HELLO JI!
WHAT YOUR SHOPPING LIST SAYS ABOUT YOU
Do you use paper lists or do you have your shopping list on your phone? Image credit: DIVYA TUSNIAL on Unsplash.
This time of year, my shopping lists (yes, multiple lists, in every room, on every table) are on steroids, with last-minute reminders about a gift for a neighbour or baking ingredients.
The one I turn to the most is a little note pad with a magnet on the side of our fridge. I update what we’re running short of so I don’t have to check the pantry each time before heading out on a grocery run. Our grandson adds items on his wishlist as well when he’s over.
Double-A batteries for some gadget, markers, and the like. He’s been trotting up to do this for years. I remember very specific items for a STEM project we were planning to do together over a weekend sleepover: Bronze sprinkles, Honeycomb cereal and marshmallows – we were cooking up the earth’s crust!
Of late, however, he’s taken to asking me why I use paper lists. “Let me show you how to make lists on your phone,” he offers helpfully.
Thus I was intrigued to read this in an article in Global English Editing:
“If you still write shopping lists on paper instead of using your phone, psychology says you have seven distinct qualities,” wrote Lachlan Brown. Conscientious planning, sharper memory, laser focus, mindful spending, sensory smarts, stress-busting strategy, and a dash of mood-boosting nostalgia.
I feel a tad silly describing myself as conscientious – “being orderly, disciplined, and goal-oriented predicts everything from career success to healthy habits” – but if “people high in conscientiousness are also the most devoted list-makers” then I guess I am!
And then I feel smug when I read “Writing by hand sparks extra neural activity in areas tied to learning and recall, something keyboards just don’t replicate. A Japanese MRI study found paper-calendar users lit up memory-related brain regions and recalled details 25 per cent faster than phone-calendar users.” Because I also use paper calendars to jot down important dates, appointments and reminders!
Brown quotes research that handwritten lists prompt shoppers to visualize store layouts and stick to planned routes, cutting down on unplanned buys compared to digital lists. “You shop with intention and often spend less...”
Yes! My lists follow a route through my preferred grocery store.
“Researchers keep linking nostalgic reflection to stronger social bonds, higher life satisfaction, and even better pain tolerance. In today’s swipe-and-scroll culture, choosing a handwritten list is a tiny act of sentimental preference – one that turns out to boost well-being by connecting present you with comforting past routines. That ‘old-school’ move isn’t resistance to progress; it’s a proven emotional resource.”
So now the next time I have the conversation on lists, instead of defending my ‘system’, I will pull up Brown’s article on my phone in support!
Merry Christmas!
Shagorika Easwar