Not done Christmas shopping yet? Though the deed feels more like a chore with the season's hustle and bustle, there's comfort in knowing that shopping is actually good for your health!
Your grumbling wallet aside, Dan Tynan of Women's Health recently came up with reasons to help justify our shopping escapades. It's apparently not just about getting a mood lift, as the pleasure it brings has long-term effects.
Here are just some of the benefits you get from shopping:
1. It's good for your mental health. Shopping "releases endorphins (feel-good chemicals) in your brain, boosts your immune system, keeps your brain nimble, and fulfills basic social needs." A study at the UK's Brunel University also showed that shopping increases activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which processes your pleasure and positive thinking.
2. More brain activity guarantees good mental health in old age. "People who are doing really well as they get older tend to be mentally engaged, physically active, and socially involved," said Guy McKhann, MD, a professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University. "And women are all of those things when they shop."
3. It's good exercise for you and your partner. Your partner may not get as much pleasure from shopping as you do, but it doesn't mean it's less beneficial for him. Here's an interesting fact: "It's not shopping per se that men dislike—it's shopping for things that hold no interest for them," said Lester Lefton, PhD, a professor of experimental psychology at Kent State University. So why not let him buy things he actually likes? Tynan recommends that partners split up when shopping so each can relish its pleasures. "As long as you're both looking for stuff you love, coed shopping excursions will help keep you—and your relationship—going strong," wrote Tynan.
0 Comments
Add Comment