Grocery Shopping with Anxiety
People living with anxiety can be triggered by many different things. It could be deviating from a routine or something simple like talking on the phone that causes anxiety. One particularly stressful event I’ve noticed even people without an anxiety disorder struggle with is grocery shopping. As someone with an anxiety disorder who takes many trips to the grocery store a week, (I make a list and I check it twice, but I am not Santa Claus, I make mistakes) I’ve had to find a way to combat it. So if you’re someone who struggles to grocery shop without getting anxious or just wants to avoid minor fights with a significant other/roommate/inner self, I have a few suggestions to add to your grocery routine.
Create A Routine
For many people with anxiety, the fear of the worst case scenario creates most of the problems. I get into trouble when I feel out of control and I don’t know my surroundings all that well. When I moved to College Station a couple months ago, I was facing a lot of new places and new routines but I knew how to feel in control of my new environment. This will depend on you and your lifestyle but every Sunday morning or afternoon, (depending on what I did Saturday night) I am grocery shopping with the list I made Saturday morning. It took a couple weeks but I know the isles and have a general feel for what I’m going to face every week. I still get stressed going to the grocery store, holding my breath, hoping my small town stocks gyoza dumpling wrappers (they do not lol).
Make A List
As I said, I struggled to remember everything I need from the store so I started making lists. Since I began extensively plan meals for my coming week beforehand, I now know exactly what I need from the store to get me through the week.
Your list should include specifics such as:
Arranging it by section. How my HEB is set up, I go by produce, meats, isles and then the dairy section. This will obviously depend on your situation but it helps me to not skip anything and organizing everything in a way that makes me more prepared when I enter the store.
The amount you need of each item. No one wants to be left with 10 extra ounces of sardines or come up short on tomatoes. If you need a specific amount for a recipe, write it down.
Brands if needed. There is a BIG difference between Heinz and French’s Mustard in my household and because I’m particular, I make sure to add it to the list.
Other specifics such as reduced fat, specific sizes of vegetables or the color of the produce if it varies such as bell peppers.
Look Up What You Don’t Recognize
I may know what a leek looks like because of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (if you know, you know) but I am prone to forgetting simple things in a panic. You can easily Google items and add Krogers or HEB to the end of the search and find their exact label in Google Images and make it a little easier to spot. You can do it there or do it at home if you don’t have a smartphone.
Have A Buddy
I’ll admit, I’m very hesitant to write this because I’m all for learning to deal with your anxiety your own way. For me, being around people who see me and see my struggles helps. I feel understood and it calms me. However, some people don’t have that or aren’t comfortable asking someone for help and I get that. I really do. So, with your list in hand, maybe call a friend while you’re shopping so that you’re distracted or come up with a way to sooth yourself through the process. This might mean bringing a stress ball along to fidget with or wearing silly shoes to remind yourself to laugh. I don’t know your process but the main purpose is to give yourself the best chance of being at ease. Be your own buddy and know that you’re doing a great job, your feelings are valid and you won’t always feel what you’re feeling.
Anxious people experience the world a little differently than most. If you find everyday activities like grocery shopping to be hard on you, I hope these tips and tricks are able to help. Do you have anymore of your own? Leave them in the comments below!
DISCLAIMER: If you think you have an eating or anxiety disorder and you would like to get help for any mental health concerns, follow this link. I am not a therapist, I can only speak to personal experiences and what works for me.
