You’ve seen the aesthetic. It’s that crisp, white-walled room with one perfectly placed ceramic vase and a single linen chair that looks both incredibly expensive and mildly uncomfortable. People post these photos with captions about "quiet luxury" or "digital detoxing," but beneath the curated Instagram feeds, there is a much older, deeper sentiment at play. Tis a joy to be simple isn’t just a catchy phrase for a Pinterest board; it is a survival mechanism for a world that has become fundamentally too loud.
Modern life is a relentless barrage of notifications. Your phone buzzes. Your fridge tells you the milk is low. Your boss Slacks you at 9:00 PM because "asynchronous work" apparently means "working all the time." We are drowning in choices—15 types of toothpaste, 400 streaming shows we’ll never watch, and an endless stream of micro-trends that tell us our last month’s wardrobe is already obsolete. Honestly, it’s exhausting.
That’s why the Shaker sentiment of finding joy in simplicity is making a massive comeback. When the world feels chaotic, we pull inward. We start looking at our clutter—both physical and mental—and wondering if we’d just feel better if there were less of it.
The Shaker Roots of a Modern Obsession
The phrase "tis a gift to be simple" actually comes from a Shaker song written in 1848 by Joseph Brackett. While the lyrics are often associated with religious humility, the core philosophy was about alignment. The Shakers believed that by removing the "superfluous," you could find the "substance." They weren't just being trendy; they were building chairs that lasted centuries and farming land with a level of precision that felt almost spiritual.
In 2026, we’ve repurposed this. We aren't necessarily joining agrarian communes, but we are adopting the "Shaker mindset" in how we curate our lives. Think about the rise of the "de-influencing" movement on social media. People are literally getting famous for telling you not to buy things. It is a radical rejection of the "more is more" philosophy that dominated the early 2000s.
Why Our Brains Crave the Simple Life
There is actual science behind why tis a joy to be simple. It’s not just a vibe. It’s neurobiology.
Our brains are wired for pattern recognition and safety. When we are surrounded by visual clutter, our cortisol levels—the stress hormone—actually spike. A famous study by researchers at UCLA’s Center on Everyday Lives of Families (CELF) found a direct correlation between high cortisol levels in homeowners and a high density of household objects. Basically, if your house is a mess, your brain thinks you’re in a constant state of "to-do" list emergency.
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It gets worse with digital clutter. Every red notification dot on your phone triggers a tiny hit of dopamine followed by a crash of anxiety. We are living in a state of "continuous partial attention," a term coined by tech expert Linda Stone. We are never fully here because we are always partially there, in the cloud, in the inbox, in the feed.
Choosing simplicity is like hitting the pressure release valve on a steam engine.
The Paradox of Choice
Psychologist Barry Schwartz wrote the book on this—literally. The Paradox of Choice explains that while we think more options make us freer, they actually paralyze us. Have you ever spent 45 minutes scrolling through Netflix only to give up and go to sleep? That’s decision fatigue.
When you simplify—when you have a "capsule wardrobe," a set morning routine, or a limited number of social commitments—you save your brain power for things that actually matter. You aren't wasting energy on the trivial. You’re saving it for the vital.
The Financial Reality of "Simple" Living
Let's be real for a second. Simplicity can sometimes feel like a luxury. It’s easy to talk about "living with less" when you have enough money to buy high-quality items that don't break. There is a version of minimalism that is just "expensive stuff in a big empty house."
But the true joy of being simple is actually a massive financial unlock for the middle class.
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- The 72-Hour Rule: Before buying anything non-essential, wait three days. Usually, the "need" disappears.
- Cost Per Use: Instead of buying five cheap shirts that fall apart in the wash, buying one well-made shirt becomes the simpler, cheaper path over two years.
- Subscription Purges: Most people are losing $50–$100 a month on automated subs they don't even use. That’s clutter in your bank account.
The goal isn't poverty; it’s intentionality. It’s about owning your things rather than letting your things own you.
Minimalist Misconceptions: What Most People Get Wrong
People think being simple means you have to live in a white box and own exactly 33 items of clothing. That’s not simplicity; that’s just a different kind of performance.
Real simplicity is highly personal. For a chef, a "simple" kitchen might have 50 specialized tools because they use them all. For me? A simple kitchen is one pan and a sharp knife because I hate washing dishes.
Simplicity is also not about being "boring." It’s about clearing the brush so the interesting parts of your life can actually grow. If you aren't spending your Saturday morning at the mall or cleaning out a garage full of junk, you might actually have time to paint, or hike, or just sit on the porch and realize that the birds in your neighborhood actually sound pretty cool.
How to Actually Start (The Non-Aesthetic Way)
If you want to find out if tis a joy to be simple for yourself, don't start by throwing away all your furniture. That’s a manic episode, not a lifestyle change.
Start with your "digital entryway." Clean up your phone's home screen. Delete the apps that make you feel like garbage. Turn off every notification that isn't from a real human being. If a "breaking news" alert isn't going to change your actions in the next ten minutes, you don't need to see it the second it happens.
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Next, look at your "yes."
We say yes to too many things. Yes to the happy hour we don't want to attend. Yes to the volunteer committee we don't have time for. Yes to the "quick sync" meeting that should have been an email. A simple life is built on a foundation of polite, firm "nos."
The "One In, One Out" Rule
This is a classic for a reason. If you buy a new book, donate an old one. If you get a new pair of shoes, the old ones go to charity. This stops the "clutter creep" before it starts. It keeps your physical environment stagnant in terms of volume, which keeps your mental environment calm.
Finding the "Gift" in the Quiet
There is a specific kind of silence that happens when you stop chasing the next big thing. It’s sort of uncomfortable at first. We are so used to the noise that the absence of it feels like a void.
But then, something shifts.
You start noticing the quality of your coffee. You have a real conversation with your partner without checking your watch. You realize that you don't actually need a bigger house; you just needed less stuff in the house you already have.
Tis a joy to be simple because simplicity is the ultimate form of self-possession. You aren't being jerked around by the latest marketing campaign or the latest social pressure. You are just... you. And in a world trying to make you everything else, that’s the biggest win there is.
Immediate Action Steps for a Simpler Week
- The Ghost Box: Take everything off your kitchen counters and put it in a box. Only take things out as you actually use them. After one week, whatever is still in the box probably doesn't need to be on your counter.
- The Notification Massacre: Go into your settings and disable "badges" (those little red numbers). They are designed to create a sense of urgency. Removing them removes the phantom itch to check your phone.
- Unsubscribe Saturday: Spend 15 minutes going through your inbox and unsubscribing from every retail newsletter. If you have to seek out a sale, you’ll spend less than if the sale seeks you out.
- The "Single Task" Challenge: Pick one activity today—eating lunch, walking the dog, waiting for the bus—and do it without your phone. Just one. Feel the boredom. It’s good for you.
- Audit Your Social Circle: Spend time with the people who make you feel "simple" and easy to be around. If someone requires a high-maintenance "performance" from you, consider if that relationship is adding value or just noise.