We’re using things up, wearing things out, and craving some novelty in all this time at home.

But before we purchase something new, we could benefit from a waiting period.

A waiting period gives our turtle-like rational brain the chance to catch up to our hare-like emotional brain and determine just how needful our planned purchases truly are.

A rainy, boring Sunday at home prompted me to add several shiny objects to my shopping list, only for Tuesday-me to find those items kind of silly. Turns out I didn’t need twinkle lights and a new Kitchenaid mixer; I actually needed to get some sun and stop making cookies for breakfast.

So how long should our waiting periods be? My vote is no less than 48 hours, if not longer for those of us prone to buyer’s remorse. Two sleeps hits the snooze button on stupid.

When time is up, we probably have a better idea which items were a fleeting impulse. Did an advertisement manufacture this need for us? Were we sleepy, bored, or sad?

Speaking of sleepy, bored, or sad….safe to say our emotional brains are a bit more *active* these days than in pre-pandemic times. We might be tempted to shop our way out of sadness, stress, or boredom.

While shelter-at-home is advisable for weeks to come, this version of life, like all versions of life, will pass before too long.

If we impulsively equip our home office, home theater, home gym, home school, and home patisserie, we run the risk of inheriting a bunch of clutter from our pandemic-self when we get to return to living life in public.