Do you practice "retail therapy"? Do you know anyone who does? Today I'm so excited to share with you the best kind of retail therapy, and I guarantee it's something you've never thought of before!
Retail therapy is shopping with the primary purpose of improving the buyer's mood or disposition. Often seen in people during periods of depression or stress, it is normally a short-lived habit. Items purchased during periods of retail therapy are sometimes referred to as "comfort buys". -Wikipedia
If you practice "retail therapy," you probably buy shoes or clothes or a pedicure for therapeutic benefits. (Or maybe ice cream?) What are you accustomed to doing or buying to improve your mood?
Let's blow your mind.
I have a friend who is a therapist who uses memory-keeping in her practice. She has her patients gather photos and write about their thoughts and experiences. Guess WHY she does it. Simple. It's therapeutic.
It's true! Did you know that memory-keeping is therapeutic?
Now I'm not just talking about "scrapbooking" in the way we tend to think of it. I'm talking about the act of looking at photos and combining them with their stories (our memories)--it actually has a healing effect!
Memory-keeping is so much more than "doing something" with your photos, doing something "cute," or wanting to pass something on to the next generation and the next.
Memory-keeping is actually GOOD FOR YOU. It's therapeutic.
{This photo therapist}--yes, that's a thing--
explains it well! You can find many more sources and many more examples at the {"benefits of memory-keeping" tab} above, too, if you're still feeling a little skeptical.Reflecting on your own life is cathartic and can bring many great memories to the forefront. That's one benefit I always find in memory-keeping--we tend to just take pictures of the good stuff, so that's what we tend to remember. It helps us focus on the positive and reflect on happy times.
What about just taking time to reflect on a special vacation, a family reunion, or a milestone?
How often do you sit down to just enjoy and appreciate? I would guess that none of us do it as often as we might, and that actually doing it would have a lot of therapeutic results.
If you spend $50 on a pair of shoes that will just go out of style, why not spend $50 (or less) on something that will quite literally increase in value over time?!
That's what makes memory-keeping retail therapy the very best kind! (But definitely keep your standards high--only accept
heirloom-quality books and pages with a photo privacy guarantee. See my
memory-keeping recommendations here.)
Who do you know who would love something like this? You're probably thinking of someone right now.
"Never suppress a generous thought." - Camilla E. Kimball
Equally cathartic and therapeutic is honoring those who have passed on. One shared experience all of us have as human beings is loss. We have all lost someone dear (or will). Preserving that life story is priceless. It can help connect generations, but it can also be a healing experience as you put the tribute book together. ({
Here's my personal experience.})
I haven't experienced the heartbreak of losing a child, but I know people who have, and I know how a storybook has helped to keep those precious little ones close. I know it can be meaningful for both parents and siblings to have a keepsake of the sweet angel relationship, no matter how brief.
So give memory-keeping as therapy a try! It truly is therapeutic, whether you create something for yourself or for someone else.
Our own memories or expressions of love for others through storybooks are excellent retail therapy.
There are so many possibilities!
Think about it this way:
pedicure: $30
two tickets to a chick flick + popcorn and drinks: $40
new shoes: $50
scented candle: $20
a handful of trips to Starbucks: $30
a storybook full of your own photos and memories (or a special keepsake or gift): priceless
Get started {right here}. It really is the best kind of retail therapy!
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