Stop Trying to Buy Happiness
It’s okay to acknowledge that the pandemic is taking its toll on all of us. While we’re stuck at home missing our friends and family, it’s tempting to use online shopping to fill the void. Shopping sites know this, and they’re going to do their best to separate you from your hard-earned cash.
Remember not to spend too much time looking at the social media accounts of influencers. It’s their job to make you feel like you’re not enough, like you could be more attractive or popular if you only had that brand of phone or jacket or cosmetic. It’s their job to encourage you to try to keep up by buying the same things they have. But all of that frantic consumption just leaves us broker and sadder than before.
Are you throwing money at online retailers, hoping that the next smiling box on your doorstep will bring you some happiness? If the answer is yes, you might want to take a few quick steps that can help save your wallet—and your mental health.
Call a HALT to online shopping. You probably spend more when you’re hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. All of those feelings can inspire us to make some bad financial decisions. Does one of those emotions have you reaching for your credit card? Try distracting yourself with something else that really can make you feel better: call a friend, take a nap, or watch something fun.
Cross your name off the list. Are you on every online retailer’s email list? Hit the unsubscribe button on those emails and push notifications so you won’t be as likely to click on the latest sale.
Avoid temptation. Take excess shopping apps off your phone. Just keep the ones you need for food and basic household goods. Consider installing ad blockers so you won’t see so many ads on your social media feeds.
Check your closet. Got your eye on some new outfit? Take inventory of your closet. You might already have an outfit just like it. And if you find some gently-used things you really don’t need any more, wash them and package them up. Once things clear up a bit, you can sell them online or donate them to a shelter; the need will be greater than ever.
Be gentle with yourself. It might sound tough to believe right now, but you aren’t defined by the clothes in your closet or the books on your shelf. I promise that you are enough right this minute, just the way you are. You are doing so much better than you think you are, and you don’t need anyone who tells you otherwise in your life or your social media feed.
Even though happiness and love won’t be found in your bank account, you can still earn interest on them by sharing them with family and friends. Reach out to people who really matter. They’ll be glad to hear from you and to talk about how you, and they, are doing.
We’ll all get through this by joining—and forming—communities that are bigger than just us and our own needs. When we feel connected to others, we may find that we worry less about keeping up with influencers and people we don’t know. We’ll save money, but we might just be saving ourselves too.