What phenomenon happens to every person on earth every day of their lives without anyone realising it or learning from? The answer is hedonic adaptation. It’s the tendency of humans to go back to a stable level of happiness, even after something good (or bad) has happened to them. If you’ve ever dreamed of doing…
Based on thousands of years of evolution, our bodies are biologically hard-wired to reward us when we feel pleasure, and punish us when we feel pain. If you do something that your body likes, it rewards you with a rush of dopamine, endorphins, and other chemicals making you feel happy. It hardly matters what the consequences…
This Part II of a five part series about the stoic philosopher Seneca’s work, On the Shortness of Life, read Part I – Finiteness. Of all the things we have, time is arguably the most precious. There is nothing else in which we are only given a set amount of it. However much we have,…
On the Shortness of Life is a moral essay written by Seneca the Younger, a Roman philosopher who lived between 4BC – 65AD. In his letter to his friend Paulinus, he lays out Stoic principles that have lasted centuries in teaching us about the value of life itself. Inspired by this essay, I have written a…
After receiving quite a few comments and emails over the past few months asking me about my minimalistic habits I’ve decided to start a new series called ‘My Minimalist…’ which details particular minimalist aspects of my life, such as what does my room look like? What do I like to eat? What’s in my wardrobe? Of…
There are no right or wrong answers. Just the one that is true. 1. How did you feel when you woke up this morning? 2. How long did it take to turn on your phone or laptop? 3. What is your dream? 4. Are you trading time for money? 5. Where will you be exactly…
As an aspiring minimalist, I love to get rid of anything I think of as ‘extra’. Extra clothes, extra gadgets… and extra fat. I love to exercise, and I never see it as a chore. Rather, it’s something I do as a hobby, like curling up and reading a good book. But it took a…
Whenever I walk into a Muji store, I become like a kid in a toy shop. I love gawking at the simplicity of the products, how there aren’t any fancy flowers or frills, how they don’t try to dress up for the occasion, how they don’t need to prove they’re ‘better’ than anyone else. Each…
Just yesterday I read a post with a very interesting statement: There’s a fair amount of talk in Minimalist circles about the prospect of Living with 100 Items… Some want to live more consciously, some want to escape the stranglehold of consumerism, some want to lighten their footprint, some want to live out of a bag…
You have enough. If you’re reading this post, the chances are you have a roof over your head, food to put on the table and even your own computer with an internet connection. You may not be a millionaire, but you don’t have to be. We are told our whole lives that we don’t want…