Joy of Shopping
We all love to do shopping but have you ever gave it a thought that why shopping is so much exciting… Let’s explore the joy of shopping.
Have you ever wondered why shopping makes you feel so good?
When you are shopping to buy a gift or get something for yourself, either way it’s kind of a treat—— but why, why this feeling develops into your mind. And why you feel happy & satisfied after buying something esp. for yourself or for your loved ones…?
A growing body of brain research shows how shopping activates key areas of the brain, boosting our mood & making us feel better- atleast for a little while. Peering into a decorated holiday window or finding a hard to find toy appears to tap into the brain’s reward center, triggering the release of brain chemicals that give you a “shopping high”. Understanding the way your brain responds to shopping can help you make sense of the highs & lows of holiday shopping, avoid buyer’s remorse & lower your risk for overspending.
Much of the joy of holiday shopping can be traced to the brain chemical dopamine. Dopamine plays a crucial role in our mental & physical health. Dopamine is associated with feelings of pleasure & satisfaction, and it is released when we experience something new, exciting or challenging. And for many people, shopping is all those things.
The level of dopamine pumps up also because you are seeing things you haven’t tried on before.
But MRI studies of brain activity suggest that surges in dopamine levels are linked much more with anticipation of an experience rather than the actual experience- which may explain why people get so much pleasure out of window-shopping or hunting for bargains.
But if we see the other side of a coin, dopamine can cause someone to get caught up in the shopping moment & make bad decisions. Dopamine may help explain why someone buys shoes they never wear. You see the shoes & get this burst of dopamine which motivates you to seal the deal & buy them. It’s like a fuel injector for action, but once they are bought it’s almost a letdown. Moreover, stressful holiday crowds, poor service or the realization that you’ve spent too much can quickly eliminate the feel-good effects of shopping.
Knowing that shopping triggers real changes in our brain can help you make better shopping decisions & not overspend while in a dopamine-induced high. For instance, walking away from a purchase you want & returning the next day will eliminate the novelty of the situation & help you make a more clear-headed decision.
And beware don’t shop when you’re visiting friends or relatives. The added novelty of shopping in a new place puts you at higher risk of buying something you don’t need.
But that doesn’t mean you should stop shopping, after all this is your brain at the mall.
So, enjoy your shopping.
Authored By Navneet Bidani, India