Self-Care or Just Spending Money Again? by Shuxuan Chang

 Self-Care or Just Spending Money Again? by Shuxuan Chang

        “Well, I finished my homework and helped my mom clean the room… should I buy something as a reward?” When I was thinking, I immediately took out my phone and opened the shopping app as fast as I could.

         As soon as I opened the app, I saw so many new products I had never seen before. I added so many things to my cart. When I was scrolling through the shopping cart list, I deleted some products I had. Before I clicked “Buy,” it felt like there were two people in my mind. One was saying, “You should buy it. You did so many things today. You deserve it.” The other one was saying, “You just did normal things. Why are you spending money again?” Enmm, I honestly couldn’t figure out which one I should listen to. In the end, the first thought won.

       I also noticed that many people around me have the same habit. My friends sometimes talk about something they did that day, and they sound really proud of themselves because they solved a problem or finished something difficult.

      I feel happy for them too, but sometimes I wonder if we are rewarding ourselves for things that are actually just normal parts of life.