Do I have a shopping problem, or is there something deeper going on?
I’ve been thinking about my shopping habits lately and I’m curious how other people would interpret this.
I don’t have debt or serious financial problems from shopping. But I do spend more than I intend to, especially on clothes, makeup, Vinted, etc. I often browse when I’m bored, stressed, or just want some stimulation. Sometimes I even think “ugh, I won’t have much time to check what’s new in online stores today.”
The bigger thing I’ve noticed is that shopping seems tied to my relationship with my appearance. I often have this feeling that this lip gloss, these eyeshadows, this skirt, etc. will finally make me look the way I want to look: more attractive, more like my “ideal version” of myself. I genuinely enjoy playing with my appearance, though, so I don’t want to simply stop caring about it.
I also realized that my appearance/body is one of the few things where I feel I have complete control and can create and express myself. And there’s a social aspect too: when I change my appearance, other people can see it and I get some kind of reaction / attention. When I create something else in private, like journal, it often feels invisible because hardly anyone sees it.
At the same time, I struggle to get genuinely interested in other leisure activities. Reading, walking, cooking, etc. often feel like effort compared to scrolling. I’m studying and working, so I also don’t have endless free time, and I don’t want my entire life outside work to become “productive hobbies.”
I’m wondering if shopping is actually the main problem here, or if it’s filling several needs at once: stimulation, creativity, identity, appearance, attention/validation, and escaping boredom/stress.
Has anyone experienced something similar? What helped you figure out what was actually underneath the shopping?
Do you have any advice for me?
Thank you