Self-Compassion For Time Limited Sales And Impulse Buying
Self-Compassion For Sales
Self-compassion for sales is important. Sales affect so many of us. We all encounter life stress, and know how good it feels to purchase something, especially something on sale, and the continued goodness we experience in knowing that the postman will be bringing us a gift some time soon.
Businesses known for their sales have a pretty strong racket. They find their target audience. They advertise things you want. These things you want are offered at a reduced price for a short period of time that will no longer be available once this time has elapsed. You start to believe that you need these things.
We foam at the mouth, when we read these advertisements. Our legs start to tremble with anticipation, and our fingers dance around the keyboard, clicking things like mad scientists. Like a salesperson at a bazaar, we begin to haggle with ourselves. Boy, do we love deals.
We think about what we can give up to get the things we want. We make a mental list of why we need these things. We look at the time, and as it approaches the sales deadline, we loom over our computers like a shark hidden behind a reef peering out at an approaching school of fish. Then, we lurch forward, and press the button. What? Did you actually think we were going to miss out on a great sale?
Psychology and Neuropsychology of Limited Sales Buying
The problem with these purchases is that they are driven by a lot of tension and deadlines that work our amygdala more than they ever work our frontal lobes. In layman’s terms, this means that they are guided by emotionally powerful, survival mechanisms more than they are logical reasoning. This means that sometimes we feel like the luckiest kid at the zoo perched on the pony for the last available ride of the day. Other times, we regret it like our decision to eat the week old yogurt because the supermarket seemed far away, and it was cold outside.
I feel your pain. I love the shiny bobbles too. Who does not love a great sale? But, I want you to be armed with as much self-compassion and knowledge as possible, so that your regret column is small, and your rejoice column is stacked. Nothing is going to work all the time. You will have some regrets, but use those as opportunities to sharpen your self-compassion skills, and you will always have something to celebrate.
4 Self-Compassionate Steps To Survive Time Limited Sales
Follow these 4 steps to time limited sales shopping, and you should make it out alive.
Step 1: Feel The Excitement. Ok, the eye of the storm is upon you. Your day is stressful, and your favorite store has just sent you an email with sales on items you have wanted for months. You’re feeling so excited that you cannot feel your face, and your feet are starting to dance under your desk. Allow yourself to feel excited. Excitement is good.
Step 2: Get Your Logical Brain On Line. Feel the parts of your sit bones that connect to your chair, and feel your feet touching the floor. This will bring you back to the present moment, and give you some distance from this feeling. If this does not work, trying holding a piece of ice. Next, let out a deep breath, and give yourself a self-hug. Hey, sales are exciting, but they are stressful too. A little bit of love goes a long way.
Step 3: Decide If You Can Afford To Spend The Time And Money. Now, that your frontal or logical brain is activated, ask yourself if you can afford the time to look at the sale, and the money to purchase something. Honesty is key here. Do not feed yourself with some baloney like you will just window shop. There is a very high degree of certainty that if you look and find a good deal, you will be purchasing something. If you can afford to purchase something and have the time, set a time and a price limit on yourself. You cannot afford a Michael Jackson shopping spree. There are pros, and then there is Michael. Be kind to yourself, and acknowledge what is reasonable for you to spend.
Step 4: Get Your Logical Brain Back On Line. After you have gone to this site, and purchased something, again feel your sit bones against your seat, and your feet on the floor. Allow the dopamine rush of this purchasing experience to pass. Now, you will have power of your logical brain again, so you can return to work. Think this last part is excessive? Remind yourself of the last time you were so excited about a new purchase that you bought something else to keep the good vibes going. There it is. No need to judge or shame yourself.
Post Sale Self-Compassion
If you bought just enough or nothing because you could not, then celebrate. If you bought too much, then see if you can return the items you purchased. If they are final sales (boy is that a pain), use this as an opportunity to be kind to yourself. Somewhere in the world, 50 billion other people are making the same poor decision, and surviving long enough to make better ones, just as you will.
365 Days of Self-Compassion. Day 132. In The Books.