Materialism Could Influence Depression and Anxiety

We’ve been hearing the word minimalism a lot these days. What you don’t often hear is its counterpart: materialism.

Materialism is essentially placing an undue importance on objects. Many people who are materialistic find comfort in material things rather than in themselves. Materialism isn’t only bad for your wallet, it turns out—research shows it could affect your mental health, too.

It’s been shown that materialism could influence depression and anxiety. How does this happen? Here’s why materialism is looking less and less like the secret to a happy life.

Materialism Heightens Risk for Dissatisfaction

The more importance you place on objects, the more likely you are to be dissatisfied, according to research. In fact, people who rank wealth as most important in their lives are more prone to depression, anxiety, and to have less of an interest in being social.

Another study showed that people who were more materialistic were more likely to be depressed and unsatisfied. In this study, it was shown that the participants had trouble being grateful for what they had. The study concluded that materialism is about the individual while gratitude is about appreciating others. People who appreciated others were happier.

The two studies cited here both show that people who acquired more stuff were more likely to be dissatisfied and less social, which could heighten risk for depression and anxiety in itself.

Our Disconnect with Each Other Is Strengthened Through Materialism

It’s interesting to note that some physicians acknowledge a link between our disconnect with nature—as well as each other—and depression.

The placing of importance on wealth and materialism is more about our sense of separation from our essential being. We want to be better than others, have more than others, not be like others. The truth is that we are all the same. The mind would like us to be separate, though.

The problem with this is that when we separate ourselves in our minds in this way, we isolate ourselves. Our desire to be more powerful essentially isolates us. This disconnect is further strengthened through materialism—because we believe that we can be better than others simply by having more stuff, we are actually much more alone.

Being lonely even if you have said wealth is not the recipe for a happy life.

Gratitude Is the Secret to a Happy Life

Research conducted among teenagers showed that gratitude was the secret to a happy life, not wealth. I found this interesting because I would have thought the last people to show us this truth would be teens.

In the study, gratitude led to better performance in school, life satisfaction, a better social life, and lower incidences of envy and depression. Meanwhile, materialism had the opposite effect for all of these.

Gratitude is simply being thankful for what you have or for the kindness that others have shown you. It’s an amazingly simple practice that could just be the key to happiness. Some people find great joy in keeping a gratitude journal, which is simply writing down things that you’re grateful for each day.

What Can You Do?

In addition to keeping a gratitude journal, what else can you do to escape the trap of depression and anxiety that materialism thrusts upon us?

Mindfulness is an excellent way to begin escaping materialism. Mindfulness meditation helps redirect your focus to the important things in life. It’s another simple practice that goes a long way towards cultivating happiness.

You can also be more conscious of your purchases. Understand that your purchases can’t bring you joy. What do you really need in life? Before you make each purchase, ask yourself if you really need what you are about to buy.

Minimizing your exposure to marketing can also help. Movies, television, the Internet, shopping—they all expose you to things that you don’t really need. Instead of walking around the mall, walk around your local park. Instead of splurging on a new pair of shoes, buy some beautiful organic cherries and enjoy them that evening. Appreciating the small things in life can help you overcome materialism.

Have you struggled with materialism? I’ll be the first to say that I have. It’s a trap that never stops growing or consuming. Once you have one thing, you need to have another. And you know what? Nothing ever is enough. Since materialism has been proven to be linked to depression, anxiety, and general dissatisfaction with life, be more conscious of your purchases and be grateful for the things that truly matter. You might just be happier.