According to a study in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, retail therapy is proven to make people happier, as well as fight sadness and stress, especially in times of uncertainty. The study goes on to suggest that when we’re sad, scared, or feeling as if we have no control over the circumstances around us, shopping is a sensible method of coping, and one that consumers use often. "When life is chaotic, we might go, 'what's something I can do?'" Amy Morin , LCSW, a psychotherapist and author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, says . If perhaps, your preferred answer is shopping for clothes, "it can give you sort of a false sense of control in the moment,” which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Because, according to fashion psychologist and author of Dress Your Best Life: How To Use Fashion Psych To Take Your Look — And Your Life — To The Next Level Dawnn Karen, “It’s psychologically proven that humans like to control things." Because of that, Karen says that in her professional opinion, there will be an increase in online shopping as a form of stress relief while the pandemic runs its course.