It’s no secret that we live in a world of consumerism. It’s how it is. And you can either continue to be sucked in by consumer marketing or decide to live with what you already have.
If you choose the latter, here are 7 habits you can develop to avoid wanting more stuff and stay happy.
Appreciate what you already have
The things you already have are valuable. They serve a purpose in meeting your basic household needs. They also provide aesthetics, entertainment, privacy, and safety, among other things.
And purchasing new items will not diminish their benefits in your home or life. However, it will undoubtedly reduce their utility. Only because you have a new item that will provide you with temporary happiness.
So keep in mind that the happiness you feel in buying new stuff won’t last long. But the stuff you own will remain. Waiting for you to appreciate and use them for the purpose for which they were created.
Therefore don’t waste time and money accumulating more stuff. Rather, appreciate the things you already have. Use them. Display them. Derive satisfaction from them.
Here’s one way of putting it:
“Appreciate what you have, because someone else is wishing for it.”
– Karon Waddel
Remember the work you put in
Another thing you can do to avoid buying more stuff is to remember how hard you worked for the things you already have. Appreciate the time and effort you put in so that you could have the item.
This should help you regain the pride, happiness, and awe you felt when you bought the item. And brought it home, knowing that it was the result of your hard work.
Keep your reasons in mind
The stuff in your home is there for a reason. You bought them and brought them home for a reason. So remind yourself of these reasons.
And if they are still being used for the purpose for which they were brought home, then there is no need to buy a new item.
Limit exposure
We’ve all seen how psychologically appealing marketing ads can be. They instill in you the desire to purchase this and that. They promise a slew of advantages that you simply cannot refuse. And you can’t win.
You must avoid exposure to their marketing trap in order to avoid falling into it. However, because their marketing is so prevalent, it can be challenging. They’re everywhere: on television, radio, billboards, social media, and the internet.
The best you can do is limit your interaction in instances where you might become a target of their ads. You can accomplish this by limiting your exposure to technology such as the ones mentioned previously.
Instead of watching TV, scrolling through social media, or surfing the internet, you could read, do some craft or other hobbies, play with the kids, declutter, start a journal, go for a walk, and so on.
Leave the Joneses alone
Leave the Joneses alone and don’t even attempt to keep up with them. You’ll only end up broke, tired, and unhappy.
Don’t put pressure on yourself. To have the money, the house, the stuff, the career, or the status to impress others who don’t even care.
Instead, concentrate on your own well-being. Structure your life around the things that matter to you and make you happy. Such as family, friends, a fulfilling job or business, a sense of community, and personal development.
Find joy in simple things
To be happy, you don’t need to buy from a store or have something delivered by FedEx. Simple things can bring you the pleasure and happiness you seek.
You can always go for a walk, jog, or trek; play with the kids, play board games with friends, bake or enjoy ice cream with loved ones. These are just a few activities that can make you happy without the need to buy more things.
Practice generosity
Aside from being grateful and appreciating what you already have, another habit you can develop is generosity.
When you are generous to others, you are also generous to yourself. That is because when you give to others, you are also giving to yourself a sense of fulfillment, better health, a more positive outlook, and increased self-esteem.
Furthermore, the positive effects of giving eliminate the need to buy something to make ourselves feel better.
Wow! Who knew you could gain more by giving?
Conclusion
We frequently associate happiness with new purchases. However, we are unaware of how much we harm ourselves by wanting and purchasing more things.
As a result of seeking happiness in new things, we end up broke, frustrated, and unhappy.
But, we have a choice: either continue to be a slave to consumerism and be unhappy or learn to be content with what we already have.
If you choose the latter, here 7 habits you can develop to avoid wanting more stuff and stay happy.
- Appreciate what you already have,
- Remember the work you put in,
- Keep your reasons in mind,
- Limit exposure,
- Leave the Joneses alone,
- Find joy in simple things, and
- Practice generosity.
Please share your thoughts or ideas about 7 Habits to Avoid Wanting More Stuff and Stay Happy in the comments below. And if you liked this article, you might be interested as well in these articles:
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10 Habits For A Simple Life
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Outside reference/s:
HOW TO STOP BUYING SH*T YOU DON’T NEED