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Dealing With The Compulsion To Shop

by Marie Vonow (follow)

Blogs:https://minamaries.blogspot.com.au https://simpleselfimprovement.blogspot.com.au/

Shopping (46) Money (18) Activities (10) Advertising (5) Depression (3) Spending (3)

Image adapted from Pixabay

If you are often feeling miserable, worthless, anxious,depressed or negative in another way which results in unnecessary shopping to boost your spirits, talk to your doctor. He/she may refer you to a counsellor, psychologist or other professional who can help you identify and overcome the underlying issues.

If you only resort to shopping now and then to make yourself feel better and don't think you need professional help, consider these thoughts. I did a bit of online research and some ideas are not what I would find helpful, but they might work for others.

Is your weakness online shopping?

Unsubscribe from any emails for discount group buying sites or places where sales last only a few hours. This sounds like good advice to me as it is all too easy to make a quick purchase so you don't miss out.

Get rid of your credit cards. This means you can only spend money you actually have and should slow up any compulsive spending.

One suggestion I read was to load up your cart online and then log out without buying. This sounds risky to me. How can you be sure you won't buy those goodies in your cart? Even if it does work, you haven't really changed the feeling that shopping makes you feel better.

Is your pattern to head to the shopping centre or mall to shop when you feel down?.

Some experts suggest making a smaller purchase such as a lip gloss. This might work for some but it is still buying something you don't really need and it is putting you in the path of temptation to make bigger purchases.

Others suggest going to a thrift shop. Again, even though you are likely to spend less money than when you buy new, you are still using unnecessary shopping as a reaction to negative feelings.

Another idea is to take a list and friend with you when you go to the shops. The list is sound advice. You need to choose your friend carefully. Some friends may actually encourage you to make purchases and the idea could backfire.

Are you easily persuaded by clever advertising tactics?

Don't watch TV shopping channels.

Put a 'No advertising' sticker on your letterbox. These are available from some newsagents, hardware stores and bargain shops. This stops you browsing those brightly coloured brochures with sale items that can seem like must-haves at the time.

Don't pick up sale brochures as you enter a department or bargain store.

Temptation to shop is all around us.Image by Pixabay

Find other enjoyable activities
Think what activities you would enjoy doing to replace your habit of unnecessary shopping. For some ideas check out activities instead of retail therapy

Find another pleasant activity instead of retail therapy Image courtesy of Pixabay

Shopping for groceries and things we really need is a part of life. However, buying surplus items in an attempt to feel better doesn't deal with the root of the problem and can create new issues when the budget is blown. Help is available for those who can't control the urge to shop compulsively.

# Activities
# Advertising
# Depression
# Money
# Shopping
# Spending

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