Girl Math. My personal go-to justification for buying my happiness. If you are not aware of how to increase your mental health and are looking for a potential therapist, may I introduce Girl Math. You no longer need a therapist because the over-counter Sephora worker will happily provide assistance. Now, because you are not paying for therapy, the outrageous purchases at Sephora are in fact free. See, this is a great example of why we all should participate in the influence of Girl Math, because of the wide range of benefits to not only your well-being but your reward-centric neural pathways. Let us dive into the science of what I mean.
Yes. We are reasoning Girl Math with science. Firstly, it is important to know how neural pathways form. Straight from the source Khan Academy, (sincere apologies to all who have just maybe experienced PTSD), your brain has the ability to form new neural connections through neural plasticity. This means that when you learn something new or repeatedly perform an act, your brain will build what is called a neural pathway for that specific new motor or critical skill. This information is critical when understanding why chemically, Girl Math feels so good.
Girl Math creates an output of dopamine (the feel-good hormone), especially when you are left feeling not guilty about a purchase you made because it is justified with logic. The mesolimbic system is the brain’s reward center that is triggered by neurons sending hormone information, such as dopamine, from the prefrontal cortex. This trigger makes a domaine-filled, sparkling, and dazzling collection of lights midbrain creating the reward effects of Girl Math.
So you see, Girl Math is scientifically reasoned with the creativity of the brain’s justification for “impractical” spending because of the reward system response. But is it really impractical when it brings you joy? Isn’t joy the driving force for living? You can be living with basic needs such as food and water, but without joy… what are we? I’ll tell you what we are. Us girls are geniuses! We have found joy in the little things such as getting ourselves a little treat after completing tests or simply just managing to wake up in the morning. Of course, others will say Girl Math is crazy, but when it is the sustaining force of the will to live joyfully, we are just crazy smart.
Let me give you some personal favs on how to be your smartest self and use Girl Math to your advantage. One of the most iconic moves to pull is during shopping. While shopping, if you find something you would like, but it is full price and expensive, you will then “happen” to find something you love equally as much that is on sale. Since you did not buy the full-price expensive item, your on-sale item is basically free. Ladies, this works exceptionally well when you are shopping with a partner because yes, they can doubt your financial responsibility, but then you have the RIGHT to say that your judgment is actually saving you money going for the less expensive item. Concluding that your partner is actually with a very financially responsible person.
This next Girl Math maneuver is a classic. Let me first start off by saying that everyone deserves rewards for their achievements. According to Dr. Colleen Hacker, having rewards set in place for success increases self-confidence and happiness. This is purely simple if you allow Girl Math to be fully in control of your journey towards amplified confidence and happiness. By setting rewards for yourself such as a little drink, creamy pasta, a new pair of boots, or even a weekend getaway for completing exams, getting a good grade, successfully completing a week of zero mental breakdowns, and of course, being safe driving allows for Dr. Colleen Hacker’s science-backed advice to be put into action. This is justified by Girl Math because you most definitely, without a question, deserve those rewards. Girl, you are not only slaying at school but may I go as far as saying you are saving people’s lives! All for the good of the cause…an iced double-shot caramel latte with a pink straw:)
Don’t let me influence you. Let yourself come to the light and realize that Girl Math is a fully lit road to happiness. You are in control of your own destiny, but I will leave you with this. On the realist real note, when you work hard and put the highest amount of effort towards your job, your education, and relationships, you are constantly giving your best. Your best, however, deserves to be justified and rewarded as science has said. Material things can only bring you so much joy. It is the work you are doing right now and the future you are creating for yourself that will bring you the most fulfillment and happiness at the end of the day. Girl Math is possibly not the act of spending money on frivolous things, but the self-recognition that makes you feel supported during the constant journey to self-love everyone is on the road to. In my concluding statement, Girl Math is not the justification for your spending, rather, it is the justification for your giving.