I do it all the time. Whether it be over family, relationships, work, or, ironically, finances, I tend to shop when I’m stressed. Thank goodness, the queen of green herself, Oprah, has dished up some priceless advice on how to stop stress shopping.
Going on a shopping diet is pretty similar to a diet for weight loss. It is the battle between temptation and willpower. There are three things you must concentrate on when starting your healthy spending plan:
1. Focus on abundance, not deprivation
When the female brain is stressed, we produce adrenaline and testosterone like our maie counterparts. However, our bodies also create the hormone oxytocin. It is the oxytocin that makes many women want to nest, feed, and groom when under pressure. So our stress spending habits make sense now, yes? In order to prevent shopping habits during this time, we must increase our awareness of abundance. Put yourself in eyesight of an overcrowded area of your home, such as a mug full of pens. Soon enough, you’ll find yourself shopping through your own stuff, creating new outfits with old clothes, etc,. You will be filling that inner void without spending a dime!
2. Stay away from triggers that will result in unconscious spending
This would be very easy if spending opportunities were hard to come by. However, when we’re stressed, many of us can find almost anything to splurge on at the grocery store, pharmacy, you name it. Use these tips to buy only what you need.
- Make a list before you go, and stick to it!
- Know where the exits are
- Don’t purchase anything at the checkout counter
- Mute the commercials, or change the channel
3. Everything in moderation, splurge modestly
Exactly as it sounds!
-Emily freeman
