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: But there are healthier ways of nursing a broken heart – including shopping. In a recent survey by TNS Global on behalf of Ebates.com, around 52 percent of respondents said they've engaged in "retail therapy," the act of shopping and spending to improve one's mood. Both men and women admitted they've opened their wallets when feeling blue. However, this form of therapy can put your finances at risk if it's the only way you can temper your mood, or if you feel guilty about your spending behaviors and don't shop in moderation. When you're sad, you see the world differently, says Scott Rick, a professor of marketing at the University of Michigan whose research focuses on the emotional causes and consequences of financial decision-making. 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. "