🪷 Wellbeing
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Apr 25, 2024
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6 min read
You clearly didn't need this item, but as always, it ends up in your mailbox. Every month, it's the same: you start off financially well, and a week later, you're close to being overdrawn. The pattern repeats: you're addicted to shopping.
Today, no matter where you are or what you do, there are ads everywhere. Our brains are bombarded by thousands of advertising campaigns with catchy slogans, miraculous transformations, all playing on FOMO (Fear of Missing Out, the fear of missing out on yet another product that will revolutionize your life).
It's not easy to resist when you see all the efforts made to make us consume more and more. In 2023, this lucrative market ads weighs a whopping $850 billion. Needless to say, our willpower to resist is weak.
And if you thought you could resist traditional advertisements, don't think you're safe from new apps and websites claiming miraculous products at unbeatable prices. App stores are full of them. Articles for less than $2, and a catalog that offers an average of nearly 7,500 new items PER DAY.
The Problem with Ultra Fast-Fashion and Its Derivatives
Of course, one can imagine that producing so many new items in record time has consequences. Whether in terms of human working conditions or the environment, these companies are far from deserving any awards. It's simply a disaster.
From an ethical standpoint, it's also questionable. Some platforms don't think much about their upcoming collections. How could they, with 7500 new references per day? The brand copies existing models from well-known brands like H&M but also from small independent creators, as explained in this Radio France article.
But why, even knowing all this, can't we resist, and the cart always ends up full? It's due to the quantity versus cost ratio. Our brain loves "good deals." Since it's cheap, it doesn't hesitate to search, to be convinced. "At worst, if it doesn't work, it's okay, it was ONLY $5." There are always tempting promotions, incredible deals not to be missed, discounts after X$ of purchase... In short, all means are used to generate an irresistible urge in compulsive buyers.
Inequality in the Face of Advertisements
As with many things in life, we are not all equal. I'm especially thinking of people with ADHD. It's much more difficult to resist in these cases; the mind has less resistance, and advertisers know it. That's why they exploit many cognitive biases of our brain.
But that's not all! Some influencers no longer really create content; their full-time job has become mostly commercial, considering the countless sponsored operations they undertake. In France, the mention "Commercial Collaboration" has become mandatory to inform their community about product placements. Many creators did not openly mention to their community that they were paid for promotion. Their viewers trusted them and bought, thinking it was a sincere review.
Developing Resistance
Detecting "fake" promotions, resisting well-established schemes, and fighting against increasingly present advertising are genuine mental exercises. Alone and defenseless, it's almost a mission impossible. That's why we've prepared a list of tips and advice to help you resist and finally end the month on a positive note!
🤑 Compulsive Shopping = Addiction
If you can't resist despite others telling you, and you alone don't see the problem, you're probably facing an addiction. Yes, just like being addicted to alcohol, yours is online shopping. You wouldn't drink anything, so don't buy anything either. Don't downplay its impact, and accept help.
🛒 Thrive Without Shopping
Shopping brings you instant, gratifying pleasure. It's because buying something releases dopamine in you. Each purchase is like having a good chunk of chocolate: your brain loves it and wants to repeat it.
To break out of this vicious circle, find an activity that releases as much dopamine as shopping. Find a healthy activity that doesn't involve a credit card!
For the ideal activity, a bit of introspection is needed: what do you like about shopping? Is it the possession of new things? Meeting people? Exchange? Interaction? Find what really releases dopamine and try to reproduce it in another context. For example, if it's about possessing new things: try creating things through upcycling or tinkering.
💰 Protect Your Money
You know that you can't stop buying anything and everything. So help yourself! Don't leave your main bank account with too much money; use your savings accounts to protect your savings. Avoid having your credit cards, especially those without a limit, within easy reach (like Apple Pay or Wallet). Buying online has never been so easy with these systems, which for many are convenient but the worst enemy of a compulsive buyer!
🪽 Adopt a Guardian Angel
It may seem childish at first, but it's really useful if you feel you can't resist. If you have trouble not grabbing everything when you shop, bring a trusted person who knows your problem and will help you not to buy anything and everything. If you're more into online shopping, you can create a shortcut with your iPhone to automatically send an SOS message when you open a specific app!
🔒 Block Access to Shopping Apps
How to resist shopping when buying has never been easier: with one tap, you access ultra-stocked catalogs and ever more enticing promotions. And don't even get me started on notifications!
The simplest method: block these apps on your phone by default and only unblock them if you REALLY need them. For this, you can use the Jomo app, available for free on iOS and Mac. With Jomo, you can continuously block apps and unblock them temporarily. Each time you attempt to open them, leave yourself a little personal message to bring you back to reason. And most importantly, if you unblock your app, you have to say why! This way, you'll be well aware that you're about to give in and can cut it off before it's too late!
⏱️ Limit Your Time On Shopping Apps
We know that some apps are champions at making trends explode in a fraction of a second. As quickly as they come, they disappear. A nightmare for our wallet (and the planet). Note all the viral videos on Shein or Temu hauls, which only fuel your compulsive buying need. Don't hurt yourself; don't watch these content. And if you have trouble resisting, set a daily time limit with the Jomo app!
🎯 One Outing = One Goal
Make sure not to scatter when you go out or when you shop. Before you start, always have a concrete goal; leave no room for chance. Whether it's your grocery list or new clothes to buy, write down on paper what you really NEED.
🗓️ Fill every moment
Nir Eyal said in one of his books, "If you don't decide on your schedule in advance, someone else will do it for you." Because, indeed, if you leave too much room for empty moments in your life, they'll quickly be filled by automatic actions driven by your brain, like online shopping. If you tend to buy whenever you have nothing to do, then find a replacement activity. And if you're lacking inspiration, we have some ideas for you in this article.
🧾 Keeping accounts
Keep a daily account book. Every day, allocate yourself a maximum amount you CAN spend (I said CAN). Note each transaction. At the end of the day, go through these expenses and ask yourself the following questions (and, most importantly, note your answers):
Were these expenses really useful (10) or totally unnecessary (1)?
Were these purchases worth their price? Yes (10) or No (1)?
Will these purchases be useful to me (10) or are they already totally useless (1)?
Will these purchases last over time (10) or are they already obsolete (1)?
Take stock. Try to be as honest as possible (you're lying to yourself, not others). If the scores are mostly below 5, it wasn't a good day.
🤝 Get help
If you feel that this addiction is temporary and not serious, you can join online communities, especially on Reddit via r/shoppingaddiction.
On the other hand, if it's ruining your life and is totally uncontrollable, we encourage you to consult a healthcare professional and/or addiction specialist. It's okay to get help; in fact, it's beneficial!
You've understood it, being addicted to shopping can really ruin your life. In 2024, we know that resisting is no longer just a matter of willpower. Our brain is put to the test wherever we are. If you give in, don't give up. Try to understand what happened, learn from your mistakes, and prevent it from happening again. What really matters is that you manage to control your impulses in the long term, not just for a few days!
