Your Brain @ Holidays -Avoid Impulse Shopping & Unhappiness LearningRx

Is Your Brain Making You Spend Too Much This Christmas?

Three Simple Tips to Avoid Impulse Spending and Stay within Your Holiday Budget
The holidays are here, which for most of us means spending time shopping in malls or online looking for gifts for loved ones (and even for ourselves!). It also means trying to keep from spending too much money.
Apparently whether we stay within our holiday shopping budget may not depend as much on willpower as it does on the circuitry of our own brains.
Brian Knutson of Standford University and colleagues mapped the brains of shoppers using a MRI. They discovered that, as people contemplated whether or not to make a purchase, one of two segments of their brains would “light up.” If the nucleus accumbens–part of the reward and pleasure center of the brain–lit up, the subject would invariably make the purchase. If the insula–the part of the brain that registers pain (such as the pain of something costing more than its perceived value)–lit up, the subject would invaribly say “Thanks, but no thanks.”
By watching which part of the brain became active, researchers could accurately predict whether or not the shopper would make the purchase.
The reason shopping feels so good may be related to the brain chemical dopamine. This “feel good” chemical is released anytime we are exposed to the exciting mix of new places, challenges, sights and sounds–all of which are plentiful at the mall.
Looking to the brain for reasons people make the decisions they do is a new science. Baba Shiv, professor of marketing and an expert in the field of “decision neuroscience” says that, “Ten years ago if you said there is going to be fMRI in marketing research, I would have said it will never happen.” He explains that now business researchers and neuroscientists are working together, “moving toward systems of brain analysis, figuring out what gives us the juice to make decisions.”
Knudsen agrees, adding, “We’re moving from the outside to the inside of the mind.”
As you go about your holiday shopping, understanding how your brain perceives and even influences the experience may help you make better decisions.
If you’re prone to impulse purchases and are worried about staying in your budget, try these three things:
For starters, be extra careful while traveling–the novelty of shopping in a new city can make you particularly vulnerable to the heady pleasure of bagging a bargain.
Also, when contemplating a purchase you suspect you’ll regret, neutralize the thrill of the moment and activate your insula by thinking of three unpleasant ramifications that might be related to the purchase you’re trying to resist.
Finally, consider leaving the store and coming back the next day to let the dopamine settle before making your final decision.

This time of year may be filled with Christmas cheer and holiday goodwill, but there are other seasonal factors that can have a less-than-pleasant impact on your brain. How can you keep your brain happy and healthy through the holidays? Here are five seasonal dangers and how you can avoid them:

1. Not Enough Sunlight. Seasonal Affective Disorder affects about 11 million people each year. Despite the colder weather, getting outside and into natural sunlight can help your mood. Taking vitamin D—known as “the sunshine vitamin”—and other supplements can also help beat those blues.

2. Too much food. Let’s be honest, over-eating is a time-honored tradition at Christmas time. And while our holiday favorites are delicious, no one likes that groggy, full feeling hours after. To enjoy the holidays and be kind to your body and brain at the same time, treat your sweet tooth in moderation, choose beverages wisely to limit sugar and alcohol, if you eat out consider splitting a meal with someone, and try to manage your overall stress level so you’re not as drawn to the comfort food. Remembering these tips can help keep your energy high (and that top button on your jeans comfortably fastened).

3.Too much alcohol. Alcohol wreaks havoc with your brain in countless ways. If your holiday parties and gatherings include alcohol, make a plan. Set a drink limit for yourself and stick to it. If you find that difficult to do, think about creating new traditions by hosting or attending parties where alcohol isn’t served. By avoiding binge drinking during the holidays (and throughout the year), you’ll stay safer, and your brain will be happier and healthier.

4.Too much time in front of the tube. Watching television during the holidays is enjoyable, but watching TV puts your brain waves into an autopilot mode that is highly suggestible (gee, do you think TV advertisers have figured that one out?). Some studies have even linked watching a lot of TV with attention and concentration issues. Playing board games with the family, going for walks, or spending time at the park are good alternatives that will allow you to have fun, get some fresh air, and keep your brain sharp.

5.Holiday Stress. Christmas time usually means family time, which can be nice, but can also mean an increase in the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. What are some proven ways of managing stress? Exercise, meditation, laughter, and favorite music help, and don’t forget the common-sense practice of saying no to overcommitment.

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