| Voluntary Simplicity (VS) is both a lifestyle choice and a cultural movement based upon a system of intrinsic values and goals focused on lightening and unburdening one's life from things and experiences that interfere with a higher quality of life and, instead, concentrating on the things one genuinely needs and cherishes. This is primarily done by deliberately and mindfully reducing one's consumption of goods and services, living with fewer possessions, cultivating nonmaterialistic sources of satisfaction and meaning and developing deeper connections with one's social and ecological community. VS practitioners, also known as "downshifters," work on developing lifestyles aimed at minimizing the traditional pursuit of wealth, conspicuous consumption and the acquisition of possessions, and the attainment of image/status. VS is not a lifestyle of deprivation, however, but rather one of sufficiency or enoughness.;The aim of this research was to discern the relationship between VS practice/behavior and happiness (or "subjective well-being," SWB) at the individual level of analysis. Within this process, a variety of research methodologies were employed including: (1) A comprehensive literature review, (2) National SWB surveys, (3) Extensive interviews and focus groups, and (4) A blog-based self-study. Through the triangulation of these methodologies, the goal of the research was to answer the following question: On average, do Americans who practice Voluntary Simplicity experience higher levels of subjective well-being than the average American?;The empirical data collected demonstrates that, on average, Americans who practice Voluntary Simplicity experience approximately 17% to 20% higher levels of subjective well-being than the average American. Support for a strong positive correlation between VS and Ecologically Responsible Behaviors (ERB)/Sustainable Lifestyles (SL) is also provided by additional qualitative evidence.;The implications of this research for global ecological sustainability are extensive. The findings may form the basis of a new, mental health-based frame through which SL can be promoted. This, in turn, will help advance fundamental and socio-ecologically critical shifts in human, social, and economic attitudes and behaviors. It will also help inform environmental science, management, and policy using neglected, albeit vital, tools accessible through the psychological sciences. |
