Of Course I Don't Get Stressed Shopping - Especially at Christmas

Of Course I don't get Stressed  when I go shopping - especially at Christmas

I must admit, like most women and quite a few men, over the years  I have become very familiar with the "joys" of supermarket shopping.  I'm allowed to trundle round a supermarket with a trolley with no prior lessons or test and the absence of shopping aisle fatalities never cease to amaze  me – most mis-haps are due to poor driving!! 
 
A good idea would be to provide inexperienced shoppers with 'N' for  "new shopper" plates and introduce a one-way system with designated slow lanes for normal shoppers, fast lanes for impatient shoppers and lay-bys for social gatherings!!!

To many women and the occasional man, shopping is considered a recreational activity in which one visits a variety of stores in search of a suitable product to purchase, whilst to most men and the occasional worman, shopping is a task of inconvenience and vexation! 

A high number of men do like to shop, although they rarely admit it,  but they do hate to shop the way women shop. Men prefer expedition shopping, or go into a store looking for a specific item. Whereas us women are not happy until we have completed the ritual of going into every shop available in the vicinity, and beyond, only then do we return to the first shop and buy the first item we saw which we knew instantly was exactly what we wanted at exactly the right price but, of course,  had to check the rest just to make sure!

One of the key reasons humans are such mad shoppers is dopamine, a euphoria-inducing hormone released by the brain that induces a feeling of security and self-righteousness when we hand over a credit card.

Heart rates increase by an average of 10 per cent during Christmas shopping,.  Men feel twice as stressed post shopping, while women are almost three times as stressed.  Don't get me wrong, folks -- I love shopping!   Peering into a decorated holiday window or finding a hard-to-find toy appears to tap into the brain's reward center, triggering the release of brain chemicals that gives you a "shopping high",  hey - I can live with that.

So who wants to wallow in the stress brought on by holiday gift-giving?  Holidays don't have to put you in a major state of panic.
 
Here's a few suggestions about buying gifts which might just help improve your  Christmas shopping experience:

1.  You don't need to stick to a rigid gift list, be open to alternatives. 

2.  An expensive price tag does not necessarily mean a perfect gift. Creativity is more personal and appreciated, it shows genuine thought and effort.

3.  Online shopping is a great convenience offered by the Internet. Just click the mouse and  there before you is a wide array of brands and pricelists for gifts.  Amazon.com  and eBay to name just two of the many places you can look and pick up a bargain at the same time.

4.  It's wise to wear your most comfortable outfits if you are going on an expedition around the High Street shops, especially in shoe choice.  High heels were never meant for shopping - trust me I know these things!!

5.  Of course there is always the alternative to material presents, an act of kindness can very well serve as a very valuable holiday gift.  This could be not only for your family and friends but also for those less-fortunate.
 
I hope these tips help you, if not enjoy the experience, get you through it as easily as possible. 

For more shopping tips go to http://www.wizco.co.uk/shopping/index.html

Happy shoppping.