How to ensure that retail therapy remains therapeutic

There are ways to ensure your ‘self-care’ does not veer into unhealthy territory.

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One is to set a budget for yourself for the month. Keep track of this and treat yourself within that budget.

In addition to the mood boost from the shopping, you may well feel the added satisfaction of staying within your goal!

Secondly, when you make a purchase, try and ensure that you are not duplicating something you already own.

Over-purchasing can lead to a certain degree of hoarding.

This can have its own problems as our mental health is also affected by how our surroundings seem ‘cluttered’ or crowded.

Finally, suppose you are uncomfortable acknowledging the amount you have spent or the number of things you have bought.

In that case, it could mean that you are moving into unhealthy territory.

Further, if you end up making purchases and then feel guilty or upset, that leads to another negative mood.

You may try to make it better by buying even more things.

Try to remain aware of how much you are buying, how comfortable that makes you feel, and how affordable it is overall.