5 reasons why shopping can be totally orgasmic

Fact: some people find the act of shopping to be a sensually or even erotically satisfying experience. After all, a particularly good shopping sesh allows you to indulge your base desires and explore a world of tantalizing possibility.

Indeed, research shows that many people get a ‘high’ while shopping: our brains are chemically programmed to respond to sales. Researchers at Stanford found that when you see pictures of items you’d like to buy, a region of your brain containing dopamine receptors is activated. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers, pushes us to take action so we can move toward rewards, and, well, pleasure.

And while this is all extra-true for shopaholics, you don’t need to have a shopping addiction to experience this kind of high. A whopping 84% of "inspired shoppers" experience a palpable buyer's high.

The question is this: with BFCM (Black Friday, Cyber Monday) just around the corner, what better opportunity is there to indulge in the undeniable sex appeal of discounted products?

But first—to get you in the right mood (nam sayin’?)—let us count the reasons shopping can be so damn sexy:

1. Because retail therapy

The world is a cruel and challenging place, even at the best of times. But when we buy something, our brain releases happy hormones like endorphins and that aforementioned pleasure-maker, dopamine. While the former relieves pain as it's being experienced, the latter motivates us to push through challenges and provides a reward for doing so. In sum, a positive shopping experience can mitigate feelings of stress, making it a bonafide (albeit temporary!) therapeutic escape from the oppressiveness of the non-sensual world. You heard it here first.

2. It can boost your confidence

Scoring stylish and flattering clothing can raise your self-esteem, make you feel irresistibly sexy, and in turn, boost your confidence. Not to mention, when you receive compliments from friends, family, or even strangers on your outfit, your accessories, or, really, anything you happen to own, that’s good for the ol’ confidence levels too. While the perfect LBD (little black dress) is no substitute for the longterm, meaningful cultivation of self-worth, it can serve as a fantastic pick-me-up in the here and now.

3. It lets you explore desire

Simply put, it feels good to treat yourself to the things you most desire. On an instinctual level, we all know this to be true. Shopping provides an avenue in which you can indulge your manifold desires by seeking out and acquiring items that fulfill your wants and fantasies, exploring and satisfying a diversity of cravings as you go. True story: the process of selecting and obtaining desired items can be highly arousing. It’s no wonder so many people find the act of shopping to be an inherently sensual experience.

4. Gift-giving is your partner’s love language (and maybe yours too)

While everyone loves presents, those whose love language is gift-giving have a special appreciation for a thoughtfully selected gift. Gifting tokens of affection can be an intimate and sexy way to connect with loved ones, love interests, and lust interests alike. Shopping allows you to actively select meaningful items which not only convey your feelings but also deepen your emotional connection with another person by demonstrating your understanding of that person's preferences and desires. If gift-giving is your love language too, this act of giving is only enhanced, and the mutual meaning intensified.

5. It can spice up your sex life

Buying sexy lingerie (like these remote control panties with a wearable vibe), sex toys (Thrust is a must!), or kinky bedroom accessories (like these silky cuffs or this vegan whip) can go a looooong ass way toward spicing up your sex life. Let’s face it: at the best of times, shopping can be a deliciously exciting exercise in eroticism. Not to mention, shopping for a special occasion or event you’re planning (i.e. birthday, anniversary, sex holiday) can be extra tantalizing, since anticipation is absolutely a turn-on in and of itself. And if the gift is an unexpected one, the timelessly thrilling element of surprise is sure to benefit your relationship in untold ways. Mmmmm.

Yes, oh yes, shopping can touch you in your special place, and store-gasms are 100% a thing for many. Of course, at the end of the day, as with all things in life, a balanced approach is key—in other words, knowing the line between sexy shopping and compulsive, addictive shopping is everything. While the occasional shopper’s high is an elevating experience, if you find you have an uncontrollable urge to shop, take note of how you feel, both during and after shopping. If exhaustion, stress, worry, or regret figure prominently in the equation, a shopaholics support group might be a worthwhile next step.

Otherwise, may you have a happy, healthy, and sexy AF holiday shopping season. <3