Why does retail therapy make you feel happier?

Shopping may help lift your mood momentarily, but impulse-buying will hurt more than just your wallet in the long run

We’ve all heard about it before and done it ourselves too; when a friend has gone through a break-up or when we’ve had a shitty day at work, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of accumulating material possessions, lifting up our mood considerably. Most of us might relate to Isla Fisher’s character in Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009), where she finds solace in the pretty, attractive and less stressful world of material objects; in her case, a green scarf. But while these ‘pick-me-up’ shopping sprees can be fun and lead to momentary happiness, the underlying habit of constantly buying something can be emotionally unhealthy and financially unviable in the long run.

Is retail therapy therapeutic?

The internet has made shopping very easy and convenient. With just a swipe and a click, you can buy whatever you want at any time of the day. The limited-period discounts, flash sales and ‘members only’ slashed rates have enticed many of us to add more things to our virtual carts and experience instant gratification once we see ‘order placed’ flash on the screen. According to a study published in Psychology & Marketing journal in 2011, shopping can improve one’s bad mood. Another study from the Journal of Consumer Psychology in 2014 suggested that retail therapy not only gave instant happiness but also fought a lingering sadness. You can blame capitalism that makes us consumers ‘feel good’ about ourselves when you buy that Zara dress or that Fendi baguette on sale or another printed shirt from one of the Instagram thrift shops, especially when we’ve been conditioned into believing that material things will make us happier in life. “Shopping and materialism takes us one level above our basic needs for food, clothing and shelter. When we buy something we like, the reward system in our brain is activated, releasing dopamine and feel-good hormones. We have the sense that we are inching closer to a better life, something that human beings constantly strive for,” says Insiya Dsouza, a counselling psychologist, who specialises in trauma-informed therapy.

For Prerna Mehta, a clinical psychologist at Kaha Mind—an online counselling platform—this act of ‘retail therapy’ is, more often than not, engaged in to reduce anxiety and maybe even distract yourself from something that might be bothering you at that moment. “It’s funny that the word ‘therapy’ is attached to the word ‘retail,’ because you expect the final outcome to essentially make you feel a little better,” says Mehta. She also points out that many people indulge in this form of shopping spree to feel in control. “If you’re feeling very out of control in certain situations, retail therapy can feel like an immediate way of gaining control. Whether it’s online or at a physical store, shopping is a very controlled process; you’re in charge of choosing the items, you’re the one deciding whether to ‘add to cart’ or ‘save it for later.’

While buying things you like does release happy hormones, is this form of self ‘therapy’ actually even healthy to indulge in? Dsouza prefers to not reduce what people consider retail therapy to the binary concepts of ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’. “As a therapist, I would be more interested in understanding the nuances around it, while keeping in mind how capitalism benefits from it. I want to understand the pain that the person who is engaging in excessive shopping is under. Moreover, some of their emotional and mental health-based needs have not been met because of the systems they live within and the challenges that they face,” says Dsouza.

When ‘retail therapy’ turns into a compulsive habit

While indulging in shopping and buying new things may be an effective way to make yourself feel better and even happier it may not always be an effective coping mechanism. So when does this ‘therapy’ become problematic? “When it becomes our only go-to approach for managing stress. Anytime you’re in a distressing situation, anytime you’re feeling low or anxious, it becomes the only way to make yourself feel better. When you cut out all other options, then it could be problematic because it could lead to dependency,” says Mehta.

For Dsouza, the difference has a lot to do with the place within a person where a pattern of shopping for gratification comes from. “While anyone might, from time to time, engage in impulsive shopping, the label ‘compulsive shopping’ might be more apt to use in a situation where a person is not able to help themselves despite knowing that a purchase is going to negatively impact their finances and other areas of life,” explains Dsouza. “Compulsive shopping patterns tend to come from a place of fear, anxiety and emptiness. These states tend to activate a threat response within a person. When acting from threat response, a person is less likely to go through the analytical and planning-based cognitive processes of decision-making. They may engage in behaviours that enable instant gratification without considering the long-term consequences of their actions,” she adds.

Since retail therapy is a slippery slope, what can start out as a harmless, mood-boosting and rewarding act of self-indulgence, can end up becoming more stressful when your spendthrift nature goes out of control. So how do you deal with such a situation before you get too emotionally attached to shopping and end up being broke?

Being aware of your spending patterns

In order to keep your spending habits in check, it is vital to understand yourself when these indulgences are becoming a problem. Self-awareness is something that both Dsouza and Mehta prescribe to. “I recommend trying to be as self-aware as possible and closely observing your behaviour when it comes to shopping patterns. If you are concerned that you might be shopping impulsively and compulsively, it would help to journal about the situation during which you felt an all-consuming need for it,” says Dsouza.

Mehta points out a few red flags that you could possibly identify with. “One of the red flags is when you struggle between needs and wants, when you're not able to see that this is something I need or something I'm just craving in the moment and I just got to have it. Another red flag would be when you give into your emotional urgency. In the long term, it can lead to financial issues, debts and can even end up affecting your relationships. The third red flag is when this shopping spree turns into guilt and remorse, and you feel like you can’t help it.”

Another simple way to curb your shopping expenses is to sleep on it for a few days. If you’ve liked something online and added it to your cart, let it sit there for a day or two for you to mull over it. Do you really need another white crop top in your closet or another floral dress to add to your already existing collection? Give yourself some time to think over it before you indulge and overspend. Getting in touch with a mental health professional is always an option. “It’s something we are trained to help you with, as evidence-based practices make it possible to work through your underlying concerns,” says Mehta.

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