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How to have a healthy relationship with Black Friday - 27th November 2024
Wherever you are, however you live, you will have been made aware that Black Friday is looming!
The important question is how are you dealing with this advertising onslaught?
You can't avoid Black Friday!
If you have a letterbox, an email account or are on social media then like me you will have been bombarded by advertisers wanting you to snap up their supposedly irresistable offers. So you can't run away from it, you have to engage with it at some level. It makes sense to be prepared.
Make some decisions about your potential spending during this time
You need to be honest with yourself. Is there really anything you actually need right now that is normally fairly expensive? If the answer is "YES" then I suggest you write down what it is you need on a dedicated list. You might for instance NEED a new winter coat. You might NEED some new saucepans.
Let's say for sake of argument you need both these things. If you don't engage with the next part of this process you are in danger of buying something that is a waste of your money. Why? Because hopefully you have specific ideas about what brand of saucepans you prefer and also a preference on size, design, colour, non-stick or traditional. If you don't know what you want then you will likely respond to the first tantalising offer on saucepans and then when you are using them you will realise you made an error.
The same applies to your winter coat choice. Be honest, you know what suits you! You know what you need for your lifestyle. So let this self-awareness protect you from a spur of the moment response to a cleverly worded advert.
If you miss out this thoughtful stage then you are wasting money and adding to your clutter!!
Advertisers want your money
They might make it look like they are doing you a massive favour, but don't be under any illusions. They want to maximise sales and you are in their sights. Don't be a pushover!
If you DON'T need anything
Then just delete/recycle all incoming Black Friday promotional information and know that you are doing yourself a big favour. This should be super easy to do, because if you don't need anything then you don't need to waste your precious time reading all the "special" offers you've been sent.
What if you feel tempted?
There are many ways we can justify our own behaviour to ourselves! I've been there. The thing is, ultimately you know your own truth. What I mean is, you can tell yourself "it's a treat" or "it was a bargain" but deep down, there's a part of you that knows when you are engaging in compulsive shopping. That same part knows right at the outset that you are bound to purchase something that you really don't need, despite telling yourself otherwise.
How to avoid purchases you will regret? Simply hold back from even engaging with Black Friday. Ignore all the prompts to click a link or visit a website. Just ignore them. If you don't look then you are taking control.
Remind yourself that you aspire to a less cluttered lifestyle. Why would you clutter yourself up with items you don't really want? It's madness and it's money spent that you could use more wisely elsewhere.
Coaching can help you understand your reactions and impulses
If you find this Black Friday avoidance thing to be very difficult you might want to look at why this is so hard for you? Coaching is a wonderful way to gain in self-awareness. I act as a kind of mirror reflecting back your own behaviour so you can gain insight and learn ways to dismantle the old patterns. Contact me via email to find out more. I would love to support you with this.
Keywords: sales, habits
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