Retail Therapy

Oh happy day!!

I am thrilled to share what I have learned with you!

So, a couple weeks ago I was feeling pretty down. I was upset about my health, I was in physical and emotional pain. And to top it all off, I was feeling alone because well I was physically alone.

I went to the mall after my lunch date with myself. I wasn't planning on buying anything, I was just supposed to kill time until my doctor appointment. As I walked through the mall window shopping, I saw a pink bag in the window of Vera Bradley. I just had to go in to see how much it was! Turned out that they were having a sale... and I went a little crazy.

I was happy before I had even been handed my shopping bag full of goodies! As I walked seemingly on air through the mall, I wondered, "why does shopping make me happy?" I couldn't stop thinking about it. So I decided to poll my friends and family. Overwhelmingly, the women I asked not only said they enjoy shopping but they said it made them feel 'good'.

I'd always thought that I personally liked shopping because it made me feel empowered. I was making choices and I was able to go in and purchase the things that I wanted. But now that line of thought just wasn't enough. So...

I did a little research (I googled it) and found this:

Psychology Today excerpt:

Shopping can be a rich source of mental preparation. As people shop they’re naturally visualizing how they’ll use the products they’ll considering, and in doing so they’re also visualizing their new life.  And as many great athletes will attest, visualization is a performance booster and anxiety reducer. 

I read this and it was like someone lit a cartoon light bulb over my head, I finally got it. It makes total sense to me now! Shopping is about more than just spending money, it's about more than the physical "things" and getting something new. It's about what the new items represent to you, a positive change in your life. Whether big or small, positive changes in our lives are exciting and refreshing!

Here are a few of the items I came home with that represent positive changes for me!