How many times have you told yourself this holiday season, “I’m not going overboard this year” or “I’m all done shopping,” only to walk into a store and magically find more things someone in your life would “love”?
My husband says if our Amazon driver misses a day, he’s going to file a wellness check.
Honestly? Fair.
But in my defense—not everything I buy is meaningless junk. Sometimes it’s supplements, cleaning supplies, or other household essentials. (This is the hill I will die on.)
We live in a world that tells us more is better… more clothes, more gadgets, more household items, more stuff you didn’t even know existed until TikTok informed you your entire life was incomplete without it. Everywhere we look, there’s a sale, a new drop, or a “must-have” item promising happiness, confidence, or a sense of belonging.
You know the stuff—those miracle creams that claim they’ll make you skinny, erase every bit of cellulite, fix your metabolism, bring you inner peace, and hell… might even do your taxes for you. 😉
I admit it, I’m weak.
Show me a “limited edition” candle named something like Snowy Forest Moonlight Comfort Hug and suddenly I’m a pioneer woman preparing for winter survival.
Plot twist! Half the time we’re not buying things… we’re buying feelings.
Over-consumerism has quietly become one of the biggest coping mechanisms of our time. It’s my guilty pleasure too. If shopping burned calories, I’d have abs by now.
For a lot of us, it’s that quick dopamine hit we’re craving. Shopping distracts us from the stress, loneliness, overwhelm, or that very specific emotional void you can only feel while standing in the frozen food aisle.
But I’m trying to be mindful. I really am.
I’ve been asking myself deep, philosophical questions like:
• “Do I need this?”
• “Do I just want this?”
• “Or am I emotionally spiraling and trying to fix it with a throw pillow?”
Spoiler: it’s almost always the pillow.
And with the world being… well, the world, it feels important to at least try to be a little more intentional. People are struggling. Prices are ridiculous. Groceries are basically luxury items now. Shopping doesn’t fix any of that—it just gives us a brief escape from thinking about it.
We’re all out here coping the best we can—sometimes with meditation and gratitude journals, and sometimes with a new crystal that’s definitely, absolutely going to reboot all my chakras like a Wi-Fi router.
If you’ve ever opened your door, seen a package, and completely forgotten you ordered something, CONGRATULATIONS. You are my people.
I’m figuring it out day by day—trying to be more intentional, trying not to let my emotions control my shopping cart, and trying not to fill my home with things that do nothing to actually fill my cup.
How about you?
What helps you be more conscious about not collecting things you don’t really need?
The Other Side of Nice 