How Minimalism Cured My Shopping Addiction .

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[Guest Post] by Brittany ♡

What causes a shopping addiction? Unhappiness? Self esteem issues? Popularity? When I was a teenager, I always wanted more. I envied people’s belongings. If a friend of mine walked into school with Uggs on, I went home begging my mom to buy them for me or saving my hard earned money just keeping up with trends. Contemptment was not in my vocabulary. If it wasn’t for discovering minimalism, I’d be an unhappy, in debt, hoarder. 

I was one of those organized hoarders. The ones who seemingly have it all together until you open up a closet or drawer. Platforms like Youtube fueled the addiction. Haul videos & makeup collections made it seem normal to have an entire Alex 9 drawer filled with products. When in reality, they are the ones with the problems. 

Most of my shopping occurred during my worst days. Feeling upset? Let’s head to the mall & drop $200 on useless crap. I thought a new outfit or makeup product would be that quick fix to happiness. 

I was dead wrong. 

Funny how after a few hours, reality would set in again & my problems would still be there. I seriously believed a sweater from J.Crew would change my life? Ha!

I slowly realized my habits of shopping were keeping me in a rut. I wasn’t moving forward in life. I used shopping as a crutch for dealing with my emotions. I hated being vulnerable & talking things out. I’ve learned conversations with people you trust are the best forms of medicine. The key to change & growth are being real with yourself, owning up to your flaws & putting action into your thoughts. Quit thinking a new item will do that for you. It will just make you broke. 

Minimalism teaches us to see consumerism in a different perspective. It’s putting your wants & needs into perspective. It doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate new things & don’t shop at all. I just have developed a healthier mindset. I still treat myself occasionally. But I make more adult decisions. I save instead of spend. I prioritize necessities like food, bills & experiences. I no longer feel the need to keep up with the Joneses. I’m much happier & have a bigger appreciation for life. 

Not only this, but my obsession (for lack of better words) caused me to seem like this stuck up, spoiled brat who only cared about physical appearance. Now, I can talk about my thoughts on assumptions in a different post, but sadly,  I started to believe them. I was becoming this heartless person who lacked personal connection with people. Happiness is found in nature, the right people & owning up to your emotions. Don’t be like my past self & rely on silent objects to take care of you. You’ll feel super alone that way. 

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I really hope you liked Brittany’s post as much as I did. Do not forget to have a look at her blog for more: she always posts extremely interesting & honest content.