Some people feel they’ve had a rough time the past few years. Maybe you didn’t get the promotion you wanted at your job. There’s rampant inflation. The pandemic shut things down for a while and increased everyone’s stress level.
Those issues matter, but you should try not to let it all get you down. Life will deal you some obstacles and road bumps sometimes, but you should give yourself occasional treats.
That’s usually possible, even if you don’t have a ton of money. We’ll talk about how you can make that happen and the potential benefits right now.
What Constitutes A Treat?
A treat won’t mean the same thing to everyone. It could mean something like VIP helicopter tours of New York City if you visit the Big Apple this year. It could mean purchasing a bottle of high-end scotch. It might mean buying yourself a new comic book.
If you feel like life isn’t treating you so well at the moment, and you need a reward, you can get yourself something expensive if you have the money, or you can also get yourself something that hardly costs anything, like a candy bar.
When you engage in retail therapy, it releases endorphins. Even if you’re only buying yourself something small, that can make you feel better. You’re practicing self-care, which any therapist will tell you can help your overall mood and outlook.
Treating Yourself Without Spending Money
You can also treat yourself without spending any money if you’re completely broke or you don’t feel like you can afford any sort of splurge. The Buddhists will tell you that you can find happiness without any kind of financial expenditure, and you should have that ability.
You might treat yourself by taking a day off from work and spending it in a place you like. Perhaps you have a park near your house where you can walk along a trail under the trees. You can hear the birds singing and squirrels chattering to each other.
You might sit down in a clearing and close your eyes. You can feel the sun shining on your face. You can compose yourself and feel yourself breathe for a while. You should feel entirely present.
That’s treating yourself as well. You’re slowing down your heartrate and becoming self-aware. During times in your life when you feel pressure or stress, doing this can have many significant benefits.
What Treats Do for You
When you treat yourself, whatever form that takes, you should feel better. If you have some vital decision on your mind, you might find a solution by engaging in a recreational activity. By not obsessing over this choice, the answer might come more naturally.
If you treat yourself well, you can also step back and see that whatever’s troubling you probably isn’t all that bad. If you can view yourself as insignificant, it might make you feel better.
It sounds counterintuitive, but if you look up at the night sky from your back porch and see the countless stars, you might feel that what you’re going through isn’t all that bad.
Treating yourself nicely isn’t something anyone can do for you. You might have people in your life who love you and do nice things for you, and if so, that’s wonderful. However, you can’t necessarily count on them whenever you need an emotional or spiritual boost.
You have that innate ability in yourself. Whether treating yourself means buying a little gift or giving yourself permission to enjoy some downtime, if you can learn this skill, it should carry you far in life.
Find The Quiet Center
Taking a moment and regathering yourself when facing tough times doesn’t always come easily or naturally. Some people must learn this skill.
So many people who enter therapy must learn viable coping techniques. They quickly learn that they are not treating themselves well, and that often causes them more problems than they realize.
Treating yourself kindly and practicing fundamental self-care techniques gets you in a better head space. When you learn about getting yourself little treats, you should have better relationships.
You can treat other people around you better if you’re treating yourself well. If you are getting into constant quarrels with loved ones, friends, coworkers, etc., you might find an answer within yourself.
Many times, you can modify your behavior when you practice self-care. Learning that lesson can change your entire life’s outlook for the better.
