Shopping or psychologist: how shopping therapy works

Shopping is one of the most accessible and most affordable ways to get in the mood. We buy clothes, cosmetics, jewellery, magazines in the hope that this will help us improve our quality of life. When does it work and when do we need to make an appointment with a psychologist? Let’s find out together.

Shopping therapy: how it works

As a rule, ordinary shopping turns into shopping therapy for us when we feel depressed, tired, and overwhelmed. And in such moments it is essential to buy what can change your mood.

Each of us has a list of things that can improve our mood. However, according to studies, in most cases, women prefer to buy clothes, shoes, accessories, various books and glossy magazines. Men also cheer up by buying electronics, food, video games.

Thus, the representatives of the beautiful sex seek to change something in their appearance and their environment, expecting to improve their worldview. Men, as a rule, want to be distracted from the circumstances that caused the depression. Having stopped thinking about the causes of their bad mood, they gradually forget about it.

Shopping therapy only works when you buy exactly the things that make you feel good. Yes, if you buy a beautiful lamp, then you will get much more pleasure from such a purchase than if you buy a functional light.

According to statistics, when buying aesthetically beautiful things, people are much more likely to get rid of depression even if you have regretted your purchase over time.

When shopping doesn’t help

It is essential to understand that shopping only helps if you have autumn fatigue or burnout. If you are concerned about something important, whether there are unresolved internal or personal conflicts, shopping will not help. It does not solve deep internal problems, does not establish relationships with family, does not teach to love yourself. When buying new products, there is a therapeutic effect. But, at the same time, the cause of sadness is not eliminated. And in shopping therapy, there is such a side effect as addiction. Therefore, people who are overly addicted to shopping have an increased risk of getting into debt and finding themselves even sadder. What are we? It is crucial to be able to analyze your life and listen to your feelings to distinguish commonplace boredom from something more serious.