Most people in the US are blessed with having more than we need. Much more. So much more that we invest in fancy containers to hold it in new ways, rent special places away from our home to use as vacation homes for our extra stuff – and yet many of the people who do these things also continue to shop as a form of recreation.

Consider adopting, at least for a while, one or more of these approaches to your surfeit stuff:

1. For each new non-perishable item you bring home, select something else to give to charity. You may start considering purchases carefully in light of figuring out what goes into the pile for AmVets when you put the new thing away.
2. Try to select one item per day for a set number of days to give away. One author did this for a year; you might practice it for the 40 days of Lent.
3. Have a 30-day list. If a non-essential still seems like a very good idea in a month, then you can decide to make the purchase.

If, on the other hand, your problem is an addiction to shopping, recognize that shopping is meeting one or more emotional needs in an unhealthy way, and find a better way to meet those needs. If you are in debt and out of space because of a shopping addiction, consider seeking professional guidance. You may be struggling to sedate emotional pain with the short-term rush of attention and gratification that shopping can provide.

Dr. Lori Puterbaugh

© 2016

Posts are for information and entertainment purposes only and should not be construed to be therapeutic advice. If you are in need of mental health assistance, please contact a licensed professional in your area.