The Emotional Black Friday Aftermath

Ever struggle with the emotions of Black Friday? Many people have a fear of missing out on the latest deals or have buyer's remorse after overspending. Here are a few tips on why we struggle with this and how to move forward to avoid the emotional aftermath of Black Friday.

Black Friday provokes many emotions in us. From a mindset of FOMO (fear of missing out) on the latest deals, to buyer's remorse from overspending. Not only that, but it is chaotic with the overwhelmingly large crowds of people. There are countless car accidents, slips and falls in stores from people rushing through, to even violence altercations that have included stabbing and punching, and have even led to death.

Marketers are paid to do a good job of selling merchandise and they use psychology of the human mind and decision-making to do so. They build upon a sense of urgency and need, fears people have, and they play on impulse or how people will use justification of a "good deal" when they wouldn't normally buy an item. There's even a psychological thrill of finding a bargain that can keep people hooked.

The other problem that can happen is that people may be purchasing gifts as a means to gain happiness, for themselves or others. This setup of expectation can lead to disappointment if the recipient of the gift doesn't react the way the buyer hoped, and this pressure and expectation are ingredients for offense and rejection.

People can struggle with regret: of buying or not buying something, so what did the market do, they went and made a Cyber Monday.

Here are some tips to avoid this craziness for the future. Plan out your purchases in advance and don't wait until after Thanksgiving. This will help avoid other people's rage issues. To mitigate your own emotional waves, use self-imposed limitations. Restrict what you will buy on those sale days or go with limit to your budget. Have a shopping buddy go with you who is not emotional and impulsive. Ask them to give you restrictions until you learn how to develop better self control, just be sure it is someone that you'll actually listen to. Maybe even ask them to drive or hold your wallet. Do the majority of your purchases in advance. If you must get out, go people watching. Or better yet, go out and evangelize to people in your community with the intent to minister love in a time of chaos. There's no greater opportunity since so many people are out of their homes.

Whatever you do, enjoy the holidays with good friends and family. If you're looking for an encouraging group to meet some new friends, join our Free Facebook Community.