OK, so you walk into a shop for one thing but then 10 minutes later you’re holding something else. Your heart has started beating rapidly like a drum and suddenly you’re wondering if it’s too late to pretend you got an urgent message on your phone - does this sound familiar?
If you get anxiety when you go shopping, trust us, you’re definitely not the only one. Shopping always looks so simple and enjoyable from the outside, but for someone who’s a little anxious it stacks a lot of things together that sometimes, our brains find difficult to process. For example, the choices to be made can include which brands, colors, money judgment, etc.
Sometimes even time pressure as well, but when you see why it happens it gets a heck of a lot easier to deal with.
Why You May Get Anxious Shopping
1. Too Many Choices
The first and foremost reason why you may get anxiety when you shop is that there are just so many options. There can literally be hundreds of different choices, from colors, sizes, brands, styles, or maybe even reviews if you’re shopping online, and they all demand a decision.
For someone who overthinks every choice to make when shopping, it can feel like a small test - what if you pick the wrong one, or there is a better one in the next aisle or the next shop you visit? What if you regret it later, are you able to return it? It can be very stressful.
This is usually referred to as choice overload or decision fatigue and it can add a lot of mental drain, especially if your brain is already thinking of ‘what if’ scenarios and some of those may not even be related to shopping! By the time you’ve mentally compared everything and thought everything through you’re exhausted before you’ve even bought something.
2. Sensory overload
Sometimes it’s not the number of choices you have to make but the environment in which you shop. Bright lights, music, announcements, crowds, and everything else that surrounds you - shops are designed to stimulate, and for a nervous system which already on alert, It’s a lot to take in.
You may not even notice what’s happening to begin with, you just start to feel a little tense and on edge, maybe feeling a bit rushed or desperate to leave, but usually that’s just your brain reacting to too much input.
3. Feeling Watched or Judged
Shopping can be surprisingly social - from shop assistants asking you if you need help, maybe cashiers making small talk or who may be watching you as you try on something unusual, especially if there’s only a few people in a small store.
If you deal with social anxiety as well this can definitely be the hardest part, you might find yourself rehearsing what you’ll say at the till or to strangers. Or it could be that you do not want to ask where something is or just leave without buying or reaching out for help, just to dodge the interaction. Self-checkouts can help assuming there aren’t any errors when you get there!
4. Money Stress and Fear of the Wrong Purchase
Spending money is rarely stress free or neutral. Sometimes even small purchases can trigger thoughts like; can I really afford this? How reliable is my income? Will I use it enough for it to be worth it? What if I need that money later for something more important?
For those who have financial anxiety, shopping can feel like a series of little risks especially if you’re a perfectionist, because the pressure to make the right purchase is very intense, which will lead you to overthinking and worrying about what you should buy. This can lead you into a deep rabbit hole of research and justification for something that is probably fairly insignificant.
5. Body Image and Changing Rooms
Being faced with looks from others, harsh lighting, unflattering mirrors, and inconsistent sizing from store to store, shopping for clothes in particular can bring up uncomfortable, anxious feelings about how you look - even on days when you were feeling fine beforehand.
Inconsistent sizing also doesn’t help when one brand is saying you’re a medium and the next saying a large, it can be easy to take this too personally when in reality it’s just the chaotic sizing standards of the industry.
6. Online Shopping
Online shopping solves many problems; however, it also brings with it its own set of stress and anxiety. You research multiple different websites across different windows and tabs, look through the reviews that all seem to contradict each other, then feel the fear of ordering the wrong size and having to deal with returns (going to the post office!).
Just before you place the order, you may even feel checkout anxiety and suddenly your brain comes up with a long list of reasons not to press buy or why you’ll regret it. Also, there’s no physical end point such as leaving the store, you can browse forever and for an anxious mind that one more comparison or product to look at and compare to, can turn into a very long evening or into not purchasing anything at all.
How to Make Shopping Less Stressful
You don’t have to avoid shopping forever; here are some small adjustments you can make that can reduce anxiety as you look for your next purchase:
Make a list before you leave
When you know exactly what you’re looking for It cuts down on the number of decisions needed, which help stop your mind from wandering too far.
Shop at quieter times
Weekday mornings are generally best but if you’re busy during the week, early on a weekend morning - especially on a Sunday, can be a great option. If not, try the evenings during the week - it can have quite a chilled-out atmosphere then.
Set a time limit
Just tell yourself 20 minutes or half an hour per shop depending on what you’re looking for, if you can’t find what you’re looking for in this time it’s probably worth not buying anything today. It also helps give your brain an exit.
Wear some headphones
This can reduce the external noise and, subtly signal others that you’re not overly interested in chatting or socializing
Use a 24-hour rule for big purchases
if you’re unsure, just leave the item in the basket and decide tomorrow to see if you still feel the same way.
Choose a budget beforehand
Deciding to budget in advance gives you a hard limit and takes financial guesswork out of the moment.
Bring a friend or go alone
Choose whichever one lowers your stress and anxiety. Some people feel safer with company such as a friend, but others prefer to go at their own pace.
Check return policies
You can do this easily online beforehand and knowing that you can send something back if it’s not right, takes the pressure off and reduces the stress of buying.
Order online
There’s no shame in skipping the crowds or the traveling to and from the shops, just as long as you set a time limit on browsing.