Title: Why Shopping Can Be Good for Your Health | Personal Finance | US News
Headings: Why Shopping Can Be Good for Your Health
Why Shopping Can Be Good for Your Health
Feeling down? A trip to the mall might help.
Why Shopping Can Be Good for Your Health

Content: Rick says people who are upset often think they live in an environment that's out of their control. One way to restore control, he says, is by making choices about what to buy. Decisions can be between material items (a pair of shorts versus jeans) or what to consume (a smoothie versus a milkshake). Studies show retail therapy is less effective for feelings like aggression, but Rick says purchases – cheap or expensive – can help relieve mild depression. Despite its benefits, retail therapy is shunned by many consumers. " I think it's unpopular these days to say you shop for pleasure because we're supposed to be in some stoic state in this post-recession economy," says Kit Yarrow, a professor of psychology at Golden Gate University in San Francisco who studies consumer trends and behaviors. " I think shopping serves as a healthy purpose for a lot of people. If it works for you, you should not feel guilty. Do it, enjoy it and don't overdo it." [Read: