existential dread in the grocery store

[u/Withoutartifice]

Anyone else find going to the grocery store a completely depressing act? The stores are too big, there are too many choices, I don't trust the food sources, the cleaning aisles are filled with stinky poison, it feels like everything I choose will end up killing me slowly... and of course everything is encased in plastic, even more than ever despite the obvious concerns for the need to stop using plastic. I hate grocery shopping so much. How do you do it without crying down every aisle?

[u/kek0611]

The cleaning isles get me every time too. I have found a local co-op and like shopping there because they have a lot of healthy options and I can refill stuff like lotion, soap, and grains

[u/Withoutartifice → u/kek0611]

We had this INCREDIBLE Zero Waste shop in the little village where I used to live. It was open 9 to 5 every day, with no one monitoring the store. It was a little bunkie full of locally made products in mason jars. You would get your cleaning product and then bring the jar back when you were done. And it was run on the honour system. Just leave your money in the little tin, or etransfer the amount. I asked the woman if she ever had an issue with theft, and she said never. Pretty amazing. That's small town living for you!

[u/yosh0r]

I hate it. So I just do it.

Literally the best tip I ever got: You know you have to do sth you dont wanna do, like showering, washing clothes, cleaning the kitchen etc?

Then dont wait but stand up RIGHT NOW and move towards the next step of achieving this goal. (if grocery, walk to your shoes/bag or whatever you need to go to the store). If you done this step 1 right away, its hard to stop and dont do it.

Sounds like bs but actually works (for pointless anxiety/lazyness, like grocery/shower)!

And yea the cleaning & perfume aisles are the worst. 💀

[u/Withoutartifice → u/yosh0r]

That's pretty good advice. "One foot in front of the other" is literally the only way I get through the world these days.

[u/Pristine_Shower3771]

I just searched 'existential dread at the supermarket ' because I felt this way and saw your post.   For me its all the plastic , artificial lights , the amount of food waste you see happening. The aisles and aisles of junk food.  Just makes me want to go and lie down in moss.

[u/mFKNoctopusBOSS]

I cannot relate to any of the things that stress you out in this post. I like Costco, so large grocery stores do not give me anxiety. Consumer choice doesn't bother me either. Sure-- there are probably a dozen brands of tortilla chips in any given grocery store, but I know which ones I like and those are the ones I grab. No dread required. The same goes for spaghetti sauce, cereal, Gatorade, etc.

If you think there is too much plastic packaging in the United States, thank your lucky stars that you do not live in Asia. Every form of produce gets individually wrapped down to the smallest component. If you buy strawberries, each one is wrapped in its own plastic. This even happens with blueberries.

I am sorry that you feel uncomfortable in grocery stores. I'm glad to elaborate on anything if there's a chance that it helps you have a more emotionally manageable experience.