| by Annie Norton | 10/30/06 | 322 views |
Have you ever had a bad day and felt like nothing was going to cheer you up? Maybe you found out you failed a test, or your friend saw the guy you liked making out with some other chick at the bar last night. Maybe your boyfriend hasn't called or is acting shady lately especially since you found that text message he sent one of his "friends" in his class. Or maybe nothing bad has happened at all, you just woke up one day and for whatever you reason you were just having a crappy day. I know I've had my fair share of these days. But instead of drowning in self-pity while blasting sappy-make-you-wanna-cry love songs, (which I have done too), or getting drunk so that you just forget that you were sad in the first place, I like to choose a better and healthier outlet: my debit card. Now some people may think that a debit/credit card and high emotions are a bad combination (e.g. lots of debt!!), but I feel that when you’re having a bad day, there's no better way to cheer yourself up than to go shopping and buy yourself something nice. It's what my mom likes to call "Aquisitional Therapy" and I have to tell you, it works wonders.
The first and most important step in this program is deciding that you aren't going to sit in front of the TV all day eating that gallon of ice cream you have in the freezer (been there too). Instead you have to make the conscious effort to put on one of your best outfits, maybe even brush your hair, put on some make-up (if you wear any) and go out into that cruel, cruel world that caused you to feel crappy in the first place.
The next step is to decide whether you want to go by yourself or with a very understanding girlfriend. Now this is a play by play decision. You really have to ask yourself whether you want somebody there who will most likely have to listen to all your problems (which can be very helpful for you) or whether you just want some alone time. Most of the time, I like to go by myself. Not only does it save my friends from getting an earful of sorrow, but it also allows me to spend the day with myself and think hard about why I'm upset. Did that test really matter? Maybe that girl was just a friend. Maybe my boyfriend is actually a huge tool and I'm better off with someone else. These are just examples; you can ponder about anything you want. The point is, you should use your shopping day to really reflect on what's bothering you, and think about how you can try to fix it. If you get a sexy pair of heels out of it, then that's just a bonus.
The next step in Aquisitional Therapy is to actually go acquire something! Walk around town, go to the mall, go to Bloom, my favorite girly store where I always find something that makes me feel better. Find anything that'll make you feel better! You don't have to spend a lot, and you don't have to spend a small amount. Spending just 5 dollars at the 5 and 10 can help improve your mood. But try not to think about your budget so much. If you spend a little more money than you’d hoped, don't sweat it. The change in your mood is worth every penny. If you are a little tight on the cash, then please set a limit for yourself. That way, you won't be even more upset that you just spent a week's worth of food money. But trust me, setting a limit on how much you spend is going to cause more anxiety because you'll worry about going over that budget. Instead, just try to keep a close eye on your cash flow and if you go over by a little bit, just browse the rest of the stores you visit.
So as you’re shopping, make sure you pick out things that really make you feel good about yourself. It can be anything: clothes, shoes, accessories, art work, a new CD. Find something that will make you happy every time you look at it or every time you wear it. Because that is the whole point: to make you feel better and less stressed about what's going on in your life. However, do be warned! What ever you do, do NOT go out and splurge your money on food. I repeat: Aquisitional Therapy does include the extra side of french fries at Burger King or the calzone at D.P. Dough. The whole point of this is to have something with you to look at when you get home, to show to your roommate or friends, or to wear the next night out. It is not going to help you to have nothing to show but an empty fry carton and a burger wrapper (trust me, I've been there too). So please, if you decide to go to the mall, stay away from the food court (unless you really are just hungry from shopping so much).
I feel like the last step in this program is to truly get excited about anything that you just purchased. Go home and if you can, try it on again. If you bought something for your room, put it up right away and just spend a few minutes looking at it. It sounds weird, but you should congratulate yourself for making such a great purchase. Small things like that can really help you to get over your current worries, or least make them seem less daunting. And don't ever regret the purchase you just made. You probably are going to spend more money on something than you normally would, but that's one of the main points of Aquisitional Therapy. You really have to treat yourself and not worry about spending $40 on a shirt when you wouldn't normally spend more than $15. No matter the price, when you look back on whatever you bought, you'll remember that it made you feel better and that makes the item even more special to you.
Now there are many people out there who probably think that material possessions are not important and it’s who people are on the inside that counts. And for the most part I agree with these people. But at the same time, what's so wrong about using material objects to make you feel better every once in a while? If you go out and buy a pair of jeans that make you feel great, every time you wear those jeans your confidence will boost. Although we’d like to believe that self-confidence and self-esteem are entirely intrinsic, that just isn’t the case. Believe me if I could feel just as sexy in sweat pants and sneakers as I do in a dress and heels, I’d choose the sweats. But our society doesn’t work that way and personally, I don’t see the problem in treating yourself with some nice things every once in a while to lift your spirits. Aquisitional Therapy is not something you should do all the time. If you find yourself spending lots of money (especially money that you don’t have) every time you feel bad, then you might want to consider something else, because I wouldn’t want anybody to go broke. It’s simply a once-every-couple-of-months kind of thing.
So, if you’ve already found the joy of Aquisitional Therapy, good for you! Please, continue by all means. But if you haven’t experienced what a shopping spree at the Gap can do, or how a senseless pair of black and neon-pink stilettos can brighten your day (my personal favorite purchase), then I suggest that the next time you're feeling down, go shopping and see what you can find. You’d be surprised as to how spending a little on yourself can brighten your day.
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