For many people, indulging in a little retail therapy helps them to feel better when they are sad or anxious. If these people are going into debt for this “therapy,” that’s obviously not healthy, but if you feel like treating yourself to a pair of shoes and that will honestly cheer you up and you can afford it, I say go get some cute shoes.
Besides obtaining some kitchen appliances recently, I am an all-around shirker of stuff. I keep only the things that are useful or beautiful to me, and that means that when I am sad, or anxious, or lonely, I vent my retail therapy tendencies elsewhere.
I’ve been going through some personal stuff lately, and I have been feeling pretty down, and that is precisely why I spent last weekend taking my sister to the zoo, treating her to a nice dinner, taking her out to lunch, and buying her groceries. She says, “Cait, you don’t have to spend money on me,” and I don’t have to. But I can, and treating her to things she can’t afford on her own makes me feel good. She deserves to be treated, and I don’t see her very often to do so.I do have to regularly stop myself trying to buy her a car though. I just want to give.
The way I see it, as long as my bills are paid and I have a decent cushion in the bank, I can afford to dote on her. And if, in the process of doting on her, I get to feel a little better, then we both win. Especially when there is sushi involved.
I also feel better when I work out, so now I need to work that into the rotation of cheering myself up, especially since I am paying a monthly gym fee. I should also work on treating myself instead of just other people. I deserve some doting too, I suppose, especially when I’m sad. Those are the most important times to remind yourself that you’re worth feeling good.
How do you deal with negative emotions? Do you succumb to the call of retail therapy?
Born Again Minimalist 
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