Engaging in ‘Retail Therapy’ to Achieve Work-Life Balance

By David B. Bohl | April 12, 2007 | No Responses Yet

Retail therapy is something we all think is innocent enough, especially when we indulge in it ourselves. As Adam points out in his post, retail therapy or low self esteem, we should examine our motives.

Check out this post from A.J. Donnison, “the grumpy developer in the corner: Retail Therapy or Low Self Esteem?

‘Retail Therapy’ refers to something many of us indulge in: the act of buying something to make ourselves feel better after working many long hours. It may seem innocent enough, but, as Adam points out, it might serve us well to examine out motives:

“The next time you go and buy yourself that fancy gadget, ask yourself why. Are you doing it because it is something you need and will improve your well-being and contribute to a stress-free life? Or are you buying it to fill a void created by your lack of work/life balance?”

“Then go and look at your job. Are you doing it because you are making a difference, doing something you love, or even just because you need to support your lifestyle? Or does your lifestyle support your work? Do you live to work, or work to live?”

This one is worth a read and some contemplation for those of us who prize work-life balance.