It was not just about saving time. Or money. There were many more lessons to be learnt, discovers Neha Saigal.
Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com
'Abstinence is as easy to me, as temperance would be difficult.' - Samuel Johnson
Generally, the abstinence versus moderation debate comes up in the context of diet or drinking -- habits where temptation is great. Shopping has never held that irresistible pull for me. So in my case, going one year without shopping seemed easy enough.
I had wondered earlier if I was wasting too much time and money shopping mindlessly.
I had wondered if it was slowing down my saving goals (which, at the time, consisted of paying off the home loan and building an emergency fund).
But it hadn't occurred to me that this experiment would teach me about a lot more than saving time and money.
There is plenty!
There is surprisingly little without which life would actually break down. Of course, I bought groceries and toiletries when I ran out of them. But, other than that, there was nothing that I could think of that I 'needed'.
I was surprised to find that I didn't miss the browsing, researching, comparing, trying, rejecting, buying. In fact, I had to acknowledge I already had all that I wanted and more.
Counter-intuitively, the fewer things I acquired, the more I delighted in the things I already had.
Time slows down
I had spent uncountable hours of my life trying on clothes and shoes, researching gadgets.
Putting that seeking behaviour on pause was a delightful repose. I'd stepped off the infamous hedonic treadmill.
All the restless whirring and buzzing ceased and terra firma felt reassuringly steady. A tranquil contentment washed over me.
So much of my attention was freed up to observe mossy brick walls, fallen leaves, thunderstorms and all the other priceless treasures that had surrounded me all the while.
Questioning the chase
As I said, I've never been a shopaholic. I only ever indulged in purchasing the occasional pretty thing. And even though I called it retail therapy, the high was always fleeting. The dopamine monster always wants more.
In my no-shopping year, I got to questioning what it was that I wanted more of. As I questioned what psychological reward I was chasing after, I became more honest about where I was finding it.
Marie Kondo (Japanese organising consultant and author) recommends asking, 'Does this spark joy?' How wonderful it would be, to apply that to more aspects of life than just items in my closet.
