While many are seeking to climb the material ladder in life, others have reached the upper rungs and found out it's not all it's cracked up to be; choosing to set a different course - downshifting.

Downshifting, a term currently used most often in Australia, is the concept of living in voluntary simplicity; usually with environmental sustainability in mind although not necessarily the focus or primary motivator. People who take the downshifting route are also called "post materialists".

While some have been making these changes for years, it's only relatively recently that downshifting has acquired the label. An Australian Institute survey in 2004 found that nearly a quarter of Australian adults aged 30-59 have chosen to downshift over the previous 10 years.

People downshift their lives for mainly 5 reasons:

a) A desire for a more balanced life with less stress
b) Clashes between personal values and those of the workplace
c) Wanting a more fulfilling life
d) Ill health
e) Environmental concerns/rejection of consumerism

Downshifters for the most part don't drop out of society or the workforce altogether; many high paid executives simply change their work focus from big business lower-paying jobs in the non-profit sector. Not all downshifters are burnt-out execs though; the study found that the tendency to downshift was equally prevalent among blue collar workers as it was among white collar workers.

Downshifting challenges the concept of the very common Deferred Happiness Syndrome. This is the tendency for people to function in situations they find negative for extended periods in the hope of attaining a goal or dream; one that is often not achieved. A lifetime of toil with the prospect for shattered materialistic dreams is a nightmare possibility, yet many of us seem to continue to fling ourselves headlong into it knowing full well the goal may never be realized.

Many of those who downshift report that the fears they held about sustaining themselves did not materialize; they instead experience a new sense of personal freedom and renewed joy of living. They are also no longer as easily swayed by politicians or trends as their values have changed to those of the general populace.

Downshifters tend to reject items related to social status, plan spending carefully, eat out less and take less holidays away from home - because their current home becomes a holiday destination of sorts. Often they'll move from their current home, choosing to purchase a house in an environment suited to their hobbies or need for peace.

In a nutshell, downshifting is about less consumption, being happier for it and the rejection of "keeping up with the Jones's". It's a process that doesn't occur overnight, but is refined over a number of years.

For a more detailed and fascinating insight into the downshifting trend, you can download the full study, "Getting a Life - Understanding the downshifting phenomenon in Australia" by clicking here (PDF)