more. And I’m not just saying that. My wife and I have even set a goal to have a single digital or physical photo of every single thing we own. I think having this perspective helps me to avoid forming a nostalgic attachment for things I no longer need to use. If I want to remember, I can just look at the photo.