Many people find happiness, excitement and pleasure while doing their favorite activity. Some people find happiness while shopping. It might be clothing, books or dresses, hardware’s, machines etc. and the point is not what is being [purchased but the fact that shopping brings happiness and pleasure to them. Shopping can be seen as a kind of therapy for many people ( as long as they don’t waste their money in buying unnecessary things which can bring problems in future). Shopping can help in many ways.
According to a study, which was conducted in 2014, it was found that retail therapy not only brings happiness and joy but it can also fight sadness in a lot of different ways. According to studies, sadness is generally associated with a sense where it can control someone’s life goals and outcomes and bring discouragement and embarrassment. But while shopping, the control over your own choices, necessities and needs can be brought back. By shopping one can restore the feeling of personal control and autonomy. Purchasing the things that you like and personally enjoy help in being more effective (up to 40 times) in giving the sense of pleasure and joy.
There are different ways by which shopping can bring you happiness:
#1 DE-STRESS
While having stressful lives, people often try to find some leisure period and some activities which will make them feel lively and stress free. Stress can cause many mental illness such as depression or anxiety etc. and can also have harsh impact on physical health as well. But when people shop, they get an opportunity to forget everything all stressful things and focus on a particular task. Shopping is not an mindless activity because it required concentration for selecting good products and bargains. While buying something we need to compare them with other similar products and find out which product best suits our interest and needs. The stressors in life have less impact on you when you don’t think about them and thus it you get the opportunity to heal. Shopping will provide you a break from all stresses and worrying and will even help you to come with some solution.
#2 IT TAKES MIND OFF THINGS
Online and offline shopping require concentration and taken time to decide the bet product and most suitable product and when you think about what you want or need and try to find the most appropriate item for meeting your requirements, your mind gets diverted from the stresses in your life.
#3 BOOSTS CONFIDENCE
Perfect pair of shoes for your outfit can make you feel amazing because you feel complete and confident about what you’re wearing. The same goes with everything which is around your and which you use. It gives you the compliment: Yes, you’re amazing ! Its not just the wearing or thing being used which helps you, but it’ll also give a big confidence boost when you feel satisfied about what you’re wearing and using.
#4 CONTROLLED
While shopping, the purchaser is the one who will make all the decisions. If you feel that everything is out of your control, then you can go for shopping and this will help you in relieving your stress. Shopping provides complete control which doesn’t happen to be in every aspects of your life. So, when you get the opportunity then you should grab it. Once again, this will boost your confidence level and a day of shopping or retail therapy will remind you that we can make things right. Researches have found that, shopping decisions help us to have the sense of personal control over our environment and help to overcome sadness.
#5 GET TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH FRIENDS
In today’s busy world it is very difficult to meet and hang out with your loved ones and favorite persons and a shopping trip is the perfect opportunity to get everyone together and have fun. Shopping is something which gives more happiness and joy when done with friends or people you love. Time spent with our favorite people will make you feel more happy and good.
Following tips can be included in you shopping trip to make it more exciting and enjoyable:
- Include lunch or dinner in the plan (or even breakfast if you’re shopping in the morning)
- Include movie or some cocktails to relax if you get tired
- Hangout in your friend’s house and try out the things that you’ve purchased.
- Spending time with your friends and people you love is a great therapy and when this is done with shopping, then it will make the life more good.
#6 GRATIFYING
In shopping, Gratification comes in two forms:
- Instant Gratification, which means seeing something that you need or want and then buying it.
- Delayed Gratification, which means seeing something that you want and not buying it right away and saving up money for buying it and returning home and expecting to buy it some other time.
#7 IMPROVE SELF IMAGE
The way you present yourself to the world is one of the important factors which determine the image which will formed about you in others mind. Effectively creating the image that you want will make you feel good and you can shop according to your own style and image that you want to show to the world. You can buy something wither in online or offline mode to add on or perpetuate your image.
Every time you’re buying something, you are adding to your image and this will make you feel more confident about yourselves.
#8 REFRESHING
Everyone wants to have something and new things now and again. You can shop to enhance your look and image or new look to your room or wardrobe. Shopping always incorporates some thing new into your life and always feels refreshing.
#9 IT BRINGS CHANGE
We do shopping when we want to change anything in our life or want to add something new into our life. This may be because of some life event or we want people to see us differently etc. There are numerous reasons to do shopping and can change their life and outlook towards life.
So there you go and next time when you’ll be feeling down or sad, then boost your mind and spirit by shopping your favorite things with your favorite people.
Tell me your experiences from your last purchase in the comments…
