If you’re braving shopping malls and high streets this Black Friday, you should prepare for a considerable mental and physical challenge. Competition for the best bargains is always fierce, and the crowds you’re likely to encounter will make the experience doubly difficult.
But Black Friday isn’t just about nabbing bargains and saving serious money — it’s about having fun. If you can manage your stress and fatigue levels, you can have fun… and give yourself a fighting chance of securing the discount purchases you’re looking for.
Fight Black Friday fatigue and stress with these six relatively simple tips.
1. Get lots of sleep
Try to begin your Black Friday preparations on the Monday before the big day. If you’ve got a big shopping list, you’re going to need every ounce of energy you can muster to secure everything. Maintain a consistent bedtime, and aim for at least seven hours of unbroken sleep every night. Never consumer caffeine within three hours of bedtime, and avoid alcohol until AFTER Black Friday. If you can sleep well during the entire week, you should be at the very top of your shopping came when Friday arrives.
2. Exercise regularly
Fighting your way through crowds of enthusiastic shoppers is going to be a physical challenge. And if you have several places to be on Black Friday, you’re probably going to be walking around a lot. Prepare your body for the challenges ahead by stretching, exercising and strengthening your muscles every day. Around 30 minutes of exercise every day should be enough to get into Black Friday shape.
3. Formulate a schedule
Don’t go into Black Friday on a wing and a prayer. In many cases, people become stressed because they’re not in control of their own shopping experience. And the more chaotic things become, the more stress takes over. Start by creating a shopping list. Then, research the best deals and locations online. Break your day into one-hour chunks, and assign one or two items to each one. Think about geography when creating your schedule, as this will cut the time spent moving from one place to another.
4. Be realistic with your budget
It’s important not to get carried away by all of the Black Friday discounts you find. Before you look for anything, make a list of what you need, and assign a maximum price for each. Don’t buy anything that’s not on your list, and never pay a penny more than you’ve budgeted for. Shopping should be a pleasurable experience, so don’t give yourself financial problems by spending too much. Work out what you can reasonably afford, and make that your spending limit.
5. Prepare the tools you’re going to need
Make your shopping as easy as possible by taking a few tools. For example, offers and discounts have a habit of changing throughout the day, so stay up to date with what’s happening on your phone. If you need physical coupons for certain savings, cut them out well in advance. It’s also a good idea to take a pen and a notebook.
Depending on the deals you come across when you’re actually shopping, you might need to compare prices and deals. Where was that £200 LCD TV you spotted? Which of the 10 clothes stores you’ve visited had the discounted Versace dress you loved so much?
6. Get by with a little help from your friends
Having support and love from the most important people in your life is very important when it comes to stress management. Make a day of Black Friday, and head to the malls and high streets with the most important people in your life. Friends and family can help you with the practical elements of shopping, but they can also keep your spirits up if things don’t go as planned.
Black Friday can be a chaotic and stressful experience, but only if you allow events to control you. By taking control of the day, you should be able to keep stress at bay — and find everything on your wishlist.
