A Full Life

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Pressing the Pause Button

I’m grateful for the wonderful comments and emails I received on my last two posts, “Recapping Balance and Striving for Peace” and “The End Game of Project 333 and Capsule Wardrobes” (NOTE: both of these posts have been moved over to my new blog).  I’m always happy when my writing resonates with readers and I appreciate those who took the time to let me know that what I wrote was meaningful to them.  I’m actually quite proud of these two essays, as well as much of the content I’ve published in the past four years.

The Value of the “Power Pause”

I’ve often written about the “power pause” (a term borrowed from Jill Chivers of “Shop Your Wardrobe”) as a helpful technique for cutting down on mindless shopping and compulsive buying.   So many of us feel utterly convinced in the moment that we have to have a particular item of clothing, but if we push ourselves to wait for a couple of days – or even a few hours – that need often dissipates.  I use this technique as much as possible, even if it means leaving items in my online shopping cart overnight or having to backtrack to a brick-and-mortar store the next day to buy something.  More often than not, I don’t end up purchasing the item in question because the passage of time shows me that it’s just not critical to my wardrobe or my life.  I simply don’t need it as much as I thought I did, if at all.  The power pause has saved me a lot of money I might have spent on items I didn’t really need or even want.  It’s also saved me countless hours spent on making returns, as well as deep feelings of guilt regarding the sheer waste of it all.

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On Body Image, Shopping, and Style

Today’s post kicks off a series of at least two installments on the topics of weight, body image, shopping, and personal style. These subjects have been at the top of my mind lately, as I’ve experienced some weight fluctuations resulting from health challenges and hormonal changes.   This has been going on for months now, but sometimes things feel too emotionally raw for me to post about.  However, since I realize that I’m not alone in these struggles, I’ve broached the subject in my private Facebook group and will do so here as well.

negative body image

How does your body image affect your shopping and style?

As someone with a long history of eating disorders (which I wrote about here) and negative body image (I even used to have a blog about that topic – you can now find those posts HERE), it’s very challenging for me to deal with what I’ve been going through lately.  What makes it even more problematic is that I don’t really understand the reasons for my body shifts or what to do about them (I’m not overeating and I continue to exercise regularly).   It’s often difficult for me to get dressed and I sometimes don’t feel good about how I look at all.   I experienced similar issues in the early days of the blog, which I wrote about in this April 2013 post.  Interestingly, I could basically write the same words again today, except I also have the specter of turning 50 hanging over my head (just over a month now…).

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Still a Shopaholic?

I have been writing this blog for almost 3.5 years now (here’s my very first post, from January 2, 2013).  When I started, I thought it was perhaps a one-year endeavor or maybe two years at the most.  I believed that through setting goals and rules and writing about my motivations and behavior, I would overcome my compulsive shopping problem in relatively short order.  I never expected to attract as many readers as I have or continue the blog for as long as I have.  But the readers came (for which I’m very thankful) and it hasn’t been as easy for me to recover as I thought it would be.

shopaholic behavior

This was a typical scene for me before I started this blog…

Earlier this year, I published two posts on the topic of recovery, both my own and in general:

I also shared insights from my private Facebook group on the causes of members’ shopaholic behavior.  These are all great posts that I’m quite proud of, but I’d like to further the discussion today and get more personal about the state of my recovery.

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Shopaholic Recovery: Past, Present, and Future

I was recently interviewed for a television segment that will air next week (see the end of this post for more information) and I was asked about how far along I am in my recovery from compulsive shopping.  After pondering for a moment, I said that I am approximately 75% recovered at this point and will always have to be vigilant of my shopping behavior and the underlying feelings. In today’s post, I reflect upon the growth I’ve achieved thus far, where I am today in my recovery, and how I see the future unfolding.

Past Present And Future

The Starting Point

I started this blog in January 2013.  At that time, I had a closet stuffed full of clothes that I rarely or never wore, a wardrobe that lacked cohesion, little comprehension of my personal style aesthetic, virtually no control over my shopping behavior, and a completely unbalanced life.  Shopping was my main hobby and I shopped as a way of dealing with all types of feelings and life situations, both positive and negative.

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Merry Christmas from Recovering Shopaholic!

Many bloggers are taking time off this week and next to enjoy time with their families and friends for Christmas and New Year’s.  Since I’m not traveling and don’t have any elaborate holiday plans, I will continue with my regular posting schedule.   I was going to share a “photography interlude” (see previous versions here) today, but I decided to veer off a bit and go with a holiday theme.

A Christmas Retrospective

In today’s post, I share some of my Christmas photos from years past, from my wee years through to my 40’s.  As I mentioned in my last post, I used to be a big fan of holiday theme wear, as you will see in many of the images below.  These days, I no longer have any Christmas sweaters, but I used to wear holiday garb every single day from Thanksgiving through New Year’s, along with lots of Christmas jewelry, Santa hats, and the like. I was definitely what you might call very “spirited.”

Part of my style evolution has involved moving away from the cutesy and whimsical and embodying a more sophisticated, classic, and minimalist style.  My idea of holiday dressing now may include wearing red or green or perhaps a bit of sparkle and shine, but overt shows of Christmas spirit no longer grace my body.   But the photographic evidence remains and in the holiday spirit, I share it with you today.   I include brief descriptions under each photo, but many of them are pretty self-explanatory and may make you laugh or smile.

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