Shopping has never been easy and practical today; with various online shopping platforms you can choose from the ones covering fashion pieces to home supplies. Not to mention that some marketplaces that offer endless choices of products also provide their users with vouchers and hard-to-miss promos. As compelling as it sounds, many people feel the need to make use of the promos that may not come again later in the future, even though you don't really need that thing at the moment triggering the thrill of compulsive buying.
It's hard to fight the feeling because thoughts like, "Well, I might need it someday," or even "It's better to regret that we bought it rather than regretting that we didn't," may justify the click of checking out your shopping cart. Compulsive buying can be dangerous if you don't do anything about it. It's contagious and will affect your decision for the long term because once you let yourself at ease, there's a chance it will develop into a habit.
According to VeryWellMind, compulsive shopping is a coping mechanism to mask difficult emotions like stress, anxiety, and low self-esteem. However, it only provides temporary relief from their struggles, and their inability to control their shopping eventually leaves them with an overwhelming sense of guilt and shame.
Compulsive shopping doesn't have anything to do with how much money spent but rather the extent of the preoccupation, the level of personal distress, and the development of unfortunate consequences that characterizes the condition. Then it can be argued that compulsive buying also enhances a hoarding mentality. Think about the situation where you bought something, but you don't want to let it go because you haven't truly used them yet, and keep thinking that "I bought this for a reason, I'm not letting go of it yet!" In fact, it is suggested that hoarding was a crucial predictor of compulsive buying.
Hence, there is a common belief that compulsive buying is associated with hoarding because nearly all hoarders suffer from compulsive buying, but not all compulsive buyers are hoarders. One research conducted in 2008 found that compulsive buyers with a hoarding mentality reported more severe obsessive-compulsive symptoms and presented with higher psychiatric co-morbidity as compared with non-hoarding subjects.
 Stress Illustration/ Foto: Anna Shvets/Pexels |
So, how to deal with it?
Fight the feeling by taking some time to think. No need to rush! Remember, you are only in a race with lust, and you cannot let it win. Instead, take some time to truly think about your decision with questions like, "Do you really need it? Are you going to spend some bucks for some things you don't really know when it will come in handy?"
Remember the priorities; resort to saving money instead. Imagine the feeling when you finally get your hands on your dream shoes or your dream phone one you work hard to obtain and whose purchases surely won't leave a guilty feeling. All in all, stick to a list to make shopping less stressful for you.
Lastly, you can try to develop a new hobby. If you use shopping as a stress reliever or a form of entertainment, try to find a healthier one like yoga. Not only it's a great stress reliever, but it can also be a fun and healthy pastime that you can practice alone or with a companion of others.
