An Interview With Drew Gerber
Be mindful of your actions and how they affect others. The way we interact with others can have a positive or negative effect on them and ourselves. When we are mindful of our actions and interactions, we notice the changes we should make in ourselves.
We live in a time of great excess. We have access to fast fashion, fast food, and fast everything. But studies show that all of our “stuff” is not making us any happier. How can we simplify and focus on what’s important? How can we let go of all the clutter and excess and find true happiness? In this interview series, we are talking to coaches, mental health experts, and authors who share insights, stories, and personal anecdotes about “How Simplifying and Decluttering Your Life Can Make Us Happier.” As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Cryssi Hentges.
Cryssi is a minimalist blogger and designer who loves living in the moment and taking things slow. She’s passionate about living a simpler lifestyle and helping others reach their goals. Cryssi loves exploring new cities and trying new foods, and she’s always looking for ways to simplify her life.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share your “backstory” with us? What was it that led you to your eventual career choice?
I grew up and still live in the Midwest. People here tend to judge you on what you own, not who you are. I learned from an early age that status is based on your home and belongings, the car you drive, and the career you chose. You’re either a farmer with farmer money (yes that’s a real term), a businessman/woman, or blue collar. If you don’t fit into one of those categories, you’re looked down on by many.
So for years, when I was younger, I wanted to be a mechanic just like my dad and take over his business. He showed others how to build a successful business from scratch even without a complete education. My dad dropped out of high school when my mother found out she was pregnant with me so he could support us. He worked for others until my junior year of high school, when he opened his own business.
Life had other plans for me. I had children early on in adulthood and my priorities changed. I became a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’, working in the factory that had the best benefits and highest pay. I was still on my way to being ‘successful’ but I wasn’t happy. If you’re blue collar here, you work long hours for a decent wage but it takes you away from your family. I missed many important moments in my children’s lives because of my career choice. Something had to give.
It was an epiphany for me. I woke up one day realizing I was working for everything others told me showed success but none of it mattered to me. I wanted to enjoy life without being stressed about how I was going to do just that. It was time for a change.
I started writing again and found I wanted to share a real-life perspective. That’s how Caffeinated Minimalist started. So many times, I’d start reading about minimalism and didn’t feel connected to what I was reading. It didn’t fit my life. I offer a realistic, middle class perspective on simplifying life to live happier.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
When I started purging my home and life of items and people that didn’t fit into my values or purpose, my family thought I was crazy. They didn’t quite understand why I was letting go of so many memories and belongings.
The other day, I was at my aunt’s and she was going through her back room. She holds onto everything but she was packing things up to go. My lifestyle change had carried over into her life and she realized the memories are still there. She didn’t need the items taking up space and is now working on making her life easier in the process.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
I just launched a capsule wardrobe course that focuses on the student building a capsule that fits them specifically. People tend to avoid considering a capsule wardrobe because they think it’s all black, white and gray. That’s not the case but it’s hard to find a good tutorial on building one that fits you, so I made one.
I’m also working on a step-by-step guide to transitioning your home into a minimalist living space, based on how I changed my own. I believe that everyone needs to find their own ways to simplify life but we can all use a little guidance on taking the steps. That’s my goal, to help others find their way to simplify life so they can live happier, more fulfilled lives.
Can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority on the topic of “How Simplifying and Decluttering Your Life Can Make You Happier”?
I’m living proof.
I live a life of intention, choosing what and who takes up space in it. In doing so, I am happier. Less worry and stress, more time and even money are my goals. I’m able to share the minimalist lifestyle with others from a ‘real life’ perspective. Having gone through the struggles and growing pains of making these lifestyle changes I can share the difficulties with others. I am also able to share the successes and outcomes. Living the lifestyle makes it easier to share information and help others learn about the lifestyle.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main focus of our interview. We live in a time of excess. We have access to so much. But studies show that all of our “stuff” is not making us any happier. Can you articulate for our readers a few reasons why all of our possessions are not giving us happiness?
We collect furniture, knick-knacks, clothes, papers, etc. We claim sentimental value to some. We hold on to clothes just in case we need that size again. We hold on to our kids’ papers throughout their school years. Where do these things go? They take up space in our homes. We turn our homes into storage space instead of living space. I don’t know a single person who is happy about spending a day cleaning just to look around and feel like it did no good.
We look for better jobs to make more money to buy more things. In the process, we lose time and money. Time gets lost because we give it up to make the money to buy the things. That new TV may cost you $400, but it will cost you more in time. At $25/hour, it costs you 16 hours. You give up the time to make the money, but then spend the money on something that doesn’t give you happiness but becomes a new fixture in your home.
People are rarely content with what they have because someone else always has more. It’s become an unspoken competition that fosters dissatisfaction and unhappiness.
On a broader societal level, how do you think this excessiveness may be harming our communities and society?
They’re not communities anymore, to be honest. It seems, more and more, that everyone is in competition. The communities of our parents or grandparents are gone. People don’t talk to their neighbors, they talk about them. Community days are a rarity nowadays. They’re busy with their electronics and game systems instead of being active in the community.
Parents are teaching their children that what they own matters more than who they are. These kids spend more time staring at a screen than socializing. Then, they’re expected to go out into the world and become productive members of society. Families spend dinner time on electronic devices instead of talking about their days. The connection gets lost.
If we ever question our excessiveness, all we need to do is look at our landfills. They’re filling up faster and faster. You buy something new and the old ends up in the landfill. Some areas are actually transporting trash to other locations because their landfills are overflowing.
The irony of struggling with happiness in modern times is glaring. In many places in the world today, we have more than ever before in history. Yet despite this, so many people are unhappy. Why is simplifying a solution? How would simplifying help people to access happiness?
Simplifying your life is more than just getting rid of stuff. It’s changing your mindset.
Decluttering your home frees up space. Freeing up space allows you to feel more comfortable in your home. One step leads to the next in this way. Feeling more comfortable in your home leads you to feel happier about your life. Feeling happier at home leads you to look at other areas of your life that can be simplified.
Happiness is a state of mind, but it’s also a state of being. If you’re not trying to keep up with the Joneses, you may not need to work all of that overtime. This frees up time to spend on things you enjoy, creating happiness. Having time to do what you enjoy fosters a positive mindset.
Simplifying life carries over to our relationships and careers, too. Happiness is contagious, and when we are around others who are happy we feel their happiness and it rubs off on us. When we’re around someone who is unhappy, we can also pick up on their negative energy and become less happy ourselves. The key is being around people who bring out the best in us instead of those who bring out the worst in us.
Can you share some insights from your own experience? Where in your life have you transformed yourself from not having enough to finally experiencing enough? For example, many people feel they don’t have enough money. Yet, people define abundance differently, and often, those with the least money can feel the most abundant. Where in your health, wealth, or relationships have you transformed your life?
I can honestly say the simplifying journey is an ongoing transformation. Life changes and as it does, so do you and your path. I recently realized I’m content with my home. I don’t feel the need to remove anything else, nor do I need any other belongings in it. That being said, this will change in the future. I’m working on building a skoolie and want to travel with it, downsizing my life even more.
In transforming my life, I’ve learned that helping others find their happiness is important to me. I chose to buy a house in the lowest income area of my city and have started working with others in my area to help build their happiness. It’s definitely rewarding for me to see others achieve their goals, whatever they may be, and transform their lives to ones they are truly happy to live.
Removing negative and toxic people from my life has been the biggest change and struggle. It’s hard to remove those who you deem close when they’re not a positive influence in your life. It was necessary to remove them, though, and the relationships I have now are ones that will help me continue on the positive path I’ve chosen for my life.
People, places, and things shape our lives. For example, your friends generate conversations that influence you. Where you live impacts what you eat and how you spend your time. The “things” in your life, like phones, technology, or books impact your recreation. Can you tell us a little about how people, places, and things in your own life impact your experience of “experiencing enough?”
I spend a lot of time ‘talking shop’ with friends and some close family. We are all building our presence in our local communities and in the business world. We can talk freely with one another because we value each other’s input. No one judges or discounts another’s ideas or opinions. That’s the type of friendships I want to have. Honest and open communication is important to me.
My city is a melting pot and I love that aspect of it. Some groups celebrate their heritage and you can get just about any type of cuisine here. Being able to learn about other cultures and hearing firsthand how so many are content with much less than many of us have is a real eye-opener when it comes to “experiencing enough”. It helps put the changes I’m making in my life into perspective. So many others have learned through life experience that they don’t need much to be happy.
I love camping and I’m not a ‘glamper’. I’ve tent camped since I was little and it’s extremely relaxing for me. This form of camping shows how little you need to really enjoy nature and life in general. Sitting on a riverbank, enjoying nature all around while fishing and then going back to the campsite for a relaxing night by the fire while taking in the stars. That is enough for me.
What advice would you give to younger people about “experiencing enough?”
First, define your priorities. Decide what you are striving for in your life and find your core values. This makes it easier to not get caught up in the rat race and lose sight of your goals. Travel, take in other cultures and areas of the country/world. Seeing how others choose to live can give us insight into ourselves, too.
You don’t need to have the best car, computer, TV, etc. to prove you’ve succeeded in life. Find your ‘enough’. What is enough for you isn’t going to be the same as what is enough for another person.
Don’t force your ideals on others but stay true to them for yourself. You don’t have to compete with anyone or prove you are better than someone else to succeed in life. Your only competition is yourself. Improve your well being and you will see how great your life can be.
This is the main question of our interview. Based on your experience and research, can you share your “five ways we can simplify and declutter our lives to make us happier?”
There are so many ways I can share to help you simplify and declutter your life, but these are some of the most rewarding and important ways.
Be mindful of your actions and how they affect others. The way we interact with others can have a positive or negative effect on them and ourselves. When we are mindful of our actions and interactions, we notice the changes we should make in ourselves.
Spend more time with the people you love. Today’s families spend more time apart than together. When I was a kid, family dinners were a thing — with the whole family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc). Today, everyone is so busy with their lives, they don’t take the time to get together except on holidays. Spend more time with those important to you — friends, family, and significant others. Nurture your relationships and they’ll grow immensely.
Reduce the amount of stuff you own, especially if it’s just taking up space in your home or apartment. While you don’t need to be extreme in your scaling down, think about your possessions and whether you really need them. Just about everyone can find many items in their household that can go and you really won’t miss them.
Stop spending money on unnecessary items and save your money for something that will bring you more happiness. One of my goals is to travel and it takes money to do that. Think about the experiences you want and audit your finances. You’ll be surprised what you don’t need or what subscriptions you can cancel. Choose your spending wisely.
Get outside as much as possible and spend time in nature. Nature is energizing, peaceful and educational. And the outdoors are great for your overall health and well-being. Getting sun offers essential vitamin D for our bodies, also! Did you know that many people suffer from vitamin D deficiency and don’t even know it? Sun exposure is the most important source of vitamin D.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would absolutely love to see people realize we don’t need huge homes to be happy. The positive effect we can have on our environment by living smaller and simpler would be lasting and we’d be leaving a healthier planet for future generations.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can read more on the blog, Caffeinated Minimalist, and follow the Facebook page here.
Thank you so much for these insights. This was so inspiring, and so important!
About The Interviewer: For 30 years, Drew Gerber has been inspiring those who want to change the world. Drew is the CEO of Wasabi Publicity, Inc., a full-service PR agency lauded by PR Week and Good Morning America. Wasabi Publicity, Inc. is a global marketing company that supports industry leaders, change agents, unconventional thinkers, companies and organizations that strive to make a difference. Whether it’s branding, traditional PR or social media marketing, every campaign is instilled with passion, creativity and brilliance to powerfully tell their clients’ story and amplify their intentions in the world. Schedule a free consultation at WasabiPublicity.com/Choosing-Publicity.
Cryssi Hentges On How Simplifying & Decluttering Your Life Can Make You Happier was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.