PING! THE PLEASURE OF SHOPPING!
By Linda Kissam “Food, Wine & Shopping Diva”
ON BIG BLEND RADIO: Travel writer Linda Kissam, “Food, Wine & Shopping Diva,” talks about the benefits of shopping and shares gift giving tips. Watch here in the YouTube player or download the podcast on PodBean.
There is nothing wrong with grabbing appropriate shoes and your purse and heading out the door to shop. Whether you are driving 15 minutes to the mall or taking a plane to Germany to do a Christmas Market cruise, each outing is an exploratory adventure. Shopping by its nature involves hunting for, discovering, and then the acquisition of something new. Gift-giving, a result of shopping, tends to boost Serotonin levels. Gift-giving gives us a “ping” of Serotonin as we see that we have given someone else pleasure. Who knew?
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Shopping wish lists evolve as we age. During the younger years, your shopping is focused on you, and you tend to buy less expensive items. As your timeline moves on, you begin to replace the cheap stuff and go for substance over quantity. You also expand your wish list to include those around you. In the final stage of shopping, you are quite picky about what you buy. You already have lots of stuff. You stop buying souvenirs to look for memories. You are generous with your shopping, including your circle of friends and family on your list.
And then there’s this. Every time you buy something for yourself or as a present for a friend or family member you are giving the gift of employment to many, many people. Your money goes to the factory workers who made that cute shawl, the uber-cute stuffed panda, or the delicious Bee’s Knees cocktail. Your purchases support tourism, marketing, and management employees and to the sales staff and management of the store where you made the purchase, the restaurant workers and owner where you ate lunch between stores, and the Lyft driver who brought you home when you were carrying way too many bags.
So, my fellow happy shoppers, give yourself a collective clap. You are engaging in a remedy to boredom and a solution to feeling good that helps economies around the world. And hey… enjoy that feel-good serotonin surge! It certainly is a staple in my diet. Just sayin’…
Linda Kissam ‘Food, Wine & Shopping Diva’ is a professional travel, food, and wine writer who specializes in easy, breezy destination stories sharing her favorite things about the places she visits. Visit www.AllInGoodTaste.info
