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Have you ever found yourself buying something you don’t need, to make yourself happy? Do you spend more when you’re stressed? “Retail therapy” is one method of stress relief that many people use consciously or unconsciously—it’s the act of buying yourself a little something to boost your mood when you’re feeling low, and it may be more common than you think.

How Common Is Retail Therapy?

Retail therapy (and even its more intense cousin, compulsive shopping) may be more common than people realize.

Another study on the demographics of compulsive buying found that women and those who were younger (late teens) were more prone to this behavior.

How Shopping Affects Us When We’re Stressed

When we’re under stress, we react to shopping differently. Just as we may naturally crave sweets to lift our moods, and as we respond positively to other pleasures in life, people tend to feel stronger impulses to buy themselves treats for a mood boost when stressed.

The previously mentioned survey of shoppers found that 82% had only positive feelings about these purchases and that the positive mood boost that followed these purchases was long-lasting, demonstrating that purchases made as a “pick-me-up” were largely immune to “buyer’s remorse” feelings.

However, when this type of buying becomes more compulsive, especially when money is tight, it can feel quite different. When shopping becomes primarily and chronically an exercise in mood enhancement, other issues can arise due to unintended consequences.

Those prone to compulsive buying can experience extreme levels of debt, anxiety and frustration, the feeling of loss of control, and conflict at home.

What Is a Shopping Addiction?

The Obvious Shopping-and-Stress Paradox

Because retail therapy seems to be a slippery slope for many—what can start out as a relatively harmless mood booster could possibly grow into a compulsion that drains finances, causes conflict, and ultimately adds significant amounts of stress—it’s best to be cautious if you find yourself engaging in this type of behavior.

Giving yourself a treat from time to time is fine (and is even a recommended strategy forachieving goals), but letting your spending get out of control is obviously counter-productive.

Press Play for Advice On Self-Improvement

Healthier Alternatives to Retail Therapy

If you find yourself indulging in a little retail therapy now and then, it may not be the most effective way to relieve stress, but it can be a nice mood booster if it doesn’t become a compulsion. To get the best benefit from retail therapy with the least amount of negative consequences, many people have found the following strategies to be helpful:

As with any advice, if you find that you are unable to manage your stress-related spending, and suspect that your shopping is out of control, it’s a good idea to talk to a professional for additional support and expertise.

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We’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

5 Ways to Make Grocery Shopping a Less Stressful Experience

SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Atalay, A. Selin; Meloy, Margaret G. Retail therapy: a strategic effort to improve mood.Psychology & Marketing, Jun2011.Dittmar, Helga. Compulsive buying—a growing concern? An examination of gender, age, and endorsement of materialistic values as predictors.British Journal of Psychology; Nov2005, Vol. 96 Issue 4, p467-491.O’Guinn, T. C.; Faber, R. J. Compulsive Buying: A Phenomenological Exploration.Journal of Consumer Research; Sep89, Vol. 16 Issue 2, p147-157.Peterson, C. A primer in positive psychology. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2006.

Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Atalay, A. Selin; Meloy, Margaret G. Retail therapy: a strategic effort to improve mood.Psychology & Marketing, Jun2011.Dittmar, Helga. Compulsive buying—a growing concern? An examination of gender, age, and endorsement of materialistic values as predictors.British Journal of Psychology; Nov2005, Vol. 96 Issue 4, p467-491.O’Guinn, T. C.; Faber, R. J. Compulsive Buying: A Phenomenological Exploration.Journal of Consumer Research; Sep89, Vol. 16 Issue 2, p147-157.Peterson, C. A primer in positive psychology. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2006.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Atalay, A. Selin; Meloy, Margaret G. Retail therapy: a strategic effort to improve mood.Psychology & Marketing, Jun2011.Dittmar, Helga. Compulsive buying—a growing concern? An examination of gender, age, and endorsement of materialistic values as predictors.British Journal of Psychology; Nov2005, Vol. 96 Issue 4, p467-491.O’Guinn, T. C.; Faber, R. J. Compulsive Buying: A Phenomenological Exploration.Journal of Consumer Research; Sep89, Vol. 16 Issue 2, p147-157.Peterson, C. A primer in positive psychology. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2006.

Atalay, A. Selin; Meloy, Margaret G. Retail therapy: a strategic effort to improve mood.Psychology & Marketing, Jun2011.

Dittmar, Helga. Compulsive buying—a growing concern? An examination of gender, age, and endorsement of materialistic values as predictors.British Journal of Psychology; Nov2005, Vol. 96 Issue 4, p467-491.

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