One of the recent studies I've read shows, and many people know it from their own experience, ⎼ shopping is addictive. It happens because we become addicted to how we feel while shopping, to be precise ⎼ how our brain feels. On a chemical level, placing a new order online or picking up a branded bag from the counter makes us feel better. It helps to fight stress, relieve pain and feel more content. Who doesn't love that? Of course, there are always two sides, but there is no doubt that personal shopping is one of the most acceptable "addictions" by our society.
We all have our ways of dealing with everything happening in our lives and around it. It makes sense to avoid painful and unpleasant experiences, and make plans to become happier. Just the thought ⎼ almost everything we plan in our daily lives is intended to make us feel more satisfied and happy. We also unconsciously have a "wishlist" for our emotional balance and health. If you ask yourself how you want to feel, the answer is almost always the same for everyone: I want to feel happy, content, comfortable and fulfilled. It is so good to know exactly what you want, because it becomes achievable right away. And while it's much harder to get into the desired state of mind and you can search forever for that special key to your spirit, our immediate emotions are much closer and more easily guided.
... almost everything we plan in our daily lives is intended to make us feel more satisfied and happy.
One of the best and simple ways to boost your mood is to treat yourself. Do something new, pleasurable, and completely unnecessary ⎼ just for enjoyment of it*. Dance, eat the whole chocolate bar with the afternoon coffee, get the day off and go to the park or a spa. Or do that thing we do lying in bed after a really long and stressful day ⎼ scroll through the wishlist and buy yourself something desirable. Then put the phone away and feel that tune of pleasant anticipation.
And here we are, talking about shopping sprees at night for the sake of feeling better. Indeed, buying things is one of the biggest parts of our lives. From basic needs to world travel and expensive wine ⎼ it requires a personal decision to spend our time and money. It's all about priorities. What I find interesting, and I've seen it quite often, is that sooner or later, usually after a deep dive into the ocean of goods and stuff, we start to seriously think about the famous quality vs. quantity balance. And it's hard to explain why. Maybe because we've had enough or it doesn't work like magic anymore, or maybe we've started to think about the environment and want to be more proactive for the sake of the future. Or maybe we want something more, but have limits and want the money to work better. There are many possible reasons, only it doesn't really matter why exactly, the question itself is what's important. And that is something I would prefer to think about sooner. Because once you start to see the benefits of quality over quantity, it spreads to almost all areas of your life. Better job or occupation, better self-care, better surroundings, better relationships, better life decisions - you name it! You start to put everything into perspective and that is revealing! After these transformations there is no way back, and I personally don't think it is reasonable.
* Any extreme can be harmful. Let's be more conscious - chose well and buy less.
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