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The shopping frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday has just passed, and I noticed that my relationship with stuff has undergone a drastic change.

As recent as two years ago (last year does not count as I was on unpaid leave and too broke to spend), I would pounce on such sales with gusto – carting out stuff just because they were on discount. It didn’t really matter whether I needed it or not.

As long as I liked it.

This year, my thoughts mostly went towards how we were ruining the environment with our obsession with “more”.

More cheap clothes that are largely made of polyester, which releases micro-plastics into our sewage systems and subsequently, the ocean when we wash them.

More bags, more shoes, more more more.

Whereas the number of uses per item has dropped substantially.

And oh boy, don’t get me started on the packing waste.

More things only lead to more clutter, which has shown to increase stress levels. The need for more storage space has grown – larger wardrobes and large warehouses dedicated to “renting” out storage space to a market of people who are happy to pay for it.

(In case you’re interested to know more on how accumulating more stuff than we need is harming the Earth, The Story of Stuff is an amazing read.)

At the risk of sounding preachy, it made me suddenly care about having too much stuff because I’ve become more aware of my carbon footprint.

I’m guilty of having an overflowing wardrobe in the past, and more bags and sneakers than my room can accommodate. And the environmental footprint of producing all these items is immense. Even eschewing polyester (to avoid the release of microplastics in the laundry) and filling your wardrobe with cotton does not cut it either – growing cotton guzzles up a lot of water.

So I decided to be more mindful of what I consume.

After the pandemic struck this year, it became blatantly obvious to me that we’ve gotten our priorities wrong.

Plenty of pretty clothes, bags and shoes – what’s the point? We’re all stuck at home.

Suddenly our basic needs – the lowest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – was thrown back into the spotlight. Food, water and a sense of safety and security.

Other stuff doesn’t hold much relevance.

When the Singles’ Day sales (another major sales event that largely takes place in Asia) began on 11th November, the first thing I carted out was my effervescent vitamins – because it was cheap and I needed it. I’ve become such an auntie, I know.

Otherwise, I’m extremely proud of how my wardrobe now has enough space for me to fit my entire head (and half my body) into it.

Enough is good, I don’t need more.

P/S: Before anyone thinks I’ve decided to go full-on Marie Kondo, I did splurge on a multi-purpose tote bag from Topologie on Black Friday that can be converted into a haversack because it’s sturdy, waterproof, super practical and suits all my needs. Besides, I’ve been eyeing it since May. (Actually, I got two – and they are going to be on heavy rotation.) No one said you shouldn’t reward yourself after a hard year. #I’mOnlyHuman #I’mTrying