About a year and a half ago I realized that shopping was affecting my happiness. The phrase “mindful shopping” wasn’t even on my radar. When I needed a pick me up, retail therapy was my answer. When I didn’t find anything to buy, I would feel sad. Shopping was one of my only hobbies. I was addicted to the endorphins and felt withdrawal when I went too long without buying something new. I felt it affecting my life and my experiences. It got to the point where I couldn’t leave a store without buying something.
That’s when the lightbulb went off.
I needed to take a step back and look at the way I was spending my money. I have slowly been realizing what it feels to truly love something is. Before, if I even liked something or maybe I didn’t even like it, I would buy it anyway to get the rush of a new purchase. Now I am thinking about how I feel when I see something I like. I am trying to understand what I am feeling, if I actually love whatever I just picked up, and why I love it.
Using mindful shopping to help me narrow down what I truly love. I have put together a list of questions to think about when I pick up a piece of clothing to buy.
The Checklist
- Shop with a list. Is this item on your list?
- Is this comfortable? Am I able to lift and move my arms and/or legs easily? Do these hurt my feet?
- Does this fit right? Are the sleeves or pant legs the right length? Is this pulling or gaping anywhere?
- How many ways can I wear this?
- Do I have anything similar to this in my closet that would be styled in the same way?
- Is it a good quality piece? Are the seams strong, is the fabric synthetic or natural? Are there any imperfections?
- Is this for a specific event? If so can I rent or borrow something?
- What is the maintenance of this garment? Is this dry clean only or machine washable? Will I need to iron it every time I wear it?
- What makes this garment special enough to be in your closet? Is it something you have had your eye on for a while? Does it fill a hole in your wardrobe?
I hope this had been helpful and if you have any additional mindful shopping tips, let me know in the comments!
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