Retail Therapy Treatment Session

I spent my weekend, Friday just staying at home. I mean I was out in the morning to go to church but decided not to go out after due to heavy sandstorm.

For those of you guys who doesn't know what sandstorm is well  if rainstorm is to water then sandstorm is to sand, yup literally sand - free face powder,free shoe dye that you're black shoes will be instantly brown and sickness :-(

I was sick since Friday and was not able to come to office on Saturday. I spent those days in the room lying in my bed, with my laptop - thanks to Hillsong, Casting Crowns, Laura Story and others who've been my guests until I fell asleep. Thanks to Ate Cynthia too for the "hilot" (traditional massage) sobrang himbing ng tulog ko and to Tita Shiella for recommending the movie Life of Pi, such an inspiring story of faith.

I posted a status on my FB that its my 1st sick leave for this year and in few minutes almost all of them have one in common comments, well not "get well soon" but instead "shopping ang ang katapat" hahaha no wonder those ladies are all shoppingeras :-) - gusto ko man na mag-retail therapy pero hindi kaya ng katawan ko.

I used to have a "retail therapy" when I'm stressed, bored, disappointed and even I feel sad. Because of the RT I was able to learned to visit the mall by myself.  

Retail Therapy as per Wikepedia is shopping with the primary purpose of improving the buyer's mood or disposition. And item/s that were purchased refer as "comfort buys". Honestly I don't know that there's such a kind of therapy and not knowing that I'm treating myself with that until I read it way back 2000 in one of my Cosmo magazine.

When I'm still in the Philippines, I'm even going to SM or National Bookstore just to have small things like nail polish or colored pens, sometimes in a week I visited those stores 4 times.

Retail therapy according to psychologist is good. It really boosts the mood of a person, it makes someone happier. Treating yourself for something nice has a lasting impact. 

"Shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist"

Personally, I have three reasons to shop - to indulge myself, to treat myself for a celebration, to have a therapy. 

Does retail therapy works?

Well for me its YES!  but I'm not recommending it to all but you can give it a try.  And here's my personal advice if you wanna try retail therapy:

1. Retail therapy is not shopping.  Retail means in small quantity only, meaning you can just buy one item, cheap item. Its not like shopping that seems that you want to hoard whatever you like or see.

2. When visiting to "hospital" which is the mall, tour yourself first around, do window shopping until you find the stuffs that you think you really like. It will save you as well to have a regret buys.

3. Don't ever use credit cards in purchasing any items when your goal is just to have a therapy. Using credit cards in shopping will lead you to shop more - mas madaling kumaskas kesa bumunot ng cash pero in the end good luck pag dumating ang statement of account mo baka instead na gumaling ka malula ka.

4. You are doing the retail therapy to boost you and not to down you. Do not go tho high end malls or shops if you want just a retail therapy especially if its not on your plan to have one but if you have a budget and intends to have on your hand its fine. Sometimes going to those shops will increase your frustrations and disappointments after not getting it.

5. You can have your retail therapy not only for malls. You can try to visit other shops outside like flea markets or tiangge, small boutiques or any place that you can purchase what you think that boost your mood.

The goal of having a retail therapy is a state of mind or emotions therapy, not physical. So guys don't make an excuse to have a retail therapy if you are physical sick like when you have fever or cough - you need a real medication, you need a real doctor and malls are not your hospital or clinic.

Yesterday, I'm back to work. I feel better than the other days, although I'm stressed, frustrated, ano pa bang pwedeng itawag, I even cried when I saw my desk full of documents even the monitor has some notes. Parang gusto ko na ulit umuwi ng bahay at magsick leave ulit, yung feeling na lahat ng naramdaman ko nung maysakit ako bumalik....kalma lang Jen. 

Thank you for I have some friends who comforted and pacified me. And still most of them advised me "shopping lang yan"  Without any plan and after a long discussion I'm with my sissy friends - Hazel and Genie at Centrepoint Al Sadd last night.

 The Happy Retailer, the HAPPY ME :-)

As I asked Hazel one of my friend who are with me last night on how is she now, as yesterday she feel lousy too she replied "ok na sis, effective". 

Retail therapy proven!

Oooppsss men retail therapy is not only for women, even you can have this. 

Try retail therapy it may be effective to you too ^_^

But remember as I'm always saying "Smart people knows to be practical"