Shopping is Good For You

After a particularly rough day in the studio, or a long and tiring performance, last-minute holiday shopping might be the furthest thing from your mind. But a recent study in the Journal of Consumer Psychology found that shopping can actually boost your mood. 

The research showed that when people were feeling down, shopping was 40 times more likely to cheer them up than other activities. The thought is that picking out items and deciding between them restores feelings of personal control, which can help to alleviate sadness. To get the best results, they found that you need to actually make a purchase rather than just browse.  

So, not only will you make the gift recipient happy, but it may be just the pick-me-up you need before your next performance.