Some days when I go to a coffee shop, I wish they’d put bowls on the tables for all the mobile phones so that people have no choice but to take a rest from status updates – both doing their own and reading others.
One reason I’m not a fan of phone use in the company of others is that I really worry that talking with people in real life is going to become a lost skill. I’m not alone in this, am I?
When you’re composing a text message or comment for a Facebook or Instagram post, you can use it as a chance to hone your effective communication skills – but mostly, it’s a brief back and forth of shorthand that’s far from sustaining a meaningful and interesting conversation.
The other big concern I have is the growing comparison anxiety that’s pervading our lives. Not only do we have FOMO (fear of missing out – on information and news or the next big thing) but status anxiety is an increasingly troubling issue.
Worrying as to how our lives compare with the lives presented to us on social media is accepted as one of the reasons for the rise of anxiety and depression.
It also stokes the fires of materialism and spending beyond our means. Keeping up with the Joneses is not a new phenomenon. But now it’s not just keeping up with the Joneses – it’s keeping up with people we don’t even know: those with incomes in a different stratosphere to our own, or ones who are living beyond their means. Their Instagram feed could well be a house of cards … those of the plastic credit variety.
Australia has become the second highest level of household debt in the world at 190%. In plain language, this means for every dollar of income, we have $1.90 of debt. Our bricks and mortar is at risk of being a house of cards, too.
We’re also currently the world’s second highest in consumption of textiles, disposing of 6,000 kgs of clothing and other textiles every 10 seconds. In spite of the rise of op shops, the vast majority of this turned into rags or sent to landfill where it can take up to 200 years to break down. Fast fashion outlets have a lot to answer for. According to the ABC’s War on Waste, on average, we wear a garment only seven times before we move it on. It’s yet another aspect of excess consumerism and materialism. Not only does it take a toll on our own emotional health, it takes a toll on the planet’s health.
Desires aren’t all bad. To some degree, they can help us to be more goal-orientated and focused on achieving. Even so, if you go beneath the desire to buy that certain something and look at what it represents to you – security, power, acceptance – you can work on your self-esteem so that you can feel those feelings without having to buy things in hopes they’ll give them to you.
So how do we make ourselves feel better about all this?
Do we have to unplug from social media to turn the tide of our materialistic tendencies?
It’s pretty hard to unplug completely. But there’s an easier path of less resistance towards regaining our equilibrium. It’s a walk in the park versus trying to disconnect.
I’m talking about practising the art of gratitude.
No, I haven’t been diffusing too many oils! There’s a study to back this up, along with an essential oil by Young Living called Gratitude™. This oil is a divine-smelling way to amplify your gratitude process. It almost feels like cheating, it’s such a beautiful and enjoyable method to use! More on that in a moment.
Authors Emily L. Polak and Michael E. McCullough in their 2006 Journal of Happiness Studies explore materialism, its possible causes and the connection between materialism and gratitude.
There are lots of definitions of materialism, including, “A persistent emphasis on lower-order needs for material comfort and physical safety over higher-order needs such as self-expression and quality of life.”
Through their research and examination of other studies, Polak and McCullough find that gratitude and materialism are inversely related.
People with high gratitude levels in their personality were found in at least two studies to be much likelier to have below-average levels of materialism.
Studies by Lerner and Ketlner (2000, 2001) determined that gratitude has a number of effects, including:
- Shifting our focus to others
- Seeing others as affecting us in positive ways
These shifts create a sense of security that we’re not doing it alone and we have a bunch of helpful souls surrounding us.
This also has a flow-on effect of making us more social and feeling like the world around us is a better place – also encouraging us to want to give more by helping others.
A sense of insecurity is known to be one of the consistently common traits in people with out-of-balance materialistic desires. So building one’s sense of security will help to bring things back into balance.
We’ve posted previous on how to do gratitude journaling and other ways to feel good with gratitude. And Young Living Gratitude™ essential oil blend is such an easy way to feel good any time, anywhere.
If you’re finding yourself feeling overwhelmed lately – for any reason, not just status-related – keep a bottle in your bag or pocket and inhale whenever those feelings arise. You can also rub a drop gently between your wrists and deeply inhale.
This will also connect you up with The Good Oil Team for our personal support and coaching. We'd love to help you on your journey to vibrant well-being the natural way!
Any questions? Please get in touch via our Contact page.
Young Living Gratitude™ is also beautiful for diffusing. Try this bedtime prelude.
Set your diffuser going in the bedroom on a timer to start 10 minutes before you go to bed and end 10 minutes later. While you’re lying in bed, dwell on all the positive things that happened in your day, from the food you ate to the smiles you exchanged. Count your blessings along with sheep and the relaxing essential oils like frankincense, ylang ylang and bergamot included in Gratitude™ will help end your day on a peaceful and upbeat note.
My preferred source of essential oils and diffusers is Young Living. Not all oils are created equal. Quality varies immensely, so please ensure you are choosing a brand with complete transparency from seed to seal, such as Young Living. Discover why we love them so much in this short video.
Essential oils are potent, so as always, please follow directions on the bottle and the usual guidelines for safe use of authentic essential oils.
