It wasn’t until I started packing away the house, getting rid of most of the stuff in here, did the many articles/books on minimalism sank in.

As the clutter cleared away to bring the house down to its essentials, a realization came this is all that’s really needed. With the space opened up, there was more room to enjoy what’s available.

This also affected the wallet as there was no temptation to purchase anything. After all, if it comes in the house, we’d have to pack it and move it anyway. Instead, the funds normally used for that “thing we could probably use,” ended up being used for fun experiences.

It was a natural consequence.

However, it’s not getting rid of things that needs to occur for the happiness effect to really kick in.

There’s also the commitments that fill the calendar and the stresses that fill the mind. Having too much on the go weighs a person down, especially if it isn’t essential for the upkeep of the basics (food, shelter, clothing, etc.).

Over the last few years, I’ve backed away from the many commitments that would fill my schedule – only saying yes to those that make me jump with excitement. 

The commitments are still there, just paired down to a few, which can be tackled with greater focus and fill my time completely. If something is not contributing to those few commitments, they are expunged or ignored.

So yes, there is something about being happier with less (operative word is less, not nothing), but it must stretch beyond just getting rid of stuff into filling your life with more of what you love.

Once you do that, the clutter will leave.