Stress Shopping During the Global Pandemic

Written by Rebecca Freeley

Let’s face it, we’re living in very scary and uncertain times right now. Every time we turn on the TV, we’re seeing an update on the global spread of Corona Virus. We’re under federal and state guidelines to “shelter in place”. We’re supposed to be more than 6 feet away from anyone who does not live under our roof. Most businesses have been mandated to close. The stock market is going bonkers. This is STRESSFUL!

What do people often do when they’re stressed? Shop! We’re stuck in our homes without the ability to distract ourselves with our normal hobbies and activities. Many of us are working from home, have more time on our hands than we normally do, and we’re filling the time with online shopping. This is retail therapy.

Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed a huge increase in online discount offerings in my inbox. Brick and mortar stores are hurting from having to shut their doors to foot traffic. They’re making it all the more enticing to place items in your virtual cart. I’ve even seen a checkout timer where you have a deadline to finalize your purchase before the discount disappears into thin air. Don’t fall into these traps. Here are a few ideas to curb the unnecessary spending:

• Exercise. In most places, we are still allowed outside in our yards, in our neighborhoods, and in public parks to walk, run, or ride a bike (at a safe distance from other people, of course).
• Play with your kids. Never before (and probably never again) will you have this amount of uninterrupted time with your children. Many parents are going crazy trying to juggle work-from-home jobs and e-learning for their kids. It’s certainly taxing, but if you take a step back, and try to look at the silver lining, you’ll see that you have a wonderful opportunity to bond with your kids right in front of you. An opportunity that you may never get again.
• Read a book. Dive into a delicious novel set on a beach somewhere. Or a self-help/self-improvement book. Learn a new skill.
• If you absolutely MUST shop, use those online discounts as a chance to purchase something you were going to eventually get anyway. For example, I recently rounded out my home gym equipment with dumbbells, a bench, a yoga mat, a medicine ball, etc. This is something that I’ve been thinking about for months, if not years. Heavy discounts from online retailers made it the perfect time to pull the trigger (see picture above!). And now I won’t have a need to re-join a gym when the world returns to business as usual.

Hope these tips help. Stay safe any healthy out there!