Blessings versus Burdens – a look at our long term shopping habits and the clutter it can create

Part of our journey into the ways of adulthood is learning how to manage our hard earned money. Do you remember getting your first paycheck? You finally had money to spend! It was exciting to finally have the freedom to buy whatever you wanted. You may have felt a mixture of emotions, excitement, or even empowered due to the undeniable allure of newfound financial freedom. I suspect you had well thought out plans on what to buy well before you bought it. I recall new clothes were very high on my agenda when I got my first pay. In this blog we delve into some of our purchasing decisions and discover how continual purchasing may go from feeling like a blessing to a burdensome state of overwhelm.

Bulging at the seams

Many of our homes are full to overflowing. According to the 2017 Choosi Clutter report, a staggering 73% of Australian homes report being cluttered with unwanted or unused possessions. Our living spaces and cupboards are overwhelmed with the weight of accumulated belongings. We live in a society where consumerism seems as addictive as sport or maybe even a sport in itself… How and when will we get to the point of knowing how much is enough? The continual influx of possessions often occurs unconsciously. We are driven by consumer culture and an insatiable desire for more. Convenience and instant gratification are what dictates most of our modern life. We seldom give consideration to the long-term effects of our purchasing.

Dopamine hit

Have you felt it before? The exhilarating rush of a dopamine hit that comes during and after a shopping spree! I know I have. Whether we are buying something we want or something useful that we need, this hit triggers a release of feel-good chemicals in our brains. As our brain likes what is familiar, this fleeting pleasure can create a cycle of feeling down, finding solace in shopping, experiencing a temporary high and before we know it, spiraling back down to a feeling of discontent. What initially felt like a blessing was simply a quick fix that lifted our spirits momentarily. The long-term consequences of this cycle can become a burden of responsibility as we grapple with how to manage our ever increasing possessions.

Excess stuff and mental health

The conversation around the impact of clutter in our homes and its effect on our mental wellbeing needs to be brought to the forefront. You may have heard Peter Walsh say, “You can’t organize excess,” which is what many of us try to do.

Constant visual stimuli within a cluttered environment overwhelm our brain and leads to feelings of stress and anxiety. It is not uncommon to have feelings of guilt, shame and embarrassment as individuals struggle within their home environment. The emotional burden, coupled with the physical burden can contribute to negative self-talk and make it almost impossible to relax and unwind in your own home. Studies have shown living in a cluttered environment leads to elevated cortisol levels; the hormone associated with stress.

So where to from here?

Apart from physically decluttering your space, a shift in mindset and our consumption habits need to be considered. Have you found yourself in a shopping cycle of buying things that make you feel better in the short term? How can we look at that shopping cycle objectively? Can we start to ask ourselves this question prior to shopping: “Will this item be a blessing or a burden to me in the long term?” By fostering a conscience approach to why we are actually shopping, we can start to eliminate what is unnecessary and create spaces within our home that support our mental wellbeing giving us the space to rest.

If you have found yourself in this predicament of buying what you thought would be a blessing only to end up feeling like you now own a stack of burdens, please know that you are not alone! In my observations this is a common transitional phase where you may have feelings of frustration and regret. Frustration because you can’t stop shopping and regret on how much money has been wasted. This is, however, the first step in reclaiming your space, your money and your heartstrings. When we begin to understand and unravel what we are actually seeking in the shopping cycle, be that love, acceptance, understanding, peace, only then can we recognize that material possessions don’t define our worth nor solve our internal problems and we can begin to reprioritise what is important to us.

It is never too late to embark on your decluttering journey. If you are ready to get started, please reach out to us, we are keen to walk this journey alongside you!