Minimalism and personal well-being: a study of current trends in China

Owing to its positive impact on individual well-being, the concept of minimalism has garnered increasing attention from scholars worldwide. However, current research is primarily inferential and lacks empirical evidence. Additionally, studies conducted thus far have focused only on the general population in developed countries, presenting issues of incompleteness and generalizability. This study aimed to examine and validate scientific evidence of the positive impact of minimalism on individual well-being by developing a research model that explores the relationship between minimalist lifestyles and personal well-being. To this end, highly validated data from Chinese residents were analyzed using factor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. The findings indicate that Chinese residents' minimalist lifestyle is influenced by three key factors: clutter removal, cautious shopping, and a high-cycle life. Furthermore, minimalism was found to impact personal well-being positively, with clutter removal being the most significant contributing factor. These results suggest that minimalism can be an effective lifestyle choice that positively affects personal well-being and quality of life across different cultural and social contexts, albeit with variations in expression and concern. This research contributes to the Minimalist Well-being Model, which comprehensively explains how minimalism is defined in relation to well-being.