Impulse Buys And Your Wellbeing: What Comes First?

The swift card tap, the one-click order, the package on the doorstep…

Each of these promises a rush, even the smallest and most mundane of purchases, yet the hangover from it can be heavier than we care to admit.

Nonetheless, there is a trend towards consumers becoming more mindful.

As such, emotional spending is no longer framed as a harmless indulgence but increasingly as a behaviour woven tightly into mental health and overall wellbeing.

At its root often sits the health of our inner world. Low mood, lack of motivation or rising anxiety often come first, and it is in this fragile space that impulse purchasing finds a grip.

Many people try to fill a void or avoid feelings of emptiness with new items, piles of meaningless stuff or small treats here and there, hoping they will lighten the mood.

But it all adds up, and what begins as a quick escape route could become a downward spiral, where the state of mind fuels spending and the regret of spending deepens the problem even further.

Why are so many purchases made on impulse?

Impulse buying is defined as an unplanned purchase, which can sometimes feel like a sudden and uncontrollable urge.

This is quite different to immediacy buying paired with a rational mindset, as sometimes purchasing may be down to necessity, when reasoning is applied in the given moment.

Emotional spending leans more towards those inessential purchases we make in the hope it’ll prompt a little hiccup of inexplicable joy. Then, however transient the after-effects may be, our brains, in the context of shopping to ‘self-soothe,’ seem to think it’s worth the gamble.

Psychologists with an interest in understanding consumer behaviour, such as Ian Zimmerman, have noted that impulse buyers are often more social, more conscious of status and more preoccupied with image.

But it isn’t black and white, an impulse buyer may also be more likely to struggle with anxiety and to feel less happy overall, even if they aren’t really that socially engaged.

In all cases, it would seem that the purchase is not about the object itself, but rather how it might change the way a person feels or even how they want others to see them.

Zimmerman’s explanation is that people who enjoy browsing for fun are more likely to buy impulsively.

The imagined sense of ownership that comes from handling or ruminating over a product creates a stronger connection and can tip a person from looking to buying.

This connection can be temporal, yet when an immediate purchase is possible, it becomes irresistible.

Very often, it can also be social, when someone sees another person with the item and wants to match or surpass them.

The emotional drivers of shopping and spending

Boredom, dissatisfaction, stress and anxiety often push people to shop as a way of finding relief.

Low self-esteem drives purchases that are meant to project confidence or create a sense of worth. These patterns explain why emotional spending is sometimes called retail therapy. It provides a temporary lift but doesn’t necessarily solve the deeper issue.

Not every person will follow such a trajectory. But, over time, the behaviour itself may become part of the problem, reinforcing the cycle it was supposed to ease.

Consequences for wellbeing

The short-lived relief of an impulse purchase often leads the way to regret.

It’s a familiar cycle and well documented. Emotional distress sparks spending, the purchase brings temporary comfort, then guilt and financial worry follow.

Financial strain is one of the most damaging outcomes. Repeated impulse buying can contribute to debt and money worries, both of which harm mental and physical wellbeing. Relationships are also affected when overspending leads to tension, secrecy or conflict.

In the UK, emotional spending has been identified as a common issue with 26% of us indulging more than twice a month to improve our mood, according to research.

Compulsive buying disorder (CBD), or ‘oniomania’, is a recognised behavioural addiction, thought to affect just under 5% of the UK population. According to a more recent study, that number may have increased further, to 10%, following the pandemic.

What 2020 revealed about our financial habits

The pandemic offered another revealing case study of impulse buying. It consisted of a large examination of undergraduates in China that found that impulse buying rose significantly during this period.

The findings showed two main pathways. First, people with low tolerance for uncertainty were more prone to emotionally driven spending. Second, those with low cognitive flexibility were more likely to abandon planning and make unconsidered purchases.

It was thought that anxiety and depression did not drive impulse buying directly but worked by reducing tolerance for uncertainty and narrowing flexible thinking.

That said, the ‘affective side’ of impulse buying, linked to mood and emotional experience, was stronger than the cognitive side.

Overall, these findings highlight the importance of resilience and flexible thinking.

When tolerance for uncertainty and adaptability are low, negative emotions are more likely to spill over into harmful spending behaviours.

How to spot the signs of an impulse buy

Impulse buying can be recognised through a handful of recurring patterns:

• The urge appears suddenly without a plan
• Mood changes in short time frames while browsing
• Immediate purchase feels irresistible
• Seeing others with the item intensifies the desire
• Handling or trying on the product creates a false sense of ownership
• Regret or guilt follows quickly after the buy

Time to break the cycle?

Impulse spending thrives on speed, as much as it does on secrecy.

Therefore, slowing the process down and making it more visible is often enough to weaken its hold:

1. **Identify the triggers:**Keep a record of purchases and the emotions behind them. Spotting repeated patterns makes them easier to interrupt.
2. **Establish a period of pause before buying:**Set a 24 hour rule for non-essential items. The urge often fades once emotions settle.
3. **Set a goal:**Allocate a set amount of money each month for treats. This still allows spontaneity while limiting risk of damaging your mental wellbeing and over tipping your sense of balance in life.
4. **Make checkout a bit more difficult:**Deleting stored payment details and logging out of shopping apps can shine a light on habitual behaviours. Many people who practise this find that even small obstacles create valuable space to meditate on the decision.
5. **Swapping out spending for healthier outlets:**If the time spent shopping or making purchasing decisions could be added up, it might be equal to the time you could spend learning a new skill, cultivating a creative outlet, journalling, or even calling a friend. The things we tend to say we “just don’t have time for.”
6. **Prioritise rest:**Late-night scrolling increases the likelihood of impulsive spending. Therefore, better sleep routines support clearer decision making.
7. **Train on the concept of flexibility:**It may be helpful to challenge yourself to find three alternatives before purchasing. Here cognitive adaptability can be summoned, and it is this skill that the research shows has the potential to protect against impulsivity.
8. **Resist scarcity cues:**The mind is trained to plan ahead for times of scarcity. It’s a hangover perhaps from the hardship we faced along the way in human history. But much of modern marketing tactics still operate on similar principles. It can be evident in signs such as “only a few left” or “limited time”, that prey on a person's inbuilt fear of going without.

When harmless becomes harmful

Most people buy impulsively on occasion. The concern arises when it becomes frequent, emotionally driven and, in the end, damaging.

At this point it overlaps with compulsive buying disorder, with consequences that extend well beyond money to long-term wellbeing.

Simply put, if spending regularly leads to debt, guilt or conflict, it has moved from habit into a problem.

What about spending in the wellbeing space?

Impulse buying may leave a trail of clutter and guilt, yet spending itself is not always a self-defeating act. Research such as the 2021 McKinsey report Feeling good: The future of the $1.5 trillion wellness market values the global wellbeing market at more than $1.5 trillion, with annual growth projected at 5 to 10%, showing how consumers are increasingly directing money towards health, resilience and daily quality of life.

Instead of the quick buzz of clothes or gadgets, many people are turning to supplements that support energy, apps that encourage mindfulness, devices that improve sleep and coaching services that build accountability around fitness and nutrition.

In the same body of research it is reflected that, since the pandemic, the impulse to spend in response to difficult feelings has not disappeared, but it may be being expressed in ways that can strengthen one’s energy rather than drain it.

What are fulfilment needs?

Food and shelter keep us alive, but they are not enough to make life feel whole.

Fulfilment needs sit in a different category. They are the objects, practices and rituals that bring depth, meaning and a sense of continuity.

Unlike the essentials, they vary widely from person to person. For some it might be the kit that makes it possible to hike in all seasons, for others a yoga mat laid out each morning, or even the small ceremony of brewing your favourite coffee.

Recognising the difference is important, because it helps clarify where spending supports wellbeing and where it distracts. From here the question becomes not only how we spend, but why.

Can better wellbeing protect against impulsive spending?

Low mood, stress and boredom can push people towards a hit of retail therapy, but the reverse is also true.

Research supports the hypothesis that a steadier inner world may be one of the strongest buffers against spending that is later regretted. Mindfulness in particular is showing promise in helping people step back from the urge to buy, and, in some cases, even redirecting those impulses toward more sustainable and beneficial choices.

One study of 467 French consumers found that those who had completed formal mindfulness training were not only less likely to fall into mindless consumption but more inclined to choose products that aligned with long term values, from green goods to simpler lifestyles. When the results were analysed, it was found that their decisions were closely linked to higher levels of personal, communal and environmental wellbeing.

A broader review of 198 papers published over 20 years describes how mindlessness leaves people exposed to the constant tug of marketing and quick fixes, usually at the cost of financial security and happiness.

Therefore, it could be said that mindfulness creates a pause, which seems to reduce impulsivity and allow for decisions that protect a person’s long term wellbeing. The Muse range offers brain-sensing headbands that can help support meditation practice, making it easier to build consistency and experience the benefits of mindfulness more deeply.

Additionally, journaling can be a simple but powerful tool in this process. By writing down thoughts and emotions, patterns become clearer and triggers are easier to recognise, making it easier to choose more intentional responses over automatic ones.

Final thoughts

Impulse buying is less about the item and more about the state of mind that drives it.

Recognising emotional triggers, practising flexibility, and creating pauses in the buying process can help stop the spiral.

When the urge to spend is really about soothing stress or filling emptiness, the answer may lie elsewhere.

The MIND pillar is a curated selection of supplements and practices designed to strengthen focus, calm and balance, helping you replace impulse buying with healthier forms of cognitive and emotional support.

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