Luxury therapy maximizes body chemistry so go ahead, wander the isles looking for things that are frivolous, high quality, expensive – then buy them.

We all have them, ROUGH DAYS. You no doubt have strategies to tweak your mood, so you survive these stressful moments.

Eating NICE things is an instant pick me up, the trouble is, this strategy leads to unwanted pounds, which can be stressful too. And nibbling and sipping soda, has been shown to cause brain rot.

Hopefully, to preserve your waistline and your sanity, you have a few non-edible feel good pick me ups in your repertoire. Need some ideas – the Tame the Sugar Gremlin programme has lots of suggestions. Click here to learn more….

One fabulous non-edible feel good strategy is TO SPOIL YOURSELF ROTTEN !

Mmmmmmmmm. A little pampering is an opulent way to FEEL GOOD. As long as you do it right.

Luxurious moments done right

Experiencing luxury is not enough.

To maximize the body chemistry effect, you must possess the item. Touching, holding but not OWNING luxury, is a recipe for unhappiness, not happiness, this is the finding of a group of researchers from Ghent University in Belgium.

Experiencing luxury

The Ghent team invited 307 people to their lab for a little luxury therapy.   On offer, was either

• the opportunity to write a note with an ordinary pen or a Mont Blanc
• to sample a box of ordinary chocolates or to indulge in a chocolate or two, that had been crafted by one of the world’s finest Swiss chocolateurs

Everyone got to try both options and provide feedback on the experience.

The catch, some people knew this session of luxury therapy was “permanent” – they were going home in style i.e. the luxury item they were fondling, was theirs to keep, others assumed it was a case of play now, because there would be no luxury later.

Ownership is required

The team discovered luxurious moments were not very valuable when they were just that, MOMENTS. Feelings of wellbeing plummeted in the face of moments of luxury. The team found, to experience an avalanche of happiness in the face of luxury, the luxury must be owned.

Want better body chemistry ? It’s time to go shopping….

Shopping for happiness

To maximize the body chemistry boost from your shopping spree, avoid being practical and/or efficient. Wander the isles looking for things that are frivolous, high quality, expensive

• A bunch of fresh flowers,
• a box of cuppachino coffees,
• a morsel of Swiss chocolate or
• yet another pair of shoes.

Splash out – BUY IT.

Don’t consider the expense, don’t talk yourself out of it, tell yourself you’re engaging in LUXURY THERAPY. Because LUXURY THERAPY, is a quick and easy way to create BETTER BODY CHEMISTRY. And BETTER BODY CHEMISTRY ultimately saves money and heart ache.

PS. Be mindful of your budget, cash is king ! Remember, when the wellbeing effect of owning the item wears off, the pain of owing on it, will out way any health benefits achieved through luxury therapy.

Further reading

Everyone should have a chocolate eating ceremony	Having a baby means you will need to budget for new shoes	Eating chocolate is a physiological necessity

Want to learn more ways to create better body chemistry ? 

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