I moved in with a friend, and all my beloved belongings went into storage. It was a double emotional whammy - not only was I dealing with breakdown of my relationship, I didn’t even have the sanctuary of my own home. Adjusting to single life took time - but it was astonishing how quickly I forgot about my things. I was still living in a nice place, yet it was now someone else’s nice place. All I had to do was pay rent. Instead of splashing out on frivolous stuff (and usually suffering purchase guilt and worry afterwards) I started to use my time more wisely: reading more, going for long walks and listening to different music. I saw my friends more and met new people, whereas before I would have been slobbing unsociably on my designer sofa. Losing my own home forced me to engage more with the world and have new experiences – something minimalism is all about.