It is not a secret that shopping makes us feel better, to the point now ‘retail therapy’ is a thing! Jokes about preferring to go shopping rather than spending lots of money on therapy sessions, we have all heard it. A study from Journal of Consumer Psychology has found that shopping makes us feel happier and if we are feeling sad, uplifts us! But how exactly does it make us happy, what does it do to our brain? So here are some scientifically proven ways shopping improves our mental health;
- Distraction
Life can get too much sometimes. Some days are better than others. On bad days, we might all look for a little distraction, and shopping is one of the best distractions you can get! Clinical psychologist Scott Bea, PsyDSo states “Shopping and its sensory stimulation can remove us from our reality, even for a little while”. So much to look around, so many shops, colors, materials, fabrics… It sure will take your mind away from whatever is going on. So if you need to pause your mind for a couple of hours, take yourself to your nearest shopping mall/street. No need to buy anything, window shopping will give your mind a break!
- Helps you feel in control
Deciding on what to buy or not to buy will give us a sense of control. When life is throwing things at us at full speed and we feel like we have lost all control, shopping can give us that control back. This feeling of control effectively boosts our mood and makes us feel less sad.
- Confidence
Shopping can boost confidence in many ways. If you are shopping for clothes, and try on or buy a piece of clothing that makes you look good or expresses your identity, you will feel good in it. If you buy something you wanted for a while, or can afford things you see and like, these experiences will make you feel good and boost your confidence!
- Social interaction
When you go out to shop, you end up having some kind of social interaction with others. So if you are feeling lonely, or just low, a little bit of social interaction might be a part of the shopping experience that makes you feel good.
- Happy hormones!
The shopping experience involves a reward or a possible reward. If we like something and we get it, it is a reward. So while shopping, that anticipation of a possible reward releases dopamine — the hormone neurotransmitter in your brain that makes you feel good. So you don’t have to buy anything before the happy hormones start to release, you feel good even when you are just looking around! And maybe that is why a lot of us enjoy browsing online, filling up the cart, and abandoning it before we even get to check out, because we already feel good, and save our money!
So shopping can actually be a therapeutic experience! It can reduce sadness, boost our mood and confidence, and give us the sense that we are taking control of our lives! However, it is important to note that there are risks associated with shopping, such as it becoming an addiction, which may lead to financial issues too. Even though it may make us feel good in most cases, when shopping becomes problematic people may experience buyer’s remorse which is regret following a purchase. So just like everything else, balance is important when it comes to shopping too.
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