Mid Brain muses:
As if recession-induced stress acne wasn’t enough to worry about, here’s an article from Science Daily that describes how women are MORE likely to shop themselves happy during rough economic times. Some psychologists predict that the current global recession could increase women’s risk of mental illness if they don’t spend more money.
Spend yourself sane
This isn’t a joke according to Professor Karen Pine from the University of Hertfordshire and author of Sheconomics (ya gotta love that book title). Pine’s research shows that 79% of women cheer themselves up by going on spending sprees. She concludes that some women use shopping as an emotion regulator, a way of “anesthetizing themselves to negative feelings or dissatisfaction with life.”
This quote from Professor Pine pretty much sums it up: “If shopping is an emotional habit for women they may feel the need to keep spending despite the economic downturn…Or, perhaps worse still, if they can’t spend we might see an increase in mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.”
So there you have it ladies – you can go broke or go crazy. Nice choice, huh?
What do YOU think? Are you still using shopping as a pick-me-up even though the economy is a mess? Leave a comment for all the other poor, insane members of the Beauty Brains community.
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Well, I have read that bipolar individuals are notorious for their shopping sprees…
This concept reminds me of the 19th (and earlier) century belief that if a woman thought too hard about the world her brain would overheat and she’d go insane. It’s a good thing we have lipstick and shoes and disposable incomes to maintain sanity.
Or we’ll find other habits to allay our mental duress?
I’ve given up “shopping therapy” and my stress has vastly decreased — as has the debt I still owe from previous shopping trips.
Used to be that I’d browse the mall just for fun and come home with bags full of stuff. I’m still a bit of a girlie girl, but nowadays I go to the library or even just go out for a walk in the neighborhood instead. I’m more likely to bring home wild plants I’ve found (including “weeds” I “steal” from neighbors’ yards) than to bring home new makeup and clothes. I think those activities probably light up the same area of the brain, but there’s not buyer’s remorse that sets in later
I definitely use etail therapy. I love sitting down at the computer, shopping, tracking my shipments, getting a package, opening the goodies. It’s a lift and if I only buy things I’ll use, a fairly benign one. The mall was stressful in and of itself and there were way too many “Oh, a shiny” moments.
I am a 65 yo woman with fibromyalgia, depression and other health challenges & this article really hit home with me! I’ve been kicking myself around for months about my spending on cosmetics, bath & hair products I really could have done without but doing it anyway. This has helped to explain my behavior to myself and also helped my to realize I need to lighten up on myself. Maybe there are consequences far worse than spending I have managed to avoid, sure food for thought.
Thank you for providing such wonderful information.
Just because the economy is in the mess doesn’t mean everyone is suffering. I say go for it as long as you’re still living within or below your means and you’re not in debt.