Buy Four, Get a Stress Head Free: Why Chasing More Leaves Us Stressed and How to Find Peace in Enough

Last week I found myself in a toy shop buying my nephew a birthday present. It was the first time I’d stepped into one for years and honestly? It was an experience.

I noticed young children being bought toys on an ordinary day. Not for a birthday, not because they’d saved pocket money. Just because. And when they were offered the choice. “Do you want this one, or that one?” their response wasn’t the squeal of joy you might expect. Instead, it was a shrug and a quiet: “Oh, ok… but can I have this as well?”

One little girl, no older than two, was holding a doll from a collection she clearly already owned. Her nan gently reminded her: “I’ve already bought you that one… and that one… and that one.” Eventually, she found a new one. Did she beam with joy? No. She simply asked if she could have another one too.

That moment stuck with me. It left me asking: when did “enough” stop being enough?

The Supermarket Syndrome: Why More Doesn’t Always Mean Better

It’s not just in toy shops. I see it in supermarkets too.

It used to be buy two, get one free. Now it’s buy four, get the fifth free. And I can’t help but wonder who really needs five bottles of salad dressing? And more importantly, who actually has the fridge space for them?

This is what consumer culture looks like. It’s noisy. It’s chaotic. It pushes us to keep grabbing for the next thing before we’ve even finished what’s in front of us. Just like our minds, when they’re overloaded — there’s no room for calm.

The Pressure of Too Much

I’ll be honest this isn’t a trap I fall into. I’m the opposite. I use everything up before I buy more. My cupboards are neat, zero-waste, and clutter-free.

Because for me, having too much isn’t abundance, it’s pressure.

• Pressure to store it.

• Pressure to keep track of it.

• Pressure to use it before it goes off.

• Pressure to justify why it was bought in the first place.

Too much feels heavy, not freeing.

And it’s the same in our heads. Too many thoughts. Too many “shoulds.” Too much noise. It doesn’t give us freedom it gives us stress and self-doubt. Clutter in the cupboards, clutter in the mind… both pile up until we can’t see straight.

The Joy of Using Things Up

What I do get real satisfaction from is using things up.

Every now and again, I’ll go through all my free samples of skincare before I buy anything new. Or I’ll run the cupboards and freezer right down so nothing goes out of date. Yes, it makes for some unusual dinners but honestly? The weirdest combinations often turn out to be the best.

There’s real joy in that: knowing I’ve enjoyed what I already had, fully, without waste.

And when I think about it, it’s the same feeling I get from slowing down my thoughts. From stepping out of the constant chase for the “next thing” and actually receiving what’s already here. That’s where calm begins. Whether it’s in the kitchen — or in your own head.

Breathe and Receive: Finding Calm in Enough

This isn’t just about shopping habits. It’s about how we live.

When we get caught chasing more - more to buy, more to do, more to prove - it leaves us stressed, overthinking, and doubting ourselves.

But when we pause, breathe, and receive what’s already here? That’s when we find calm in the chaos. That’s when “enough” feels not only satisfying, but peaceful.

So maybe the best deal of all isn’t buy four, get one free. Maybe it’s this:

Breathe. Receive. Enjoy the life you already have.