Feeling Low? Treat Yourself to Retail Therapy!

Have you ever experienced an indescribable high-treating yourself to a pair of chic shoes or splurging on that stylish hang bag you had always coveted? There is no reason to feel guilty when you go on that shopping spree because research reveals that there’s actually valid psychological and therapeutic value to the experience of shopping.

Even though adding things into your virtual shopping cart has tried to replace the thrill of physical retail shopping in shopping malls, yet the psychological and emotional boost that comes with gazing at tangible racks of clothes or accessories or high tech gadgets is irreplaceable.

 

The Science behind Retail Therapy:

This brain-fueled happiness does not come without reason. In fact, there is an entire science behind it. Psychologists share that shopping restores a sense of control over our environment when we make decisions between an array of choices.

A study from the Journal of Consumer Psychology reveals that retail therapy, which is shopping with the primary purpose of improving the buyer’s mood, can fight lingering sadness. Moroseness in life is a result of feeling helpless in many of life’s situations. Yet, the exercise of making choices and enjoying its outcomes– which are an intrinsic part of shopping– can restore a feeling of personal control. The simple anticipation of the possibility of possessing something you want releases dopamine — the hormone neurotransmitter in your brain that is responsible for making you feel great.

 

It’s not Selfishness; it’s Self-Care:

Research also shows that purchasing items you have coveted and relish upon buying can be up to 40 times more effective at giving you a sense of control than stamping out your desire. Getting exactly what you want can feel like a positive personal achievement and the high we experience overpowers the anxiety which is so much a part and parcel of modern, urban life. Maybe we have been trained to make sacrifices and put others’ needs before our own, yet, you can never make others happy if your cup is half full.

 

Shopping Stimulates the Senses:

The calming, noise-free air-conditioned premises of a high-end shopping mall, the courteous attention your get from the staff, the scent of expensive perfume, and the crisp garments hanging in perfectly symmetric racks is a highly memorable sensory experience that can remove us from our own grey reality, albeit fleetingly. This type of visualization can create positive anticipation and can reduce anxiety.

 

Retail Therapy is Not Over Spending:

Many people misinterpret retail therapy as falling victim to overspending and having no control over one’s finances. On the contrary, it is psychologically therapeutic if you save up for something your desire and reward yourself for a project well executed or sticking to a diet plan, or even for a great academic result or promotion. After all, if you don’t appreciate yourself, no one will.

So next time you feel low or want to reward yourself for a personal triumph, head to the posh premises of an upmarket mall-like North Walk in North Nazimabad, alone or with a friend or companion and treat yourself to the delightful display in the windows. Indulge in something well-deserved that catches your fancy and appreciate the finer things in life. North Walk in North Nazimabad is the ideal spot for this retail therapy.