Learn more about the psychological theories and academic research surrounding minimalism and how you can harness your innate minimalist personality to create a happier life.
- The emotions we attach to belongings when we’re grieving – and how to let them go
When decluttering, it’s not always as simple as deciding if you practically need something or not. That’s because, sometimes, the item you’re considering decluttering is so much more than just an item, especially when we are grieving for a person, relationship or the end of an era… - How minimalism can help soothe the ‘Micro Stressors’ of everyday life
Unexpected life events are expected to be points of stress within our lives, but did you know that ‘micro stressors’ could be having the same effect on you as larger issues such as divorce, redundancy, moving house or trauma? - Why cognitive flexibility is vital for a minimalist lifestyle
Changes are afoot. You’re beginning your journey into minimalism and the outcome is yet unknown. Nonetheless, you’re willing to test the theory, give it a go, see what happens. That’s when cognitive flexibility is both required AND working at its best… - How cleaning and organising eases stress
Do you ever find yourself speed-cleaning after an argument? If you pick up the vacuum or start frantically tidying after dealing with a difficult situation this could be a way that your brain tries to ease your stress levels. A sort of reset, if you will… - Why your friends are hindering your minimalist journey
When we go along with the consensus of our peer group, our mind doesn’t object. Our brains don’t even recognise that we’ve been caused to change our mind by others. It happens subconsciously. Here’s why your friends’ opinions might affect your own minimalist thinking… - The desire to acquire: Why the novelty of buying new things soon wears off
Why does your brain stop being excited by something as soon as you acquire it? What turns our ‘wants’ into ‘whatever’s? Here’s why the novelty of buying new things soon wears off… - You are an antelope: Why evolution causes us to be stressed by clutter
If you’re stressed out by clutter, it’s because you are programmed by nature to be stressed out by clutter. Here’s why your pre-civilisation limbic brain is calling the shots… - How practicing gratitude can support a minimalist life
Learn how new things distract us and provide a short-term boost, why this feeling soon wears off and how gratitude can help you hop off the hedonistic treadmill. - How Freud’s 5 Stages of Psychosexual Development relate to hoarding
According to Sigmund Freud’s Stages of Psychosexual Development, we all go through 5 stages while growing up, and our experiences during that time will affect our future selves. So can the tendency to hoard can be traced back to our childhood? - The ‘hyper brain’ of high IQ individuals + how minimalism can help with these anxieties
With findings originally published in the journal ‘Intelligence’ this article reports that highly intelligent people have an increased chance of suffering from psychological issues, including anxiety disorders. Can minimalism help to diminish these effects? - Welcome to the Theoretical Minimalist blog
I’m interested in the psychology behind minimalism. What theories you can apply to it and how we can all understand ourselves better. How minimalism can change our lives through the power of our minds. Wow, that’s a big promise, isn’t it?