Mental Tips You Can Use to Stop Falling Prey to Consumerism

When we talk about consumerism, the one thing we have to understand is that it all starts in the mind, and ends in the mind. Do any of these major slogans ring a bell?

“The Best A Man Can Get,” – Gillette
“Open Happiness” – Coca-cola
“Think Different” – Apple
“Live in Levi’s” – Levis
“Just Do It” – Nike
“Because You’re Worth It” – L’oreal
“Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline” – Maybelline

I bet every one of these brought back some memories of either where you were at some point when you heard them, or of the times you’ve consciously or subconsciously purchased most, if not all of these products without batting an eye. Each of them was an international sensation in their prime time, and most are still wildly popular.

In America alone, this tendency to fall into consumerism has defined us culturally. It is as if we, the consumers, have an unhealthy love/hate relationship with the brands that gradually rewire our subconscious mind. The love part is because we all find ourselves being lured in by these products like moths to a flame, and the hate is because, at the back of our minds, we know we don’t truly need all that stuff in our lives.

Unpacking What Consumerism Is All About

All those famous ad slogans paint a precise picture of the very core of what consumerism is; an inbuilt human desire to buy more and more non-essential goods and services as some kind of achievement. It’s a crazy notion that implies our being happy, successful, and at peace depends on buying whatever is being peddled, even if it’s not a basic need.

There are two major perspectives on consumerism.

• The sellers’ view: Seeing customer spending as the key driver of economic growth, and by buying these goods and services, consumers stimulate production and boost the economy.
• The consumer activist’s view: feeling that consumers are being manipulated into over-the-top buying and overconsumption even when that harms our environment, planet, and social harmony.

From a mental health point of view, however, we believe consumerism is chipping away firstly at our social and moral fiber as human beings, and secondly at our mental health. The ideals that we hold about beauty, success, and lifestyle put so much pressure on us to conform and leave us feeling that we are not enough when compared to the promoted, often unattainable standards.

Other dangers of consumerism:

• Debt and financial stress.
• A cycle of temporary satisfaction followed by emptiness.
• A preference for material possessions over real needs like meaningful relationships.

A cross-section of our readers sent in some handy hints that they like to use to avoid getting sucked into this trap, and we got some interesting responses that might work for you if you’re a sucker for swiping that credit card.

Mental Tips to Avoid the Trap

“These days I first think about each purchase in terms of how many hours I have to work to afford it before I buy it.” – Reader #1

“I just don’t use credit cards anymore and except on rare occasions, if I don’t have ready cash for it, it’s staying in the shop.” – Reader #2

“I started selling some stuff that I no longer need/use and now have a better understanding of things that I buy that I don’t need.” – Reader #3

“I window shop and make a big list of stuff that I think that I want, then over time when I look back on it, I realize most of it is not needed or useless.” – Reader #4

“I have a rule now that I won’t buy anything consumable twice and just won’t buy a new one until the old one is unusable.” – Reader #5

“When online shopping, I first check out what the shipping is to see if it is worth the full cost of the deal, then I also check whether my friends will combine orders to save on shipping, too.” – Reader # 6

“If I see something I want, I sleep on it. If I still want it the next day, I’ll either buy it or make a plan to, but if I don’t feel the same the next day, or if I doubt it, then I don’t.” – Reader #7

“I ask myself what I am going to do with it, where I’ll put it, and how often I will use it. So, if I can’t quickly answer those 3 questions, I don’t really need it and so far, I’ve had an 80% success rate of talking myself out of it.” – Reader #8

Spending money can indeed be fulfilling but at times, it stops us from solving real issues that need to be resolved. Consumerism has taken such a great toll on the mental health of some of us that we can’t control it. If you are feeling this way, then don’t hesitate to contact us today at Culver City Christian Counseling. Our reception team will help you schedule an appointment to talk with one of the professional Christian counselors in Culver City, California.