With just two days to go until Christmas, shoppers’ emotions are running high. But a new biometric study suggests the holiday crunch isn’t as stressful as we assumed – and may in fact be rewarding in some ways. The study was designed to measure the “emotional journey” experienced by consumers when confronted with a potentially hostile environment.
While the study showed stress at some points, the overall process of locating and claiming desired gifts proved “highly satisfying” to the majority of people.
The most commonly tracked emotional state was excited (88 per cent) followed by motivated (76 per cent) energized (69 per cent) and in control (67 per cent). Negative emotions, such as stressed, confused, overwhelmed, depressed and angry tracked significantlylower, at rates between seven and 19 per cent.
One expert says that one of the greatest psychological satisfactions of holiday shopping is the sense of accomplishment.
One way to avoid Christmas shopping stress is to opt out. My wife and I have decided not to give each other gifts. Ergo – no stress.
Is Christmas shopping stressful?
Or is it therapeutic?
What do you think?
