In this article, we will be discussing;
- The Internal Triggers to Impulse Buying and how we convince ourselves to buy.
- The External Triggers that make us want to ‘Buy Now’ and how Marketers know what buttons to press!
- How to control our Impulse Buying by replacing our “Never Enough” mindset with one of “Sufficiency’.
Have you ever experienced a ‘High’ when you are buying something? Well its not your imagination, its your body releasing Dopamine into your brain to create that feel good sensation. The trouble is; is it something we really need or have we just allowed ourselves to be manipulated into making a purchase?
When we buy on an impulse, there are actually two forces at work (Internal and External) and we need to address both if we want to beat the Urge to Splurge!
Internal triggers that compel us to buy are;
• Buying to satisfy an Emotional Need within us. We may be unconsciously trying to buy some sort of happiness, fun, love or stress-relief. It becomes bad when it is so habitual that it is affecting you overall financial wellbeing and /or acting as a panacea to any underlying feelings of unhappiness.
External triggers are the different advertising techniques employed;
• We are literally bombarded daily with the call to “BUY”. TV, Online, Radio, magazines, billboards. The list is almost endless. Understanding and acknowledging that you as an individual are being deliberately targeted is the first part of the battle in controlling Impulse Buying habits.
The Never Enough Mindset
This seems to be a pervasive element of our modern culture, that we have an almost inbuilt condition of scarcity. I’m not good enough; pretty enough; happy enough; young enough; rich enough; healthy enough,…. And so on down the list. We have been sold a lie, that in acquiring more ‘things’ we will be able to fill the void!
Marketers know this. You are not buying a product you are buying an emotion – a positive feeling. And the more inadequacies and fear they can create, the easier their job.
Building our Sufficiency Mindset
Sufficiency is not about the state of our finances; it’s about our state of mind. Feeling ‘enough’. So how do we acquire this mindset?
1. We practice Gratitude. By giving thanks every day for all the good things in our life, we are cultivating sufficiency.
2. Outward acts of appreciation leads to a greater feeling of sufficiency.
3. Reducing our exposure to media and advertising consumption (where possible).
A Final Thought
The overarching theme in this article is that we need to protect ourselves from the many social influences that weave into our senses and leave us with a ‘Scarcity’ outlook on life. This never enough mindset is at the heart of so many negative human emotions; Jealousy, greed and prejudice among them.
Work on building sufficiency in your life and you will defeat the inadequacy and fear that can easily spoil your natural sense of happiness.
Related Article – 5 Steps to Creating a Mindset for Money