When I Realised That Materialism Can’t Always Make You Happy
Shopping and materialism have been associated with many societal concepts, such as power, status, fame, autonomy, freedom. Having been brought up with the association that having expensive and nice things meant that I’d be happy is an association that I’m continually trying to unlearn.
Unlearning this association of materialistic items with happiness has been a gradual journey so far in my early to mid-twenties. Understanding the value and meaning of new experiences, learning new skills, spending time reflecting, and enjoying meaningful moments and conversations with like-minded friends are some of the aspects of life that have helped me to realise what’s genuinely important and meaningful.
It’s not that you can’t own nice things, but it’s the reasons that you have for owning them which is important. Are you purchasing them because they bring value or purpose in your life, or are you buying it for an external affirmation or to send a message about your status?
The use of ‘retail therapy’ as a coping mechanism is an unhealthy habit of mine that I’m slowly unlearning. Whenever I’m sad, tired, depressed, irritable, or frustrated, there’s this little voice inside my mind that tells me to shop. That cycle of discovering, desiring, contemplating, and then deciding to go through with the purchase or not is a never-ending cycle where the temptation never goes away. You tell yourself, ‘just one more item and my wardrobe or shopping impulse will go away’, but this is simply never true. They’ll always be that next item that you’re lusting over or striving for, but why? By consciously thinking about these thought process, you can start to unpack why these urges exist.
Ask yourself, are you having the urge to shop in order to fill a genuine need in your life, or is it just that you need some rest, peace and quiet, or a meal to eat instead? Impulsive shopping is largely cause by a range of basic physiological and psychological reasons, and by satisfying them, the urge to impulsively shop generally fades away.
At the end of the day, we’re all human, and our time is finite on this world. We can’t bring our material belongings with us once we’ve come to the end of the lives, however our memories and experiences will always be with us.
