5 ways to beat shopping stress

Whoever said that shopping is all fun and no stress has got to be kidding.

Yeah, I know — some of you will beg to differ. Isn’t shopping supposed to relieve stress? After all, we’ve all at some point found ourselves trawling the malls aimlessly, looking for something to buy and hoping that it’d keep our mind off things.

So listen up and do the following — and we guarantee you’re going to last the season in top shape.

1. Bring along your BFF
Nothing relieves stress and makes shopping more fun than having your BFF in town. You get to spend quality time with her, have someone to “chope” the fitting room and queue at the cashier with you, and get an honest opinion on every piece you’re thinking of buying. She’ll also understand your need to gripe and whine about that auntie who seems to be eyeing every piece you’ve got your hand on!

2. Reserve your piece
It’s lunchtime. You’ve browsed the store, found a dress you really like, spent 20 minutes queuing at the fitting room and finally you’ve made the decision to purchase it. You walk to the cashier and… gulp… it looks like you’re going to be queuing for at least 20 minutes more.

Sounds familiar? Here’s what you should do:
Go straight to the counter, smile widely at the sales assistant, tell him/her how much you like the dress, and how you’ve got to get back to your office pronto. Ask extra nicely if they can reserve the item for you till you return later or the next day. Once it’s been reserved, come back another time when the queue is much shorter and make your payment. There you go — 20 minutes saved, stress minimised!

3. Do a lazy brunch
If you’re planning to shop on a Saturday morning, don’t do it on an empty stomach. Otherwise, how will you have the energy to put up with all the pushing and shoving? All while repeating “Excuse me, excuse me” over and over again. The solution? Grab some girlfriends and have a nice, lazy brunch. You’ll start your day in a better frame of mind, and with more energy to stand your ground in the event that you do get pushed and shoved.

4. Paint something
Instead of squinting at your iPhone playing Draw Something while trying to kill time in the queue, why not go somewhere chi-chi to really paint?

5. Rock out to some alternative music
If you haven’t heard, the Esplanade is hosting Baybeats, the annual music festival that showcases an eclectic range of music by local and regional acts from 29 June to 1 July. The best thing about it? It’s free! So rock out and let your hair down. It’s what you deserve after a whole day of browsing, bargaining and shopping.