I shrank my own economy to live a less capitalist life. You could do it too

In summer 2023, after one of the hottest days on record, I decided I’d had enough. As a climate campaigner who suffers from eco-anxiety, I needed to try something different – the old strategies didn’t seem to be working. I’d been attending a series of talks by green economists, eco justice lawyers and philosophers, who seemed to agree that great ideas like doughnut economics [which would replace linear growth with a circular, regenerative model based on fairness], degrowth [a planned downscaling of production] or negative interest [where borrowers are credited interest instead of paying it] could all work if only people were different – if we prioritised love, care and community over work, money and power.

To put it another way, we need to decondition ourselves from the cult of consumer capitalism. But how?  

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Since then I’ve spent almost every minute of my spare time on research into deprogramming, using myself as a guinea pig. Not only have I had a brilliant time and met wonderful people, I have shrunk my own economy: I work less, I earn less, buy less, and generally engage in far fewer harmful activities while having a much better life.

I’m convinced that we can get on with post-capitalism now, without waiting around for societal collapse to force it upon us. Some of it might sound a bit tangential, but anyone who’s ever made a New Year resolution knows that you can’t just decide to be different. Real change is weird, surprising and non-linear. Here are some of the things I tried:

Visiting intentional communities. There are communities exploring various models of co-existence scattered all over the world. Many welcome guests and host visitor programmes. It’s helpful to see how people are finding joyful ways to live and love that don’t involve SUVs, year-round avocados and long-haul flights. In the UK we most famously have Findhorn Ecovillage, Braziers Park or Tinkers Bubble.  

Binge reading. It helps to have a very clear grasp of what you’re deconditioning from. James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, David Graeber and so many others help by acutely observing and critiquing the invisible mechanisms at work to sustain patriarchy, colonialism and capitalism. You need to come at the whole thing systemically – you can’t just recycle and be a responsible consumer. It’s worse (and better!) than that. And if reading books isn’t your thing, Kendrick Lamar and Solange Knowles are great.  

Read more:

• Capitalism is the root of all our problems. We need to stop focusing on profit and listen to nature
• Bernie Sanders: ‘Real fundamental change never comes easily’
• Expert advice: How to start a community business in 5 steps

Volunteering. Clean a river, run a soup kitchen, donate time to a cause that matters to you. Don’t let work and Netflix be your life. Not only will you be making a difference, doing what you know is right, you’ll also meet other people who are thinking along the same track. Volunteering is sexy! Only do as much as you are able though – burnout is real.

Love Your Body. Don’t let anyone or anything make you feel bad about your body. Each body is a miracle. Treat yours with kindness. Learn about somatics so you can approach it with understanding and tolerance when it plays up. Maybe it’s trying to tell you something? Bodies are wise. Your body is your one and only access point to this miraculous universe. It’s not a dumping ground for useless products, nor a resource to be extracted.  

Get to know the neighbours. Share garden tools, lend sugar, drink tea. Look out for other people and let them look out for you. Care has been massively devalued in consumer capitalism – feminised, racialised and linked to a lack of education. Don’t let the state of the world shut you down. Friendliness is radical! Smiling at strangers can be a legitimate form of activism.

Polyamory. At its best, polyamory can be a super-rewarding, challenging way of relating that releases you from the discomfiting constraints of monogamy, which so often lead to frustration, dishonesty and disconnection. By accepting that sexual/romantic partners neither control nor own each other, you open up new approaches to relationships that also align with the idea that the world and nature aren’t objects we should aim to submit to coercion and dominance. In other words, it can be a radical mindset for relating to everything. (Follow the example of decolonizing.love, not Lily Allen!)

Non-violent communication. NVC is popular with activists, polyamorists, therapists and anyone with an interest in communicating in ways that don’t lead to misunderstanding and rupture. It gives people techniques for introducing or responding to difficult subject matter in ways that are designed to de-escalate rather than trigger. It encourages people to consider the needs of the person they’re talking to, even when they have radically different opinions. Massive social division is only serving the rich – let’s not let them trick us into unnecessary arguments.

The Revolution Will Be Internalised: On the unlikely politics of ‘inner prepping’ by Anouchka Grose is out now (Indigo Press, £9.99). You can buy it from the Big Issue shop on bookshop.org, which helps to support Big Issue and independent bookshops.

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