I suppose anything that isn’t strictly necessary to survival could be considered a “treat”, but I mean how often do you buy something frivolous that you’ve been wanting, eat something that’s not necessarily good for you as a way of saying “here you go, me, you deserve it”, sleep in instead of getting up with the family, or indulge yourself selfishly in any way? And do you even consider that “treating” yourself?
Do you do it as a reward for doing something difficult or that you don’t want to do? Do you have a regular Sunday morning indulgence that you look forward to or do you spoil yourself on a more situational basis?
Money is tight for me, so when I indulge myself it’s usually watching a movie alone or sneaking a nap in. A lovely client left me a VERY generous tip this week and while I have tons of practical things it should go towards, I also feel like this “free money” could be spent on a bag I want (my old one is getting ratty so it’s not an entirely silly purchase) or getting my tattoos colored in. But then I will feel guilty for not getting the dog groomed instead, or putting it in the house fund, or treating my dad to dinner.
I’m struggling with feeling selfish for doing things for myself and I don’t know if I’m just bad at self-care or if I really am a jerk, so I’d love to hear how others reward themselves and under what circumstances.
Solitude. I take a flask of coffee and walk off into the woods somewhere until I can’t see or hear any human activity any more, and just sit (this is not always an easy thing to do in the south of England, but I have a few favourite places)
Oh, these both sound so nice… I wish I could do either of them. The few times I’ve traveled alone I’ve relished the freedom of no one knowing where I was and not having to consult with anyone about what to do next.
I try not to do too much stuff I don’t want to do. I save the worst chores for the weekends so that I can enjoy my free time after work. I don’t volunteer my time and energy unless I really want to. I let people know upfront that I’m not the type of person who accepts every and all invitations. I’m a selfish person. I don’t like putting up with shit unless there’s something in it for me.
So I don’t really feel deprived that much so that I need a special treat.
About once a week or so and it usually involves being alone. For a lunch, go shooting, or just take a ride. But some time without looking at anyone else to see where they are or even really thinking about them is the biggest treat I can imagine.
I sometimes just sneak off by myself and go somewhere I really like for lunch-- a place that the rest of my family doesn’t care about. Panera Bread usually but sometimes just a random place that I like but no one else does. Sometimes it’s just because I was in the area, but often it’s because I feel like I have “earned” it. Its probably less than once a month. I really like going alone to really savor a meal and relax.
For a long time when people say ‘take care of yourself’ I really did not understand what that really meant. Quite recently I found out and I do use that to treat myself especially when not feeling well. I try to be a caregiver to myself in a way that a parent might treat their child. Things like cost and practicality goes away, If I am cold I put the heat up, if I want to sleep I do, whatever food I want, as long as the caretaker me approves I will get (which normally involves a trip to the store), and during that if I find something I am interest in I will get it (last time was a bluray of a recent movie that I would normally not buy due to alternative and extensive streaming options)
