Shopping can occur on and for many different occasions. Need new clothes for school? Shopping trip. Your favorite store is having their semi-annual sale? Calls for shopping. Christmas time right around the corner? Time to grab your wallet and hit up the nearest mall. However, what many people may overlook as the best time to go shopping is when you're in dire need of a pick-me-up. Shopping as therapy is one of the most effective things to do. You'd be amazed at how much better one feels after completing some shopping therapy.

It can debatably make you feel 10x better than any pint of ice cream or lending ear out there. Take it from me, as I have engaged in plenty of shopping therapy extravaganzas lately. There is just sometimes no comparable feeling to finding the perfect outfit on sale at one of your favorite stores. Sure, it's not always the answer, (mainly just because your bank account can't afford it) but sometimes if you're in an extreme funk, it is the one thing that can completely turn your mood around.

The beauty of shopping when you may be feeling less than ideal is simply that it has the ability to make you forget about everything for a while. Everything and anything that may be bothering or upsetting you, can be temporarily subsided while engaging in a shopping trip. And on top of that, the result is a bunch of new things! So really, are there any downsides to this type of therapy?

If you were to ask me, other than the inevitable fact that your bank account must suffer some losses, there is no better alternative to shopping therapy. It has been there for me every time I have been down and chosen to go on a shopping trip. One most prevalent downside, however, could be the fact that it can become addicting. No joke. But as long as you remember to do so sparingly, you can't really ever go wrong with the retail therapy engagement.

Interestingly enough, there have actually been continuous studies toward retail therapy and its effects. There are many myths that have been circulating about this kind of therapy, however, including how one can become depressed after splurging, and that one may become sincerely regretful over their impulsive purchases. Although, more recent studies have shown that the brain's reaction to shopping is much like the reaction we have to comfort food, most closely related to the psychological reward system, which makes us happier. Retail therapy sends a surge of dopamine to the brain, which is a neurotransmitter formed in the brain that is often transmitted as a result of receiving a reward, hence making us happier. Studies have also shown that shopping is a great form of exercise, so it has health benefits as well.

So through fact and truth, shopping therapy can easily be pegged as an effective and enjoyable way to lift one's spirits. Feeling stressed, upset, or just having a bad day? I highly recommend the practice of retail therapy once in a while, its benefits and effects can sometimes be mind-blowing. Don't underestimate the power of shopping. Plus, what part of buying a new pair of shoes does not sound enticing to anyone?