For as long as I've been in my 20's, I feel like forming better and healthier habits has been somewhat stressful, but also rewarding. Shopping out of boredom or impulse was a challenge for a long while when I first got started, because I kept making decisions based on emotion or out of impulse.
There are two ways to look at impulsive shopping. The first one is when you do it in a moment of emotional overwhelm, whether if that response is triggered by a certain situation or person in your life. If someone in your life is causing you to feel stressed, angry or upset, ask yourself the real reason as to why that is. Is your perspective based on clouded emotional judgment, or has the person actually harmed you in some way? Everyone has their own unique personality, and sometimes, the way we respond can be irrational depending on the situation. So if the effects of your shopping habits are because of certain situations or people, try to either communicate with that person calmly about the issue, or just allow yourself to have some alone time before doing anything.
Whenever I went out to shop in my earlier years, 9 times out of 10, I didn't have any plan or list in mind. I just bought whatever I wanted, and my reasoning wasn't always rational. If I saw something that was on sale, I would buy it. If I found a certain clothing item that was cute but not suited for my lifestyle, I would buy it. For the longest time, I was always drawn in by colorful pieces or things that were trendy, and while I would wear them for 2 to 3 months at a time, I would later grow bored with those items. This in turned created a habit of producing more waste than what was necessary. Not only that, but in the long haul, I also found that half the things I was buying at the time weren't adding any value to my life.
In my honest opinion, shopping should NOT be a hobby. It's one thing if you're shopping for other people (which makes it more of a job than a hobby), but if you're shopping for yourself, make a list with only the necessities in mind. Another thing you could do if you're struggling with your finances is to create a budget. For example, let's say you just received your paycheck of $500 for the week and you're tempted to spend it all on stuff that's not essential for you. To budget this out, try putting 50% of that towards your bills, 30% towards your savings and 20% for your shopping list (this includes groceries, toiletries/personal care, clothing and other needs). This way, you have a certain amount of money to spend on each category of your life, and you won't have to worry about what to do with all that money once it's in your account.
Shopping out of boredom is something that I struggled with for quite some time, so if you have this problem as well, then I completely understand. One thing that I'd suggest for this problem is just let yourself sit with that feeling. Don't over analyze it, and don't worry too much about finding ways to "cure" it. I know how easy it is to fall into this mindset of always being busy or always having something to do, but sometimes, boredom can be a positive thing. The general census of boredom in most cases is that it's a psychological state of restlessness, or not knowing what to do next. If you're a naturally anxious person or if you struggle with this feeling of restlessness, that's okay.
Sometimes in the hectic pace of our lives (or in our minds), we can forget to take time for ourselves and just be in the moment, not doing anything. If you're someone who doesn't have a lot of free time, I'd suggest taking 10 or 15 minutes at minimum to be alone with yourself. If you're someone who has an average amount of free time, but perhaps you're spending that time scrolling social media, YouTube or browsing the Internet, try opting for silence instead. If silence makes you feel uncomfortable however, try listening to calming music with no voices as opposed to an album from your favorite artist.
I hope this post is helpful to you in some way. Too often, I feel like we normalize this issue of being addicted to shopping, but in truth, it can lead to other issues in our lives like financial debt, severe depression or anxiety, loneliness or even being homeless. Now of course, there's also the issue of becoming a hoarder and not having enough space in our homes to actually live in. These issues are real and they should not be taken lightly, and I'm not pointing these things out for the sake of being hurtful or judgmental. We're all deserving of living a well-balanced life that brings us a sense of peace and/or joy. So for today, my question for you is this: When you walk into your own house, would you rather be invited in with a bunch of clutter and messiness with no open space, or with an atmosphere that feels calming, relaxing and like a real home?
No comments:
Post a Comment