Retail therapy refers to the process of shopping as a way of making егэ

How retail therapy works and benefits in shopping?

Retail therapy essentially makes shopping enjoyable and gives a shopper a feeling of control. Researches show that shopping cheers people’s mood up as they often shop when feeling sad. Retail therapy refers to the process by which people go shopping with the sole purpose of making themselves feel better. Experts define this shopping behavior as a psychological disorder oniomania or compulsive buying disorder. Retail therapy not only makes people happier, but also eases sadness or stress. In the current scenario impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, people’s stress levels may continue to high.

As this pandemic has caused every aspect of individuals’ lives and work, people may get frustrated. Considering a dose of retail therapy can provide a safe and effective outlet to relieve anxiety.

Why Retail Therapy?

Undoubtedly, when a person looks good, he/she feels good. And this feeling can help boost their confidence. By moving onto something new psychologically makes a person feel good. Retail therapy is apt when people forget about the old and move onto the new. It also feels good when it makes them forget about how annoying their layover is. A study from the Journal of Consumer Psychology revealed that shopping is a logical coping mechanism for people who are sad or have no control over their environments. With shopping, they can control where they go and what they purchase.

Though retail therapy is an effective way to improve people’s mood and give access to control over their environment, it is not always the best coping mechanism. 

How to Make Healthy Retail Therapy?

With every shopping, there is guilt on spending on something that a person didn’t actually need, leading to even more distress. This overspending can even affect retail therapy. Thus, to avoid this, people need to self-monitor to maintain their shopping activities and make it manageable for their mental health and budget.

For most people, overspending and debt would be the primary negative consequences of retail therapy. To dodge this risk, sticking to a budget for their spending can be effective. People must have monetary plans to use for shopping. This can be beneficial when they have already reached their spending limit but want to shop. Saving for the desired item can make an individual feel rewarding.

People must use their shopping journeys to make purchases they need that help make healthy retail therapy. They need to pay attention to things that they need more. And for this, sticking to a budget approach is apt. Besides this, take a moment and recall, what are some of the best purchases that you have ever made and need to make? Browsing items to shops or adding items to a shopping cart without hitting order may appear to offer similar benefits. This means that before buying anything, a shopper must try window-shopping first. The Journal of Consumer Psychology study indicated that hypothetical shopping was also effective at improving mood.

Therefore, shopping is considered a therapeutic approach in many ways, improving people’s mood and helping in effective decision making.

Retail therapy is a process of shopping for the purpose of making yourself feel better. Retail therapy is much more common than you think – in fact, many of us are guilty of therapy shopping without even realizing it.

Some examples of retail therapy can include:

• Having had a bad day at work, you stop at the mall on your way home and buy several new items that you weren’t considering purchasing beforehand.
• You receive bad news over the phone that puts a damper on your Saturday, so you decide to order pizza to make yourself feel better.
• You are sick, feeling anxious or depressed, and decide to purchase a big-ticket item (such as a new TV, laptop, a vacation) to cheer yourself up and have something to look forward to.

According to online counseling service platform Better Help, retail therapy shopping can be considered a positive thing if you have the means to allow for big splurges – but if you’re living paycheck to paycheck and putting these retail therapy purchases on credit, it will only cause problems in the future.

Whether it’s a big purchase like a flat screen TV during a big sale, a dress that makes you feel beautiful, or an investment into remodeling a part of your home, there are many situations where spending money adds value to our lives.

Financial psychologist Dr. Tracy Thomas explains that there is a psychological connection between your emotions and how you spend (and save) money, which explains how emotional purchasing can have such a positive, uplifting effect on our state of mind.

Retail therapy is proven to work – but is there a negative psychological cost?Photo by Dean Drobot on Shutterstock

Lead researchers (Meloy and Atalay) of a 2011 study on retail therapy explain that therapeutic shopping can be considered a strategic effort to improve our mood. The results of the study prove that the idea of buying items to make yourself feel better (window shopping) improves your mood as much as actually purchasing the items do.

How does retail therapy prevent sadness?

Sadness is a situational experience that results from things we sometimes have no control over. When we’re overcome by sadness, sometimes we want nothing more than to be happy, but can’t seem to pull ourselves out of the emotion that’s dragging us down. A separate 2013 study explains that retail therapy is most impactful when we’re sad, but not necessarily when we are angry. The choices involved in retail therapy offer restored personal control over your environment, which makes us feel better in certain situations.

The potential negative consequences of retail therapy

It’s common for people to feel as if they are indulging a bad habit when they make unplanned purchases – but is retail therapy really that bad for you?

It all depends on your financial situation, explains mental health professional Crystal Raypole. If you maintain purchases that are within your spending budget, you are not likely to see the negative impacts of that in your life.

However, retail shopping often happens when we are vulnerable (feeling sad, upset, threatened, etc.) and these are moods where our impulse control is often unchecked. If you are spending outside of your means, you may end up with significant levels of debt due to purchases that were originally supposed to make you feel happier.

While they may serve that purpose in the beginning, if the purchases lead to further debt, the happiness will be short-lived and stress over unpaid bills will soon follow.

Are retail therapy and compulsive shopping the same?

Compulsive shopping (or compulsive buying disorder) and retail therapy are both about spending money to make yourself feel better, but beyond this they are wildly different.

Compulsive shopping, unlike retail therapy, is a momentary pleasure. The happiness involved in the purchase doesn’t typically last past the moment of purchase.

With compulsive shopping, you may:

• Purchase things you don’t need or want because you like spending money
• Not be able to control your shopping impulses
• Feel the need to hide purchases
• Not actually use the things you purchase because you have no reason for buying them
• Need to shop more and more as time goes on, not feeling satisfied with one purchase to boost your mood

Retail therapy, on the other hand, is more likely to:

• Be a strategically planned purchase, even if you don’t necessarily need it, you purchase something you know will add value to your life
• Involve you purchasing something that has been on your “wish list” for a while instead of buying something you have never considered buying before
• Consist of buying something you have reason to buy (a phone or new planner to help you stay organized, a new bed to help you sleep better, etc.)

Raypole further explains that the key to determining whether you are retail shopping or compulsive shopping lies in how you feel about the purchase afterward and whether you have the ability to say no to yourself in the moment of purchase.

Retail therapy is the practice of using shopping to cope with emotional distress and can be detrimental to your mental health and financial well-being if not controlled. Although spending money can give an individual a release of dopamine and positive emotions in the moment, it can often cause undesirable long-term effects, like financial insecurity, debt, relationship challenges, or poor credit, among other challenges.

If you’re experiencing the urge to partake in retail therapy or feel you may struggle with compulsive shopping or spending, you may benefit from speaking to a mental health professional for support. 

What Is Retail Therapy?

Retail therapy is the process of shopping to reduce stress, improve mood, or fulfill a compulsive urge. When shopping out of compulsion, you might not need or want the items you’re buying but do so for a mood boost or to fulfill a habit urge. 

Splurging and spending money on some items can be healthy on occasion. However, if you’re putting many items on credit that aren’t in your budget, retail therapy may cause long-term consequences, even if it leads to an immediately improved mood. Retail therapy can also impact those who have disposable income, as excessive shopping may not align with your values and could cause challenges in your relationships.  

Retail therapy, often called shopping therapy, is a misnomer because it’s not a form of therapy and can become a psychological dependency and compulsive habit, similar to addiction. Experts define «retail therapy» as a psychological challenge called «oniomania,» or compulsive shopping. One may continue partaking in shopping habits because it can offer a sense of relief from feelings like anxiety, depression, or shame. In addition, it may provide a short-term benefit to the spender, such as a new outfit, a fun outing, or food they enjoy. 

How Can You Reduce Spending Compulsions? 

If you’ve decided you’re experiencing the impacts of compulsive spending and have the urge to stop, recognizing this reality can be the first step to avoiding engaging in behavior that you or a professional deem unhealthy. Below are several suggestions for reducing these habits in your life.

Recognize What Prompts Your Spending Urges 

What mood are you in when you want to grab your wallet and head to the store? Are you mad? Sad? Frustrated? Recognizing which mood causes you to want to partake in retail therapy can help you start modifying your behavior. 

For instance, if you do most of your online shopping when you’re bored, consider taking up a new hobby. You may enjoy journaling or reading a book on your phone. These low or no-cost activities may still bring pleasure to your day and brighten your mood. Studies have found that journaling and other expressive writing practices have been associated with positive mental health. 

If you often indulge in retail therapy after a frustrating day at the office, school, or with the family, consider going for a walk, dancing to music you love, or heading to the gym rather than the mall. Finding productive ways to increase dopamine and other positive neurotransmitters in your brain can supplement the joy you receive from spending with a healthier habit. 

Give Yourself Time 

Giving yourself time is a method of deferring retail therapy by considering whether you truly want an item you are tempted to purchase or acting on impulse for the immediate gratification that comes with buying it. 

Instead of buying the item immediately, write down the item you want, the store you saw it in, and the item’s price. Over the next several days, decide whether you still want that item. You may find that many items you write down don’t come home with you because purchasing items like food or other necessities feels most important. 

Clean Your Digital Space

Cleaning your digital space can help you identify and eliminate retail therapy causes. For example, you might have apps on your phone that greet you every time you log in or send notifications and ads, like Google, Amazon, or eBay, that remind you of available items to buy. You can uninstall those apps or turn off notifications and ads to reduce your exposure to them. 

In addition, you can unsubscribe from marketing emails from your favorite brands or create a new email. With less temptation, you may find yourself less likely to engage in retail therapy and make a purchase you regret. 

Make A Budget

Studies have found that individuals spend more money when they use a credit card because they can’t see the money they’re spending. When it comes time to pay bills, they may be surprised by how much they’ve spent or how much is left in their account. In addition, some people may feel anxious to check their bank account out of fear of seeing a low amount after they spend money. 

You can combat these experiences with a concrete budget plan. Write down your monthly budget to better understand how many bills you have and how much money you have for spending. The amount of spending money you have might be less than you thought, but having a number can remind you not to go overboard when shopping. If you struggle to do this, consider withdrawing your money for spending in cash, and do not buy any impulsive or personal purchases with any other form of payment. You can refuse to buy more until the next pay cycle when your cash runs out.  

Budgeting can help you combat retail therapy by forcing you to put money aside for bills you might otherwise not have considered and spent on an unintentional purchase. Continuing to offer yourself some spending money may make budgeting feel less overwhelming initially. 

Window Shop

Window shopping can be frustrating for some individuals because it might not provide the same level of satisfaction as buying items. However, there are a few ways you can consider making the activity fun, including the following: 

• Going to a clothing store to try on cool outfits and take selfies in them 

• Making a list of all the items in a store you’d like to own one day 

• Making a list of items you’d love as presents from others for the holidays 

• Going to a store with items for less than two dollars each to buy one or two items

• Going to all of the thrift stores in your city to find out which one you like most 

• Going to an antique store to look at old items like a museum 

Counseling Options 

If you’re experiencing difficulty with spending habits, you’re not alone. Therapy is a standard treatment for compulsive spending and can help you retrain your habits and thought processes. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option while exploring these habits, you can try online counseling, which is often hundreds of dollars cheaper monthly than in-person therapy. 

Online platforms like BetterHelp offer clients connection to a matching system with over 30,000 therapists available. Many BetterHelp therapists offer unique specialties, with some specializing in psychological dependencies on behavior. When you try online therapy, you can have control over the type of treatment you receive and potentially reduce your urge to spend by staying at home instead of going out.  

Therapists often use cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat dependencies or mental illnesses like anxiety and depression. CBT can be effective because it targets thought patterns that are not beneficial to you and works on techniques to change them. When your thoughts change, your words and actions can change as a result. A therapist can help you look for the source of your shopping compulsions and offer resources and tools for changing them. Some studies have found that online CBT may be more effective for treating certain mental illnesses than in-person CBT. 

Takeaway

While occasionally purchasing yourself a new item as a treat can be rewarding and healthy, constant shopping to reduce distress or fill an emotional void may cause financial and mental health consequences. Finding ways to curb impulse shopping until they are appropriate can make the shopping you commit to healthier. Consider reaching out to a mental health professional to gain further insight into how to treat these challenges.

«Retail therapy» is a popular term for shopping to soothe or lift your mood. It’s motivated by a desire to feel better rather than to meet a need, like grocery shopping. This activity may also be called comfort buying, stress shopping, or compensative buying.

Retail therapy doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure, though. It can be a relaxing, empowering experience on occasion.

This article will discuss some of the benefits of retail therapy as well as ways to recognize and control compulsive shopping.

What Happens in the Brain During Retail Therapy?

Endorphins are neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) that send signals throughout the brain and nervous system. They help reduce the sensation of pain and promote feelings of pleasure.

Retail therapy involves elements of expectancy and surprise, which trigger an endorphin release.

Endorphins also work with dopamine, another neurotransmitter known as the «happy hormone.» So, each new shopping adventure unleashes more mood-enhancing chemicals in the brain and body.

Retail Therapy vs. Shopping Addiction

«Retail therapy» can get confused with «shopping addiction,» but these terms have different meanings.

During retail therapy, you are in control of your spending and feel satisfied with your decision to buy or not to buy. Shopping addiction makes you want to keep buying things, even if you know you shouldn’t. Buyer’s remorse—a sense of regret after making a purchase—usually follows.

About 6%–8% of shoppers are compulsive buyers.

Signs of Retail Therapy

There is a fine line between retail therapy and shopping addiction. Here are signs that retail therapy may be going too far:

• Spending excessive time thinking about or looking for items you don’t need
• Experiencing money problems due to uncontrolled buying
• Going through relationship difficulties due to excessive spending
• Having an urge to keep buying similar items
• Neglecting work, school, or family responsibilities to shop needlessly

Risk Factors

Certain behaviors can indicate a shopping addiction. People at risk are often:

• Constantly wanting something new
• Easily bored
• Pessimistic
• Dependent on social recognition or approval
• Secretive or guilty about purchases
• Dealing with co-occurring mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, or impulse control disorders

Treatment

It may be hard to acknowledge excessive spending as an illness. Celebrities and social media often celebrate or joke about overspending. However, many mental health professionals see compulsive buying disorder as a type of behavioral addiction or impulse control disorder.

If this is an issue for you, you can learn to manage your shopping urges. A therapist can help you uncover your emotional causes and equip you with more helpful coping skills.

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

Retail therapy has some benefits. These include:

• Confidence: A little retail therapy can increase your self-confidence. It may also broaden your perspective to see more ways to enhance your life or the lives of those you care about.
• Personal control: Retail therapy can help restore a sense of personal control and stave off lingering sadness. Making your own purchases also may reduce feelings of helplessness that cause despair.
• Fueling imagination: Shopping can spark your imagination with concrete images, smells, and textures of objects you want. It can encourage you to think creatively and believe that you can improve your life in some way.

Drawbacks

Too much of a good thing can become harmful for some people. Retail therapy can easily go overboard, taking your money, time, and energy away from what really matters. Drawbacks include:

• Avoidance coping: Retail therapy might be an avoidance coping mechanism. Avoidance coping is a constant tendency to distract yourself from stressful situations. Avoiding difficulties temporarily with shopping may seem like a quick, pain-free solution at first. Unfortunately, this could increase anxiety instead.
• Compulsive buying: Retail therapy can be a gateway to compulsive buying, a form of addiction. Compulsive buying is repeatedly purchasing items to deal with negative feelings or events.

Is Retail Therapy Good for You?

Whether retail therapy is good for you depends on your financial and emotional situation.

An occasional indulgence within your means is not normally a problem. However, when shopping becomes your way of proving your self-worth, you may have a deeper issue to address. If shopping triggers more anxiety or endangers your finances or relationships, retail therapy is hurting you.

Healthier Alternatives

Boosting your mood doesn’t always require more shopping. You can activate your «feel good» hormones with these free or low-cost options:

• Yoga and meditation: Yoga and meditation can release endorphins and help slow the aging process.
• Exercise: Physical activity can enhance mood and help strengthen your heart, bones, and digestive system.
• Sunshine: The ultraviolet (UV) light in sunlight may increase your levels of mood-boosting hormones.
• Laughing: Laughter can lower levels of stress-making hormones, ease anxiety symptoms, and improve self-esteem.
• Aromatherapy: Fragrant essential oils, candles, or bath products may help decrease anxiety, promote relaxation, and encourage endorphin release.
• Moving to music: Nodding your head or dancing in response to music rhythms can release more endorphins into your system. 
• Sex: Sexual stimulation and orgasm may help produce more endorphins in the body.
• Avoiding tobacco and drugs: Quitting tobacco and substance misuse may improve overall mood. 

Summary

Retail therapy is an emotionally driven act of buying for pleasure. It is a way to ease distress or enjoy doing and having something different.

Retail therapy may activate neurotransmitters such as dopamine and endorphins that improve your mood. However, it is easy to get hooked on the rush that comes with shopping for new items. Be aware of unreasonable urges to shop constantly in spite of negative consequences, and discuss them with your healthcare provider or therapist.

Nature, music, exercise, and bonding with loved ones can be therapy, too. These activities save you money and enhance your physical health and relationships.

A Word From Verywell

We all need to buy things to live in today’s society, including clothes, food, toiletries, and other necessities. It’s healthy and normal to buy items for pleasure, as well. However, if you find yourself buying things you don’t need, items that are out of your budget, or an excessive number of items, you may be treating yourself to a little too much retail therapy, which can be problematic.

If you are concerned about your spending habits, talking to a mental health professional can help.