Graham Hill of LifeEdited believes that cutting down on stuff will give us more freedom, more time and more happiness. In his five-minute TED talk, Less stuff, more happiness, Graham starts by explaining that on average most of us have more space – and more stuff to fill it – than we had 50 years ago. But all this leads to massive environmental footprints and credit card debt – and our happiness has flatlined.  

Graham thinks there’s a better way, where less will actual equal more. It will give us a little more freedom and time and save us money and help cut down our carbon footprints.  

 

Living little 

Graham suggests three ways to reduce your stuff and increase the joy in your life: 

  1. Edit ruthlessly. Cut the extraneous out of your life and stem the in-flow. Think before you buy, and ask yourself: is that really going to make me happier? Yes, we should have some lovely things – but each should be something we’ll love for years. 
  2. Small is sexy: Things and spaces should be designed for how they’re used the vast majority of the time, not for that rare event. Nesting, stacking and digitisation can all help you cut down on space and stuff.  
  3. Create and use multifunctional spaces and housewares. Can you use sofa-beds for guests, a sink combined with a toilet, or small side table that stretches out to seat ten? 

So ask yourself: could you do with a little life editing to make more room for the good stuff? And if you’re already a believer that less is more, do you have any advice for the rest of us?