Page 25 - THE EGO Ivy Informer Volume 4 Issue 1

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MENTAL HEALTH CHECK
Article Submitted by Soror Tonya Davis

Mental Well-being and Holiday Spending: Are You Creating

Memories or Just Buying More Stuff?

A Mental Health Moment with Dr. Tonya

Sorors, can you buy happiness?

As we move into the holiday season and you contemplate your an-
swer to the question above, take a moment to critically examine your
shopping/gift-giving practices through the happiness and mental
well-being lens. Does the act of holiday shopping fill you with hap-
piness or are you simply caught up in the swell of holiday cheer and
on a quest for the "perfect gift" for friends and loved ones? Consid-
er the duality of gift giving.That is, should gift giving yield happi-
ness for the recipient AND for the giver? Research suggests that
making gift selections based on the type of EXPERIENCE you want
to create for the receiver rather than on price tag is more helpful. As
you shop, consider how you want the recipient to feel and how you
want to feel and keep an eye out towards creating experiences that
can boost your happiness and your mental well-being. According to
consumer psychology and Positive Psychology research, we can
spend our money on 3 distinct activities/experiences. However, ac-
tivity #3 (Sharing Experiences) was found to be the best activity de-
signed to boost happiness and mental well-being while also reduc-
ing physiological symptoms of stress.

ACTIVITY EXPERIENCE
1. Giving Material possessions (Having)
2. Solo Experiences (Doing)
3. Experiences with another person (Sharing)

PEARL TIP: It's all about the EXPERIENCE. Focus on creating more memories with your loved ones in-
stead on buying more stuff. Consider the strengths of the other person and select gifts & experiences accordingly.
So what's on your holiday shopping list-buying more stuff or finding ways to create more memories with loved
ones?