Well-being is when we feel good inside ourselves: happy with who we are, with what we have and having an optimistic view of life in general. To get rid of our worries, we sometimes do activities that make us feel good: eating chocolates / ice cream / chips, doing retail therapy, talking with friends, and watching TV shows. There are times when all of these stress busters don’t work. We feel uncomfortable not knowing what to do next. There are other times when our worries return shortly after a while.
Keeping a positive outlook on life is critical as we move forward in life. What we do to keep our motivation constant can affect our overall well-being if we become dependent on them. Snacking, shopping, watching movies are healthy activities when done occasionally. It all has to do with balance.
Continuing shopping when our closets are already full of clothes or snacking on something when we are having weight problems indicate an unhealthy dependency. There are other forms of dependency. Clutter is another example: keeping things in case we need it in the near future. After 1-2 years, these things are out there without ever being used. Sometimes it is useless to tell ourselves that we need to order, stop shopping, or snack. We all want it to be that simple!
Understand your motivation to keep shopping even if your bag is tight or not necessary. It is the first step to regain your personal independence. There can be many reasons. Eating habits are sometimes cultural. In some communities, everything revolves around food: family gatherings, celebrations. In the past, these communities had to cope with food shortages due to war, droughts and financial difficulties. Now that food is available, a lot of effort and time goes into meals. Changing our eating habits may involve revising our cultural norms or beliefs regarding food.
Shopping therapy can be a great boost to our self-confidence. Our physical brand is an essential part of who we are. However, it does not define our self-esteem or help us address the challenges that life brings us. We define our actions, strengths, weaknesses and what we choose as our core values. Regaining the loss of self-confidence by buying is a temporary solution. What can sustainably increase our self-confidence is facing challenges, looking at them from a different perspective, and letting go of the feeling of “being stuck.”
Wellness is about developing inner resilience and resourcefulness to tackle our daily challenges.. Every answer is within us. Hidden behind our busy lifestyles, our good looks don’t solve our daily challenges. Coping skills are learned by doing. There is no other way to acquire them. Reading books on positive thinking or blaming or procrastinating only makes them worse. Tackling them by trying different options, applying all the empowering techniques you’ve been reading about builds your inner strength and nurtures your creativity.
Changing your habits takes time. So think about what you can do starting today to regain your personal power and independence. Taking one step at a time and achieving quick gains ensures that they become an integral part of your life..