Everyone’s ways of coping or managing stress are different and unique, some can shift their mood to good after a whole day of sleeping, some may need to unload what they are feeling to their closest confidante, and some can only be stress-free after shopping.
Shopping can also be done to uplift your mood and make you happier. In fact, shopping therapy or also known as retail therapy is one of the most effective ways to relieve stress by shopping or experiencing the joy that comes from buying something for yourself. Keep in mind that retail therapy is different from self-reward. Sometimes, retail therapy is decided impulsively while you are in a shopping center or while surfing the online shop
The reason why shopping can be classified as an informal therapy is because it can stimulate the senses and reduce anxiety. While you are shopping, you will be able to see the colorful displays which can help to create an imaginative, stress-relieving sensory experience.
Just browsing through the sales and offers, or simply window shopping can have a positive effect on your mood. This can stimulate the neurotransmitter hormone in the brain to release dopamine and make a person feel better. Dopamine increases a person’s desire to keep looking for things that make them feel better.
What Are The Benefits of Shopping Therapy?
As explained above, the main benefits of retail therapy are related to psychological benefits such as restoring the mood from things that make you feel sad, stressed, or upset.
In addition, the retail therapy method can help make individuals feel in control and feel they have choices as well. Therefore, it can give you a sense of happiness and satisfaction.
Retail therapy is also useful for providing a distraction that can shift your thoughts from any negative feeling you are experiencing.
How To Not Go Overboard While Doing Retail Therapy?
Retail therapy can do wonders for your mood and happiness level. But the problem is when you go overboard when shopping and thus it messes up your finances too. If it happens, then retail therapy won’t be a problem solver, but instead it will add a lot more to your plate.
To ensure you know how to handle retail therapy properly, keep on reading to know the ultimate tips below.
1. Do Window-shopping Before Deciding to Purchase
When you’re in a bad mood, you usually become more impulsive. To avoid purchasing something because of your impulsiveness, you should try and relax first by looking at the items you want to buy at your favorite online shops. Or when you are at the mall you can browse down each of the stores, just to look first at the thing that you need and make note of what items capture your attention the most.
2. Buy Items on the Wishlist
When you need retail therapy, you can limit yourself to buying items on the wishlist so you don’t go too far. That way, you can still shop without worrying about spending more money.
If you shop conveniently, it may require more energy to back and forth checking whether your wishlist item is still available or not – thus why shopping online is much more effective if you want to do retail therapy efficiently.
For example, if you purchase your item from the shopping platform Temu, you will be able to put products that you like on your wishlist with ease. You just need to click the love sign on the product picture, and voila it will immediately be under your wishlist. Afterward, you can revisit your wishlist tab – and check which one is still available and which one is not. Online shopping really is much more easier and efficient, especially for busy people.
If you buy items from the shopping platform Temu, you can easily add products you like to your wishlist. Just click the heart icon on the product picture, and it will be saved to your wishlist. Later, you can check your wishlist to see which items are still available. Online shopping is much easier and more efficient, especially for busy people.
3. Think Twice Before Making Payment
Doing retail therapy doesn’t mean you have to buy a lot of things to feel better. Before making payment, you should think once again, “Is this something that I truly need?”, “If I buy this item, will I be happy?”
If you are in doubt, it is better to just wait a few days before making the purchase.
4. Stick to the Budget
During retail therapy, avoid overspending which can make you more wasteful! Especially if you are a credit card user, actions like this can threaten your finances. So, always adjust your purchases according to your budget for your money to not run out right away.
5. Avoid Overdoing It
For some individuals, the habit of frequent shopping can lead to excessive consumptive behavior. It is feared that this could spread to unwanted things such as continuing to shop even though you don’t have money and choosing to be in debt as long as you can shop.
The key to not falling into consumptive habits is moderation. Basically, everything must be done as needed and not excessively, this is also the case with retail therapy.
6. Seek Help When the Situation is Getting Worse
Retail therapy can indeed make you feel better, but keep in mind that your problem won’t be solved just by shopping. If you keep shopping to escape the pressure, you could be making things worse in the long run. That’s why, when everything is out of control, immediately consult your problem with a therapist!
There’s nothing wrong if you want to do retail therapy when you’re in a bad mood, that can be a great way to uplift it. As long as you can control yourself well, everything will be okay. But keep in mind that when you constantly use shopping as a way out instead of facing your problem or using it to overcome every difficulty, then this method becomes unideal.
