Shoppers, Hear This!
The September 8th-15th issue of Time Magazine, called The Answers Issue, is full of intriguing info-graphics about “everything you never knew you needed to know”…and more.
Among the striking info-graphics that display a myriad of facts, one leapt out: 5.5% of men are“compulsive shoppers” compared with 6% of women.WOW! Does that fit the media stereotype of hoards of women descending on retails shops, compulsively doing their share of retail therapy while men are too preoccupied with work to bother shopping?
Let’s back up for a minute. What does “compulsive shopping” actually mean? Psychologically, compulsive means that you cannot NOT do something. It is a form of addiction in that you can’t stop yourself from, for example, shopping, ritualistically washing your hands 12 times a day,or lapsing into road rage in a traffic jam.
Healthy shopping is when you need or want something that is meaningful to you to have AND you have the money to buy it without going into too much debt, or by not paying a “must pay” monthly bill.
Compulsive shopping insists that you shop-the impulse overtakes any control you have and you surrender your conscious will to the devil’s playground. You might even say to yourself that you don’t want to go in that store, or compromise and say “I’ll just go in and look.” In spite of yourself, there you are at the checkout counter swiping your credit card.
Now we learn that there are almost (a .5% difference) as many men who are compulsive shoppers as women. (Media, where are you when we need you!) One of the main differences in what men and women buy are that men buy much more expensive items, like electronic gizmos and car related enhancers. Women are more likely to buy clothes AND things for their family and children.
Where ever you fall on the buying spectrum, no one really likes the loss of control and the buyer’s remorse that often follows compulsive buying.
What will help?
Learning to become aware of what drives your behavior through mindful attention and focus on the buying experience and honest reflection afterwards.Setting a goal for yourself, like, “I won’t give in to that driven feeling when it tries to take me over because I have better things to do than listen to the voice of the devil’s playground.”Stay tuned to my follow-up blog that provides an exercise to help you tackle compulsive shopping.