You open your phone to read a message and find a promotion. The product looks interesting, the discount ends soon and a thought comes to mind: “If I do not buy it now, I will regret it.”
A few minutes ago, you were not even thinking about it. Now you are comparing colours, looking for your card and imagining where you will put your new purchase.
As Black Friday approaches on 27 November, it is worth noticing the interval between seeing an opportunity and feeling that we need to take it. Shopping can be useful and enjoyable. The question is how much room we have to choose.
When urgency enters the decision
Messages such as “last few items” or “only ten minutes left” can make a decision feel urgent. Some reflect real conditions; others use scarcity that does not exist. Consumer protection authorities have documented, for example, countdown timers that suggest a limited deadline when the offer does not actually end at that time.
Imagine you needed to replace your trainers and were waiting for a promotion. You find a suitable pair and decide to buy them. On another day, you receive an advert for an appliance you had never looked for and start worrying about missing the discount. These are different situations, even if both end with an order.
One question can help distinguish interest in the purchase from interest in the opportunity: “If this product were not on offer, would it still make sense for me?”
This is not a test with a right answer. It is a way of reclaiming a little time to think.
What we bring to the shopping basket
Buying decisions do not happen separately from the rest of our lives. Experimental research suggests that sadness can influence how much we are willing to pay in certain circumstances. This does not mean that everyone buys more when they are sad, or that an impulsive purchase reveals a psychological problem.
Even so, noticing your own experience can be useful. After a frustrating day, are you looking for something you need, or would you like something pleasant to look forward to? When the parcel arrives, does the satisfaction last, or do you immediately start looking for the next one?
These questions help you understand a pattern without turning every purchase into a reason for guilt. It is also possible to enjoy shopping and make considered decisions.
Making room for a pause
Before completing an unplanned purchase, try writing it down and coming back to it later, when you can decide calmly. You can close the app, silence promotional notifications or review a list of things you already intended to buy.
Notice what was happening before you started looking for products, too. Perhaps you were bored, alone or in need of rest. In that case, you can ask whether another response might also help at that moment: talking to someone, going out for a little while or taking a break from an overly demanding day.
If purchases keep happening in a way you find difficult to control, cause distress or begin to interfere with your life and relationships, you deserve space to talk about it without judgement.
At Psicologias da Sofia, psychological support can help you understand what you are experiencing and explore ways of dealing with these difficulties. A promotion may have a deadline; understanding what you need can begin with a pause.
Photo: Nataliya Vaitkevich / Pexels.
