Posted by Dan Cromar on 11/18/2015 to
Black Friday shopping seems to keep getting crazier each year. While we may know that shopping on the day after Thanksgiving may not actually save us that much money due to impulse buying, we might not realize that it can actually have a negative impact on our health. The following are five ways black Friday shopping can affect your health.
1. It Causes People to Lose Sleep
Through the years the stores have continued to open earlier and earlier. It's now reached the point that many retailers are even open on Thanksgiving the night before. This means that people get up at crazy hours or even stay up all night, depending on when the store they want to shop at is opening. Losing that much sleep is obviously not good for your health. Try to get as much sleep as possible the few days leading up to the shopping rush.
2. It Can Raise Blood Pressure
Backed up traffic, crowded parking lots, and long lines inside the store can definitely raise your stress level. If you're unfortunate enough to have an unpleasant encounter with an angry shopper this can get your blood pressure numbers rising even higher. High blood pressure can lead to a variety of serious health problems including stroke and heart attack. Bringing along healthy snacks may help keep your blood pressure stable instead of eating food at the shopping mall that could be high in fat and salt.
3. Exposure to Excessive Cold
Black Friday shopping can mean venturing out in the middle of the night when you're trying to be one of the first shoppers in a particular store. This may mean standing outside of a store waiting for it to open. It's important to make sure to dress appropriately for the weather, especially if you know you'll be standing outside for long periods of time. Some years it may be mild during Thanksgiving while another year it may be snowing.
4. It Negatively Affects Your Mental State of Mind
All the stress involved in planning to get the best deals and then fighting the crowds may not be good for your mental health. Experiencing anxiety and frustration may be negative aspects of shopping during black Friday. Disappointment could also result if you don't get the items you expected to get when you first started out. Realizing you might have spent too much can also cause mental distress.
5. It May Even Cause Physical Injuries
Even if you're not one of the individuals who makes the evening news because you were trampled and had to be hospitalized, minor injuries can occur. Scrapes, bruises, and the occasional sprained ankle can occur in the mad dash to get through the front door when a store first opens. Even if you want to be one of the few individuals who obtain a popular item, it's not worth it to take part in a mad rush and end up injured.