Less is More: Voluntary Simplicity, Minimalist Consumption, and Mental Well-Being Via Satisfaction

OpenAlex Türkçe

The growing tension between consumerist ideals and lived experiences has intensified interest in lifestyle orientations that resist material excess. Voluntary simplicity and minimalist consumption represent two such approaches, emphasizing intentional living, sufficiency, and intrinsic values. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of voluntary simplicity and minimalist consumption on mental well-being, with satisfaction conceptualized as a mediating mechanism. Data were collected from 460 adult participants in Türkiye and analyzed using regression-based mediation analysis via the PROCESS macro. The results indicate that both voluntary simplicity and minimalist consumption have significant positive effects on satisfaction, and that satisfaction, in turn, significantly predicts mental well-being. Mediation analyses further reveal that satisfaction partially mediates the relationships between both consumption orientations and mental well-being. By empirically positioning satisfaction as a psychological mechanism rather than a direct outcome, this study extends Self-Determination Theory and the Subjective Well-Being framework and contributes to the literature by offering a process-oriented explanation of how value-driven consumption practices support mental health in contemporary consumer societies.