The benefits of being a mindful shopper

Yes, mindful shopping is a thing. The idea of "mindful shopping" might seems like an oxymoron- two ideas that can never go together. Referring to the practice of consciously observing your body and breath without judgement, mindfulness has become a part of our culture as a coping mechanism. Mindful shopping is gaining importance to our seemingly innate tendency towards impulsive shopping.

It has always been easier to spend money than to earn it. The mindless shopping habits can have serious consequences on our daily life including unhappiness, financial priorities and increased level of anxiety. Mindful shopping addresses the emotions and serve as a means of reckless control of your spending and emotional well-being. The following ways explain how to practice mindful shopping.

The moment you step into the shop, your body's five senses contribute to an overall feeling - positive or negative about the item you are purchasing. Ask yourself, how do you feel when you touch it? How does it look? What does it smell like? If those senses are pleasurable, it can trigger a feeling euphoria and a strong feeling to buy the item.

Make a mindful shopping list is one that serves to separate your daily expenses into "needs" and "wants" on an emotional level. The "need" fulfils an essential, practical purpose which may or may not be pleasurable like buying groceries while a "want" is largely driven by the pleasure sensation of owning or experiencing a product like a branded bag or shoes or an autographed baseball.

Be cynical of "sales" as it's one thing to stock up on discounted products that you need on a regular basis instead be mindful that buying anything during sales is still spending and not saving.

Do not substitute the retail therapy for real therapy and sometimes mindful shopping strategies aren't enough to curb a serious shopping addiction. If you continue to find yourself obsessed with social status, anxiety and depend entirely on shopping for a sense of fulfilment you could likely benefit from professional counselling.

You can always contact me for a free consultation for online traininig for leadership coaching and counselling and my other successful program which is mindset transformation. Learning should never stop. Happy Learning!

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