maslow

a magazine for human needs

Author: Molly Flaherty

  • How young Londoners are coping with living in small spaces

    How young Londoners are coping with living in small spaces

    With soaring rent prices and box-rooms the size of storage cupboards, young Londoners are finding new ways of dealing with their enforced lack of space

    Mollie Mondino, 23, shares a small room with her boyfriend in a house share in Canada Water, South London, alongside three other housemates. Her work laptop sits open on her bedside table, framed images and illustrations lean against the wall with no wall space to take up. 

    “All my belongings are in storage because I don’t have enough room to put them in my house,” Mollie says. “I feel like I live on nothing, not out of choice, but out of necessity.” 

    With two people living in such a small space, losing possessions and finding them can become stressful. “It can get very overwhelming and chaotic when you’re looking for something,” she says, “as everything is confined into such a small space.” 

    The lack of things has led to a lack of personality in her space. “Although I have my main possessions, I don’t have things that make the space my own or which have a sense of identity,” Mollie says. 

    Although not out of choice, Mollie is living a sort of “enforced minimalist lifestyle” due to her small living space. And she is not alone. Data released by the Office of National Statistics found that London had over 100,000 households of multiple occupancy – or house shares. This means these people’s possessions are squeezed into one bedroom and a shared kitchen. If not in a house share, studio flats are also tiny, with the average size in London being around 23 square metres. 

    Not only this, London has the most active rental market in the UK, with tenants moving property roughly every two-and-a-half-years. This means that 404,600 rental properties changed hands in 2024 alone. The combination of moving often and living in small spaces means Londoners can’t own too much ‘stuff’.

    Oliver Cudmore, 23, lives in a tiny studio in Beckton, East London. There are suitcases stored under his small desk and shoved into corners. With just enough space to walk around, it is unsurprising that he had to throw out a lot of things when moving to the UK from the US. “When I moved here, I packed everything I owned into three suitcases,” he says. “Now I could pack everything comfortably into two.”

    Oliver Cudmore, 23 Pic: Oliver Cudmore

    He had to part with a large amount of clothes and decorations as he had no space to keep them. “My room has a tiny under-bed storage compartment and a couple of shelves,” he says. Despite making the space easier to clean, Oliver does desire to own more possessions. “I think naturally having less, I wish I could have more,” he says.  

    As a fashion student, Oliver needs space to keep fabrics, trims and threads he uses in his work. “Because I haven’t got enough space at home, I often have to throw away or donate spare fabric,” he says. “If I could save these it would save me a lot of money.” 

    With most renters being 25-34-years-old, young people are the main demographic feeling this burden on their possessions. With many Londoners seeing their small spaces as a curse, there is a sub-category of people who are facing the crisis head on: minimalists. 

    Oliver’s studio in Beckton Pics: Oliver Cudmore

    With underconsumption trends gaining traction on social media, focusing on simplicity and minimal consumption seems to be trendy. For example, the No Buy 2025 challenge on TikTok encourages people to be intentional with their consumption and cut back on non-essential purchases. With thousands of posts on TikTok, it is clear that intentional de-consumption is rising in popularity. 

    Imran Suleiman, 28, lives in a small room in a house in East London and has been leading an intentionally minimalist lifestyle since 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic made him question his relationship to the things he owned and gave him the desire to live more simply. 

    “The turning point, for me, was becoming aware of the infinite distractions that I had to navigate on a daily basis,” Imran says. “I experienced fatigue from making too many decisions and became attracted to simplicity.”

    “Being forced to own fewer things often comes from a necessity rather than a choice…this is very different from intentional minimalism.”

    Deciding to take inventory over his life, Imran went through all his possessions: books he had never read, clothing he had outgrown, cameras and jewellery he no longer needed. In doing so, he has experienced a new level of mental clarity. 

    “Minimalism allows me to think clearly and removes unnecessary distractions and stress in my life,” Imran says. “It helps me to focus on the big picture rather than the fine details.” 

    There are numerous studies that show leading an intentionally minimalist lifestyle with less possessions links positively with one’s wellbeing. For example, a Chinese study  found this to be true, with the most significant factor affecting wellbeing being clutter removal. 

    Sarah Rezaei, a psychologist and researcher at Monk Prayogshala, a research institute in Mumbai, explains that owning less things leads to less stress in our lives. “When you own fewer things, there’s simply less to clean, organise and maintain,” she says. 

    Imran Suleiman, 28 Pic: Imran Suleiman

    So, if owning less really does make us happier, why are those living in small spaces with fewer possessions like Mollie and Oliver still longing for more? Sarah explains that the key differentiation is likely the lack of choice. “Being forced to own fewer things often comes from a necessity rather than a choice,” Sarah says. “This is very different from intentional minimalism.” 

    An intentionally minimalist lifestyle focuses on low-consumption and intentionally living with fewer possessions. Practically, this could look like reducing clutter from your home, wardrobe, or being more cautious of your consumption, Sarah explains. “At its core, it’s about recognising what is ‘enough’ and removing distractions to focus on what truly matters,” she says.  

    However, to genuinely reap the benefits of minimalism, it must be an intentional choice. “Behind minimalism, there should be an intention – whether that be to live more sustainably, make better choices or focus on what’s important,” Sarah says. 

    Minimalism is not the same as being forced to own less possessions. To be a minimalist, you must actively and intentionally lead your life in a way which encompasses low consumption and a lack of ‘things’. Whilst Londoners like Oliver and Mollie can try to see positivity in their small rooms, true minimalism comes from somewhere very different than an enforced lack of space.

  • Sweat and the city: The rise of the London sauna

    Sweat and the city: The rise of the London sauna

    With young Londoners turning away from alcohol and towards more wellness-based social activities, Community Sauna Baths is paving the way for the London sauna boom

    A heavily graffitied wall surrounds a large patch of grass in the middle of a main road in Stratford while tower blocks loom overhead. It would be easy to miss the entrance to Community Sauna Baths, with the only nod to its existence being a blue ‘welcome’ sign with an illustration of a sauna hidden among the graffiti. A wooden path leads the way through the grass to a slightly tattered metal locker full of shoes and bags. Rounding the corner, a group of young Londoners gather, undressing themselves and preparing for an hour unwinding and relaxing; some are alone, some in groups. 

    As more young people turn away from alcohol, the popularity of saunas as a space to connect and socialise rises. With the rise of wellness has come the rise of saunas, according to the British Sauna Society, the number of Finnish-style public saunas in the UK doubled between early 2023 and 2024, jumping from 45 to 90. This popularity is expected to grow and exceed 200 in 2025. Alongside this, research from Movendi International found that nearly 43 per cent of 18-34-year-olds in the UK are choosing to live their lives alcohol free. 

    In the middle of the courtyard in Stratford Community Sauna Baths is a communal area with people sitting on wooden stairs, cooling down after stints in the heat. People help themselves to free water in reusable plastic cups. John, 31 and Lily, 33, have come to the sauna with a friend. Lily comes to the Stratford community sauna around twice a month and it is John’s first time here. “I find it really relaxing,” Lily says. “It’s a nice way to catch up with your friends in a calm environment which doesn’t involve drinking.” John agrees: “Four years ago, there was no chance we would have been going to a sauna on a Friday night – we would have been going to the pub.” 

    Stratford Community Sauna Baths is a not-for-profit sauna initiative with locations in Hackney, Camberwell, Bermondsey and more. However, it is just one of many sauna companies that have been popping up all around the capital such as ARC in Canary Wharf and New Docklands Steam Baths in Newham. According to statistics from Community Sauna Baths, each weekend they welcome around 1,500 people to their locations, and this is set to be doubled in 2025. With their affordable prices: £9.50 for a 90-minute session, the company is making saunas more accessible to young people in the city. 

    Elettra McConnell, 23, first time sauna user. Pic: Molly Flaherty

    Not only are saunas relaxing, but they also come with a whole host of mental and physical benefits, as journalist and author Emma O’Kelly, author of ‘Sauna: The Power of Deep Heat’ explains. A 2019 Finnish study found that taking three saunas a week reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 50 per cent. “This research has paved the way for a huge interest of the medical side of heat therapy and heat studies,” she says. “I think this has sparked the rise in popularity and interest in saunas.”

    Some more of the physical benefits of taking regular saunas, Emma explains, are reduced inflammation, improved circulation and being good for your skin. Anecdotally, saunas can also help with anxiety and depression and can improve sleep quality. Interestingly, there is also sauna operators in the UK who are running sessions for people with ADHD, as it offers mental benefits for those in the neurodivergent community. One of these benefits are an increase in norepinephrine, a hormone and transmitter in the brain which aids focus and attention. 

    More young Londoners than ever are choosing to reap the benefits of sauna, Allison Huff, founder of SweatLounge infrared sauna in Chiswick explains. “What used to be seen as something for older adults or elite athletes has completely changed,” she says. “Now, our core users are in their twenties and thirties, and they’re coming in regularly, not just as a one-off treat.” This change began in 2018 but accelerated greatly post-Covid. The interest in sauna from young people has only grown since then. “After lockdown there was this real craving for mindful, health boosting rituals,” she says. “That’s where saunas started gaining traction.”

    “After lockdown there was this real craving for mindful, health boosting rituals…that’s where saunas started gaining traction.”

    This boom in interest amongst young people could be due to a few different reasons, Allison says. Young people are becoming more interested in their health, especially in “preventative wellness” which saunas help with.  Another reason is social media, with influencers and celebrities sharing their daily routines which include using saunas. “That kind of visibility makes it more accessible and aspirational,” she says. “It’s no longer something mysterious; it’s part of a modern lifestyle.” 

    Finally, young people are shifting away from typical Friday-night drinks culture, turning to more wellness-based activities to socialise and unwind. “It’s part of a bigger trend of redefining what it means to take care of yourself,” she says. “For this generation, it’s about investing in experiences that improve your physical and mental state.” 

    In the outdoor space of Stratford Community Sauna Baths, there are three separate saunas and four ice plunges – one in a rustic metal bathtub. There is a row of changing rooms hidden from others by orange curtains, and some cold outdoor showers. Inside the saunas it is quiet, with minimal chatter between friends. Someone occasionally breaks the silence with an offer to pour some water on the coals. When the water turns to steam the temperature rises quickly and the chatter fades away. 

    Left: Changing rooms, Right: Worker sweeps one of the saunas. Pics: Molly Flaherty

    Pip, 30, flits between stints in the heat of the sauna and the cold of the ice bath. As someone with a heart condition, she tries to attend a sauna session at least once a week, but normally twice.  “Sauna is very good for regulating my stress levels,” she says. “It reduces my heart rate, keeping it low. It also helps me to tolerate differenced in temperature as well.” Not only this, but communal saunas allow her to feel a sense of connection while gaining the health benefits of the sauna. “I recognise a lot of regulars who come here, which is nice,” she says. “It also feels good to do something without your phone or online.”

    Elettra McConnell, 23, a first timer at Community Sauna Baths explains how she had been apprehensive before coming to a session but had been pleasantly surprised.  “I thought saunas were something older people usually did,” she says. “But the age range of the people here were within my age range, so I felt more comfortable.” Following the sauna, she felt a decrease in anxiety and felt ready to take on the rest of the day. “After the session I went to Westfield shopping centre which would usually give me lots of anxiety,” she says. “After the sauna, I found I could navigate my emotions well.”

    After our hour-and-a-half is up, the worker on shift comes into the sauna and quietly let us know it is time to leave. People gather their things and change into their clothing again; slow, relaxed and stress-free – meandering to their next destination. The saunas are swept and cleaned, awaiting their next batch of Londoners, eager to sweat their stress out.