"We've all been there. A breakup leaves you heartbroken, a family argument shakes your world, or work stress makes every day feel like a marathon. And suddenly, you are hitting the gym many times a week, cutting your hair on a whim, reorganizing your entire apartment, signing up for courses you never intended to take, or buying gadgets and tools as if your life depended on it. Why do we do this?"
"Research on retail therapy shows that making choices about purchases can actually restore a sense of personal control when people feel sad or powerless. Choosing what to buy can reduce lingering sadness because it gives the illusion of mastery over one's environment, even if the purchase itself has little long-term value (Rick, Pereira, and Burson, 2014). Losing control in one area of life pushes the brain to seek it back somewhere else, and buying something or starting a project feels like reclaiming agency."
Emotional lows often trigger sudden bursts of productivity, impulsive projects, or spending as attempts to regain personal control. Breakups, family conflict, or work stress commonly prompt behaviors such as frequent gym visits, impulsive haircuts, home reorganizing, enrolling in courses, or buying gadgets. Making choices about purchases and projects can temporarily restore a sense of agency, reducing lingering sadness by creating an illusion of mastery even when the action lacks long-term value. These coping behaviors offer short-term relief and motivation but can mask stress-driven overworking and increase risk of burnout. Pausing before acting helps convert reactive energy into more sustainable growth strategies.
Read at Psychology Today
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