Trick or Treat Yo'self (the Healthy Way)
“Treat Yourself” is an increasingly popular hashtag / idea, but what does treating yourself actually mean? Often times what is labeled as a “treat” really amounts to harm, so below I have outlined 3 popular instances of “treating” yourself and give 4 alternate ideas on how to ACTUALLY treat yourself.
1. Eating Junk Food
We see this all the time in movies when the main character eats ice cream to deal with a break up. While this is a popular social behavior, it usually only deepens the negative experience, offering physical discomfort to match my mental discomfort. Not a great idea.
Instead...
...treat yourself to a nice, homemade meal. Give yourself the time and resources to make a new recipe or a long time favorite. It will still taste delicious; the only difference is that you will walk away and actually have nourished your body. Win-win.
2. Buying Items You Can’t Afford
Have you ever wanted to treat yourself and in the process spent money that you don’t actually have? You likely experienced feelings of guilt, shame, and stress following the experience, turning what was meant to be a moment of self-appreciation instead into a moment of self-judgement.
Instead...
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...treat yourself to something that you can make or borrow or otherwise afford. This doesn't mean that you always have to make the most responsible decision; you don't need to put every spare cent into your retirement fund. It does mean being conscious of your spending. It means the little impulsive addition to your Amazon cart (that you don't really need) should maybe be removed or "saved for later". I find that a good way to treat myself that doesn't cost much money is doing small things I wouldn't normally do: for example, taking a bubble bath or going to a yoga class. I also recommend keeping a separate savings account for anything requiring money that you really care about: in my case, travel. I put a few bucks into my travel fund here and there (especially any unexpected money, like a travel stipend from work), so when there is enough in there I am able to take a guiltless, responsible vacation.
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3. Using Harsh Self-Talk to Motivate
It is okay to be critical of yourself, but there is a limit. Imagine that the voice in your head is an actual person whispering into your ear. There are so many things you say to yourself that you wouldn’t tolerate hearing from an external voice.
Instead...
...really, truly, appreciate yourself. This is hard. This takes work. But try it. Try being grateful for what you can do. You can start a gratitude journal where you list 3 things per day for which you’re grateful.
To know if you have healthy self love practices, I suggest listing out everything you do when: 1) you are happy/excited, 2) you are super bummed out or depressed, 3) you are nervous/anxious about anything, and 4) you are bored. <-- Be honest with yourself. Eliminate the practices that no longer serve you. You deserve better.
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Brooke Davidson
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