State of Mind: You won’t find happiness in a Stanley cup

There has been a great deal of public discourse recently about the fascinating topic of water bottles. At least, one specific bottle (the so called Stanley cup craze) and the level of enraged need that many have to possess it or other varieties of it. But the intriguing part isn’t the fact that the cup has a straw or a handle or keeps drinks cold for hours — all things that much less expensive bottles can boast — it’s the role that it plays in our culture and the individual lives of many in it.

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The water bottle isn’t the first and won’t be the last to play this role. Perhaps today it’s a cup, while yesterday it was a specific brand of children’s doll or, ironically enough, a different brand of water bottle. Perhaps tomorrow we’ll return our collective focus to another clothing logo, the latest phone model or any other imaginable and often repeated cycle of materialistic desires.

The reality is that materialism is deeply rooted in many aspects of society and doesn’t show any signs of slowing. And while countless books continue to explore the interesting dynamics of materialism in culture, it’s important to acknowledge the role it plays in the lives of individuals when it comes to mental health and well-being.

Materialism refers to the tendency to focus on the goal of acquiring possessions, judge success for oneself and others by their possessions and believe that possessions will lead to happiness. In our capitalistic society, we are bombarded daily with messages that encourage and reinforce materialism with both television and social media having been shown to increase materialism because of constant product advertisements and encouraging comparisons to others.

Individual insecurities can further contribute to materialism, as possessions take the role of filling voids and providing value. People also tend to become more materialistic when surrounded by friends or family that reinforce such messages.

All of this carries significant implications for well-being. Studies consistently show that materialistic people are less happy, experience fewer positive emotions, report lower life satisfaction and feel a lower sense of purpose in life. In fact, materialism has been shown to lead to increased feelings of fear and sadness, higher levels of anxiety and depression, increased risks of substance abuse and even increases in physical problems like headaches and stomachaches. Interestingly, these findings are consistent regardless of a person’s income level.

Thankfully, the antithesis to materialism is free and readily available. That is, gratitude. Gratitude is the practice of being thankful and having appreciation for that which we already have and for the positive that exists around us, reminding us that the source of happiness exists not in possessions, but in things like the beauty of nature, the kindness of others or the warmth of a meal.

With gratitude comes many of the benefits materialism leaves us in search of. It’s no surprise that studies show that gratitude leads to increased happiness and life satisfaction, improved relationships, better sleep, improved focus, higher self-esteem, increased patience, less feelings of sadness and worry, decreased anxiety and stress, lower rates of depression, decreased blood pressure and improved cardiovascular health and immune system functioning.

While news outlets continue to report on stampedes in stores for the latest cup and increases in bullying among both kids and adults toward those not sporting the right logo, perhaps now is as good of a time as ever to take a step back and consider the potential role that each of us plays in supporting a culture of materialism. Maybe it even means leaving the water bottle behind, literally and metaphorically, and allowing gratitude to take its place.

Bryan Busch is a licensed mental health counselor in Cedar Rapids. He also works at Folience, the parent company of The Gazette. He can be reached at bryan.busch@thegazette.com.