Have you ever decided to splurge on something, to either reward yourself for achieving something or to make up for a crappy day? I know I'm guilty for sure. I'm always looking for a reason to shop. If I aced a test or failed to meet my quota at work, I'm going to celebrate by buying something special for myself. Whether it be those earrings I'd been wanting or a handbag I had my eye on, I will walk out with a smile on my face regardless. I'm sure we've all had a moment like this at one time or another, but who knew it was actually healthy?!
Shopping on impulse actually releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that controls the brain's sense of movement as well as pleasure and reward. Lack of dopamine can cause depression, as well lead to Parkinson's disease. So when you do find that exclusive item, it's only natural for you to feel good about your purchase! But of course, too much of a good thing can be bad for you, so be careful. Dopamine is also related to addiction, and no one wants to become an impulsive shopping addict with no control over their spending. Therefore reward yourself, as well as your brain, and buy yourself a little something every once in a while!
Check out this video below to see for yourself:
It is interesting to know that buying stuff is healthy, but I find it awkward that shopping is healthy for us. I always think that shopping is a certain need that we, humans, need to survive like foods and shelters. Financially, shopping too much can waste lots of money for a person, so he/she needs to spend his/her money wisely. As you say we need to buy something for ourselves every once in a while, and I agree with you. After all, we need to buy clothes and jewelries to make ourselves look good at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI find this video in this post interesting from the way the doctor explains about the parts of the brain and how it affects us. I agree with him that shopping brings us pleasure and may lead to addiction, but I do not know window shopping can affect us. I always think window shopping is just looking at the clothes and other merchandises, but it gives us pleasure and cause us to release dopamine from our brain which the video shows. This post could have been more interesting if I read your opinion about the video because I want to know what you think of this, besides shopping little things for ourselves.
ahaha i'm totally gonna use this excuse when my boyfriend complains i shop too much! :)
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