State of Mind: How materialism impacts our mental health

It’s the American Dream: the belief that anyone, regardless of their starting point, can become successful. Even more, it’s the belief that this wide-open path to success exists entirely dependent on an individual’s own commitment, sacrifice and hard work.

Somewhere along the way, though, the concept of the American Dream seems to have evolved to become increasingly defined by material success. Perhaps the concept as we know it is now more limited in scope, linear in nature and material in principle: graduate school, get a good job, buy a house, advance in your career and gather as much along the way as possible.

Consequently, what if that which began as an idea rooted in freedom and opportunity is now playing an adverse role in our collective mental health? And, more importantly, how do we return to a more simplistic and yet profound view of that opportunity?

The materialistic nature of our society is reflected in numerous ways. Take, for example, the world of fast fashion, which is defined by consumers’ increasing tendency to regularly buy inexpensive, low-quality, mass-produced clothing in response to constantly changing trends. This now results in over 92 million tons of clothes ending up in landfills every year, not to mention the significant environmental impacts of the production process.

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At an individual level, the numbers are just as startling. On average, we own 60 percent more clothes and wear each item 50 percent fewer times before discarding them compared to just 15 years ago. In fact, we throw away about 112 pounds of clothes per person every year.

Couple the world of fast fashion with things like the newest stuffed animal craze or the seemingly ever-present need to buy the latest water bottle, and it becomes glaringly clear that we have a concerning and growing materialism culture. This alarming reality is exacerbated by social media and the constant pressure to keep up with the latest trends — which just so happen to change frequently enough to financially benefit the influencers, celebrities and companies that drive them.

Beyond the costs and environmental impacts, there are real concerns about effects on mental health. For example, materialism often leads to conditional happiness, in which people’s life satisfaction is tied to an endless cycle of their next purchase. Studies also show that materialism increases fear, sadness, anxiety, depression and judgementalism, while decreasing positive emotions and sense of purpose.

At the same time, when materialism increases, often so does clutter. Whether it’s a jam-packed closet or living spaces filled with things, many people find themselves constantly wanting more. But clutter leads to even further risks to our mental health, including increased stress levels, difficulty focusing, memory issues and struggles with impulse control.

So how do we push back against the materialistic nature of our culture that we are all constantly bombarded with? It is imperative to start by minimizing the pressures and negative influences. This might mean things like limiting time spent on social media or not following certain influencers or brands. Perhaps even more proactively, consciously practicing gratitude for the things we do have — and being deliberate about focusing even more on non-material things like nature and relationships — can help hedge risks of materialism.

In this spirit, each year on the first Monday in October, National Consignment Day encourages us to escape the materialistic cycle, clear out our spaces, donate items and shop second-hand. Thankfully, we don’t have to wait for a specific day to follow the underlying principles. We can all commit to living a simpler life by choosing to value things like nature, relationships, mental health and wellbeing above material things.