How often do you find yourself being influenced by perfect images of bloggers on Instagram, your friends’ photos from unbelievably beautiful distant islands, reality shows picturing ordinary lives of rich celebrities? And how often do you notice your hidden materialistic nature trying to pave its way up as a result of it?
The thing is, by seeing other people having things (quite often trendy things e.g. beauty products or designer clothes) you don’t have at the moment force you to be competitive with people you don’t even know, just to prove yourself that you’re able to keep up with them, and all that without taking into consideration the current financial situation you’re in and your plans to invest the money into something more meaningful and rewarding. And the situation gets worse when you lose a sense of joy after getting those long-desired things since you already started taking them for granted. To regain happiness and the sense of fulfillment here are our 3 tips to follow.
1. Cooking
Eating out is always tasty and easy as it saves your time from cooking. But isn’t it exciting to make homemade food for/with your SO or nearest and dearest and spend the rest of the time on warm and interesting conversations? Believe you me, but experiencing cooking along with talking will give you the feeling of coziness, warmth and happiness.
2. Crafting
Do you have old things you want to get rid of or get replaced? Don’t rush up! Think of ways they can be changed and reused. Go with crafting: experiment, paint or sew, do whatever you are good at or want to be good at. Regardless of the result, enjoy the process and don’t think it would have been better to buy a new thing instead, but on the contrary, create memories of the crafting process, and be proud of showing your crafts to others as what you create would be something truly unique.
3. Making gifts
Switch off your materialistic mind for a while and don’t allow the brand names to take over it. The best way to express true feelings to your loved ones is to make a handmade or simple but memorable and touching gift. For example, it can be a list of favorite songs you and your SO used to listen when you got into a relationship, or it can be a collage of photos depicting the funniest moments from trips and everyday life. If you don’t know what to make, surf the internet and get inspiration from there. Remember, the gift should bond you more with a gift receiver and express the gratitude of having them in your life.
Being materialistic and owning first class and expensive things is nothing in the grand scheme of things. But being happy, spreading happiness and positive energy as well as cherishing simple moments in life is all you will be remembered for.