For most people, shopping is merely another chore that must be done as quickly and efficiently as possible. For others, it is a favorite pastime, and shopping is done as a means to self-soothe when stressed, unhappy, or angry. This is called emotional spending, and many people do this without realizing it, thinking that it’s not a harmful habit at all.

Emotional spenders use shopping as a crutch to make them feel better about themselves for a brief period of time. But after the temporary high of each purchase, an emotional spender usually feels regret and guilt for all the mindless spending.

Though some may think that these feelings will spur a change of behavior, the truth is, it’s a vicious cycle—the more an emotional spender feels bad, the more he or she will shop. But how does one know if one is an emotional spender or not?

An emotional spender often returns items after purchasing them, and they always try to justify their spending to themselves or their partner. If you find yourself hiding your purchases, receipts, and credit card bills from your loved ones, this is also a sign that you have to stop spending. Moreover, if you have a lot of unused or unworn items in your home, then it’s clear that you have a shopping problem.

Here are some tips to stop emotional spending.

Identify what triggers your impulse to shop

If you find yourself heading to the mall every time you’re unhappy, then it might be time to get some help to help you address those emotions.

Avoid the temptation to shop online

You can unsubscribe from newsletters, and you can also block shopping sites if you’re truly serious about putting a stop to your emotional spending. Take out your credit card info from shopping sites to make it more difficult for you to shop online. Also, avoid looking at social media pages that will tempt you to shop.

Admit that you have a problem and ask your loved ones to help keep you accountable

Being honest about your spending habits is the first step to getting help from your loved ones and friends. Once they’re aware of the problem, they’ll be willing to help keep you accountable.

If you must shop, take cash with you and leave your credit cards at home

It’s easier to stick to a budget if you’re carrying just enough cash to buy whatever it is that you need from the mall or the grocery store.

Don’t be too strict with yourself

When emotional spenders don’t allow themselves to spend any money, it can trigger an impulse to shop excessively later on. So have a small budget to treat yourself in a controlled manner.

For more, check out Jobs & Hire’s tips on how to protect yourself from common scams.