Possessions, Consumerism and Minimalism

Personal belongings are exactly just that. Completely personal, pointless to some but meaningful to others. Are possessions merely fragments of memories? Lessons to be learnt and decisions to make. What to keep or what to give away? Could consumerism be involved in our lifestyle choices? Would living a more minimalist lifestyle be better for you? Still, letting go of precious belongings or even items that are no longer of use to us can be difficult. So, why is it so hard to throw things away and own less belongings, or is it easier than we think?

Possessions

When someone we care about gives us something, at times these items have the power to hold more than purpose, but emotions too. Seeing and touching that soft childhood teddy or even the smell of your partner's musky cologne on a jumper. Beautifully treasured and unforgotten, objects can represent the memories of places, people and different stages of our lives, both good and bad.

An unwanted gift from an auntie you miss or your child’s scribbled drawing from when they were younger that you don’t want to let go of. Could our belongings be an extension of who we are and what we do or do not value? Collecting or holding onto sentimental items is a part of human behaviour. Maybe deep down, somehow throwing away an object is like throwing away a part of identity or perhaps there is a fear of losing a memory?

What one person calls clutter, another person may say the item has a place and a purpose. There is that old saying, one man's trash is another person's treasure. Owning large collections of items, possessions or adopting a more minimal lifestyle is just as valid as one another.

Minimalism

Minimalism. A concept that stretches further than just architectural design, but weaves into a way of living and thinking. To be a minimalist is to have fewer belongings, which means more than just physical space, but more time and energy focusing on what matters. Netflix documentary 'The Minimalists: Less is Now (2020)' discuss the concept of minimalism and highlights looking inwards instead of objects around. Two friends and filmmakers, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, embark on a mission to explore what belongings really mean and what it takes to let go. "The reason why the message of minimalism is so powerful because we're bingeing on all the wrong things, and dying of hunger for the things that really matter."

Sam Kenley, a minimalist enthusiast and cleaner, believes that owning less is becoming much more popular with the help of the internet. This new lifestyle trend is known for its positive effects on mental health and well-being. Leaving Wales three years ago to move to Bristol, Sam only had a backpack full of items and a few items he had left behind. He urges people to do the same, to own less and live more. Having less is said to give more freedom to travel. Although, even a minimalist can make a little room for things the sentimental items.

If you truly love something, keep it says Marie Kondo, the Japanese world expert in minimalism and decluttering. The organising guru has been teaching her ‘Kon-Mari’ method through Netflix documentaries, Youtube videos and the millions of copies of books she has sold over the years. Marie’s method of keeping items that ‘spark joy’ and discarding the rest has inspired many people around the globe. One person inspired by this is NHS worker, Rachael Banfield from Gloucester. In an interview regarding the topic of decluttering, Rachael wanted to declutter her own house and own less.

Rachael said: “Now we have exactly what we need and a few things that spark joy. We know exactly where everything is, our minds are clearer and we spend less time looking for things, thing’s that we don’t actually need.” Her profits from selling unwanted items on Facebook Marketplace are being used to raise money for charity. After having to sort through the many household belongings of a family member’s who had passed away, she felt she did not want the same for her children.

Consumerism

Has modern society become accustomed to owning more? Or have people been caught in the nets of consumerism, comfortability and capitalism pushing people to buy too much? The hamster wheel of consumerism does not stop but always seems to provide. The 21st-century spending habits have evolved rapidly along with technology. Ordering items online is now easier than ever. The world's largest online retailer Amazon shipping items promises next day delivery on thousands of products, also enchanted by the rosy red coloured words, '50% off sale'.

The money spent on clothes alone in the UK reached record levels, increasing year by year. Queues of eager shoppers wait in lines of busy high street stores, looking for the newest, most exclusive products and discounts. Peering into shop windows on the way home from work will only last so long, before the temptation caves in to go inside. Then when you're at home and the persistent online adverts pop up and with just a click of a button, four tops under a fiver, two skirts and 2-for-1 pair of sunglasses are now a second away from being purchased.

Despite more clothing, technology gadgets and household utensils lodged up in wardrobes or if you're lucky, stored up in the attic or garage, UK house sizes have steadily decreased over the last fifty years. However, people own more 'stuff' than ever before. Donating items to charity or reselling products online has made it easier for people to get rid of what they do not want; unless it is to make more room for new stuff. A more sustainable way to shop although it still includes some form of consumption.

Your belongings hold character and memories. Purchases can be purely decoration, personal, or for practicality. Everyone has their reasons for living as a maximalist, minimalist or somewhere in-between. What will you do with your possessions and purchases? Or is it time for a declutter or is there more value in holding on? That is for you to decide.