Less is more. This applies to the philosophy of decluttering and now also to what has been called downsizing, or downshifting. Decluttering was brought into the limelight by Marie Kondo and consists of getting rid of everything superfluous – in the wardrobe, in the home, in life –, keeping only what is essential. Less is more is a philosophy of life, which in some ways relates to decluttering: having less, saying less, doing less gives added value to life.

Today we also have downsizing, an upgrade to all of this. We often talk about the quality of life and healthy habits, but stress is now the order of the day and we have become accustomed to living with states of anxiety and lack of sleep. And although it may seem that this is inevitable, there is good news: it is not. We only have to be willing to question our lifestyles – and probably overturn them – in order to recover one that respects the environment, the psyche and the intrinsic beauty of simple things.

This is downsizing or downshifting: slowing down, escaping obsessive materialism and consumerism, and embracing a minimalist philosophy. The promise is that, by applying downsizing, we will gain more freedom, improve productivity and relationships, reduce pressure and unnecessary comparison, and have time for what is really important.

An ambitious programme, but how to put it into practice?

See also:

• Minimalism
• Simple life or simple living
• Degrowth
• Alternative Living

Downsizing

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