This Indian Habit Seems Harmless - But It’s Emotionally Draining

You don’t need guests to bring out the good crockery

There’s a dinner set in most Indian homes that’s practically a family heirloom. Gifted on a wedding. Imported by a relative. Or just too expensive to use casually.

Wrapped in plastic. Stacked neatly. Kept aside - “only for guests.”

Even if no guests come for months. Even if you forget you even have it.

I used to think this was just a quirky habit. Turns out, it’s a deeply emotional pattern.

The Psychology Behind ‘Saving Things for Later’

According to psychologists, this behavior is called “special occasion syndrome” or “Guest Towel Syndrome”.

It’s our way of assigning emotional value to material things - believing they’ll mean more if we use them sparingly.

But here’s the catch:

🧠 Studies show that people who frequently use their favorite items - from clothes to mugs to decor - report higher satisfaction and less decision fatigue.

We think we’re preserving value.

But really, we’re postponing joy.

Why This Shows Up Most in Indian Homes

• Many of us grew up with the idea that “nice things” are for guests.
• A house that’s decorated like a showroom, but only when someone’s coming over
• There’s a subconscious belief that self-indulgence = waste.

But let’s ask the obvious question:

Aren’t we worth the good things, too?

The Day I Used the Fancy Plates

One Thursday, I was eating dinner alone. And on impulse, I pulled out the fancy crockery set - the one I’d mentally reserved for some future dinner party.

That one change transformed everything.

It wasn’t just dinner. It felt like care. It felt like presence. Not because I had company.

But because I finally decided I was company enough.

🧺 Use the Good Stuff. Now.

• Don’t wait for the perfect moment.
• Don’t wait for visitors.
• Don’t wait till something breaks or expires.

Not because life is short. But because life is now.

• Wear the pretty dress
• Burn the good incense
• Unwrap the fancy plates
• Hang the art you bought on impulse
• Write with that pen you’re “saving”
• Put fairy lights up even if no one’s visiting

You don’t need permission. You just need presence.

Because a good thing used with intention becomes more valuable - not less. And the everyday becomes something worth remembering.

At Kalavrit, we hand-paint mugs, lamps, tea light candle holders, and home accents - not for some curated “event” day, but for the real ones:

Lunch alone. Sunday cleaning. The last ten minutes before bed.

The kind of days you forget… unless something about them makes you pause.

Use the good things. Especially when no one’s watching.

That’s when they give the most joy.

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Originally published on Medium