Self-care encompasses lots of different little details, from ensuring that you exercise and care for your body to making sure that you get enough social interaction in the day; however, one concept that we often struggle to deal with properly is treating ourselves.
Throughout life and our early years, we are taught that self-indulgence and putting yourself first are bad things – it’s looking after others that you should focus on. Whilst to an extent this is true and you should definitely help others to improve your own mood, it’s also essential to look after and treat yourself every now and then.
Why Should You Treat Yourself?
Whilst giving yourself something special can seem extravagant or selfish, it’s actually very important for your mood and mental wellbeing. Taking time out of your day to consciously look after yourself by doing something you love can refill your energy stores. For example, if you’ve been working all day on a project that you find draining, then pausing to eat something nice, do something enjoyable or buy something you want can give you a burst of happiness that powers you through the rest of the day.
Similarly, through the same logic, treating yourself is great for reducing stress and anxiety as the dopamine released by giving yourself something you want will counteract some of the stressful feelings you’re having. The reason why it’s so important to counteract these negative emotions is because not only does it make you unhappy but if left unchecked, you can develop some very unhealthy habits like associating a problem with a certain activity, person or place (and therefore constantly avoiding it).
What You Can Use as a Treat
Sometimes the hardest part about self-care is identifying how to treat yourself. What qualifies as a reward? What is an appropriate reward for your achievement? Hopefully, we will be able to give you an idea about that. The first thing to point out is that anything can be a treat. No matter how big or small, if you enjoy it and it makes you happy, then it’s definitely a treat and can be used to help you care for yourself. Now let’s look at some of the options that are available.
Luxury Treats
Luxury treats are the more extravagant rewards for yourself that usually cost a fair amount of money but have a big effect on your happiness. The important balance to find with luxury treats is that you make sure they do truly make you happy – if your treat isn’t benefitting your mental health then it’s a waste of an opportunity (and of money).
Common luxury treats are watches, designer clothes and jewellery but in the end, anything from a lapel pin to a sofa can be classed as a luxury treat as long as it’s expensive and makes you happy. Visit this site for some of the more jewellery focused treat options. Other even more expensive treats could be days out or holidays abroad, it all depends on what you’ve achieved, as well as what’s an appropriate and affordable reward.
Simple Gifts
On the flip side, simple gifts are inexpensive ‘quick wins’ that are easy to access and make you feel happy. Sometimes the simple gifts are the most effective treats at making you feel good, so don’t discount them just because they’re cheap. Anything from watching a film to eating a specific food to cleaning your home can be classed as a simple treat – the only qualifying factor is that it makes you happy, improves your mood and doesn’t cost too much money. With any luck, this short post will have given you some ideas on why it matters to give yourself a gift every now and then, as well as what you can use as a treat to make yourself feel better. Stay healthy!