Less Is Less

And often better than more

I’ve been thinking about our obsession with ‘more’ frequently over the last few years. It strikes me as inherently dangerous.

When we frame everything this way, we feel as if we are somehow lacking.

Nowhere is this more pronounced than in health and wellbeing.

You need activewear.

You need a yoga mat.

You need supplements.

You need a water purifier.

You need organic produce.

You need blue-light blocking glasses.

You need an expert movement coach.

You need your animals to be grass-fed.

You need a device to measure everything.

You need an app to track your efforts and your sleep.

You need a temperature-controlled bed to optimise your sleep.

And you have to pay for every single one of these things. Can’t pay for them all? Then you obviously need more money. And the capitalist health trap springs shut, claiming yet another victim.

This article was the catalyst for writing this piece, as it confirmed that, at every point, there’s someone hoping to line their pockets from your best intentions, but also that there’s a sucker out there willing to pay at every point.

Maybe this is harsh, but if you’re dropping $500+ a month (like everyone interviewed in that article) to stay healthy, I can save you $400 a month, for a one-off consultation fee of $500.

I jest. But seriously.

The problem isn’t people focusing on their health. This is a great motivation, we should all be doing it. Your health is your wealth, and if you don’t believe me, next time you’re sick check your bank account and tell me how much better you feel.

The problem is the bullshit solutions being sold to people trying to improve their situations.

More, more, more.

This puts psychological weight on everything we add to our health ‘routine’. (Sidenote: You don’t need a more healthy ‘routine’, you need a less unhealthy lifestyle)

The yoga mat needs to give me $100 return on investment (ROI) in enlightenment points.

The grassfed-beef needs to give me $65 per k/g ROI in lean muscle mass and ethical superiority over my fellow grain-fed cattle eaters.

The temperature-controlling mattress topper needs to give me $170 ROI in sleep credits, proven through my $199 Oura ring (which provides its own ROI as I bore my coworkers and friends to death about the length of my REM-state from the previous night).

I have a wildly controversial, incredibly unprofitable opinion:

Have you tried less, less, less? Have you tried removing things, or at least framing things in an ‘I need less of…’ state?

Instead of needing to move more, you need to be less sedentary.

Instead of needing to be outside more, you need to be inside less.

Instead of needing a temperature-controlled mattress, you need less stress around sleep.

Instead of needing a ring to track all of these things, you need to not give a shit about what an app tells you, and give importance to what you’re feeling.

I could go on.

And I will.

Instead of needing supplements, you need to eat less artificial food.

Instead of needing blue-light blockers, you need to use your devices less.

Instead of needing activewear, you need to think less about how you look.

Instead of needing another app, YOU NEVER NEED ANOTHER APP.

Suddenly you aren’t suffering from lack, instead you are abundant in things you don’t need!

The biggest improvements people can make for their health is always removing the negative stuff first.

If you drink, drink less.

If you smoke, smoke less.

If you eat shit, eat less shit.

If you sit around all day, sit around less.

The flipside is also true.

If you can’t go shopping because of the long-term impacts of plastic on your health, learn about the harmful effects of plastic and its impact on you and the environment less.

If you control your diet so extensively that you can’t meet a friend for a pastry or some small indulgence from time to time, obsess about your health less.

If you practice so much yoga and meditation that you can’t be a functioning member of society anymore, practice yoga and meditation less.

If you train some high-intensity exercise every day, after working ten-hour days on six hours sleep, train, work, and avoid your bed less.

Here’s my secret to health and happiness - free of charge, because fuck all the people out there intent on profiting from people’s desire to be healthier and happier.

We should be giving this away and helping each other up whenever we can.

Here it is:

Spend less time alone.

Spend less time inside.

Spend less time online.

Spend less time at work.

Spend less time in the city.

Spend less time in your head.

Spend less time eating shit food.

Spend less time drinking alcohol.

Spend less time smoking cigarettes.

Spend less time sitting on your backside.

Spend less time in your sympathetic nervous system.

And most importantly:

Spend less time looking for someone out there to give you the key to health and happiness.

Despite all these things costing money, understand that you’re always spending time.

For the best return on investment, spend it wisely.