Research Insight | How Simple Living Helps Consumers Weather Crises
When the COVID-19 pandemic upended daily life, many consumers suddenly found themselves unable to buy familiar products. For some, forced product restrictions sparked stress, frustration, and a sharp drop in life satisfaction. But others navigated the same shortages with surprising ease. This study suggests that a “voluntary simplicity” mindset can help consumers navigate crises.
Drawing on data from more than 8,600 consumers surveyed between 2020 and 2022, researchers found that people who intentionally embraced simpler, less consumption-driven lifestyles before the crisis were far more resilient during it. Instead of feeling deprived, voluntary simplifiers relied on self-sufficiency, nonmaterial sources of fulfillment, and flexible problem solving.
From a policy perspective, the study emphasizes that governments should not rely solely on restrictive measures during crises but should also promote consumer self-responsibility and self-determination. Instead of focusing only on enforcing prohibitions, policymakers can encourage voluntary simplicity through public education campaigns, incentives for sustainable consumption, and policies that reduce overreliance on material goods for well-being.
For marketers and managers, the insights from this research highlight the growing importance of aligning brand messaging with values of sustainability, mindful consumption, and resilience. Companies can position themselves as allies in fostering consumer well-being by promoting products and services that emphasize durability, reusability, and self-sufficiency.
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What You Need to Know
- Promote Voluntary Simplicity: Highlight the benefits of self-sufficiency and mindful consumption to enhance consumer resilience during crises.
- Balance Restrictions & Empowerment: Policies should not just impose limits but also promote consumer self-determination to reduce stress.
- Anticipate Crisis-Driven Shifts: Brands should prepare for changing consumer behaviors by offering products that align with sufficiency and sustainability.
Abstract
Forced consumption restrictions during crises cause stress symptoms for many consumers and, as a result, have a detrimental impact on their life satisfaction. This article examines whether consumers practicing certain sufficiency styles react more resiliently than others to the adverse purchasing conditions during crises. The analysis is based on a unique dataset of more than 8,600 consumers, with the data collected over the course of four large-scale surveys between 2020 and 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article demonstrates how the consciousness of voluntary simplicity can mitigate the adverse psychological impacts of high peaks in forced consumption restrictions. The mixed-methods approach also includes the analysis of two qualitative follow-up studies containing answers from 19 voluntary simplifiers and 37 policy makers. These studies shed light on why the consciousness of voluntary simplicity is beneficial in times of limited consumer options and help derive policy implications. The findings suggest that policy makers should not solely rely on behavioral prohibitions in crisis-related shortage situations, but should instead place more emphasis on promoting the self-responsibility and self-determination of citizens.
Stefan Hoffmann, Ingo Balderjahn, and Felix Reimers, “How Voluntary Simplicity Evokes Resilience in Times of Crisis,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 44 (4), 506–24. doi:10.1177/07439156251325559.