How To Think About Treating Yourself

*This is a collaborative post on how to think about treating yourself

It’s interesting to see how certain people think about treating themselves from time to time. For some, this is an unnecessary expense that only adds complexity, and they feel no desire to treat themselves with little things like a treat from the local bakery or a more tangible item. For others, they’d much rather treat their family. Others, still, may simply jump at the chance to go on a shopping trip with a friend, running up the total at the checkout without really realizing it.

The truth is that both complete self-denial and exercising no self-control are both relatively unhealthy behaviours. The former is unhealthy because well… you deserve to be treated. It’s that simple. The latter is unhealthy because of how it can drain your finances. Sometimes, even, a small gift less frequently can mean more and is easier to appreciate than purchasing everything you want all the time, even if you can afford it.

So, why don’t we delve into the topic more? How should we think about treating ourselves in the healthiest manner, what utility can this bring to our lives, and in what shopping categories should we begin to explore? In this post, we’ll discuss that and more:

You Don’t Need To Have A Grand Purpose for treating yourself

It’s very easy to think that every time you treat yourself, it must be the most well-thought-out purchase you’ve ever made, totally indicative of who you are now and the journey you’re on. That doesn’t have to be the case. It’s perfectly acceptable to opt for a gift that you find appealing simply because you find it appealing. This might involve purchasing a hat for a summer event because it looks cute, or opting for a henna tattoo because the artwork is beautiful and signifies a cultural tradition worth respecting.

This way, you can get out of the headspace of never treating yourself unless you’ve completed some great and major life milestone. Just the fact that you’re making it from day to day is enough sometimes, especially during the hard times. We noticed this during the pandemic and especially the prior lockdowns – sometimes, being nice to yourself is more than acceptable.

But A Grand Purpose Can Be Nice Too

That said, it’s also nice to make sure your gift IS well thought out from time to time. Perhaps a larger treat can bind together many you’ve decided not to go for, waiting for a better investment until you have time to afford it.

A good example of this is waiting until it’s your anniversary to save up for a beautiful restaurant that you may not otherwise wish for. Perhaps it’s your mother’s sixtieth birthday in a few years, and for that you want to make sure you save up enough funds to treat her. Something as tremendous as riding on the Orient Express through Europe in the height of luxury could potentially be a perfect way to treat someone while also treating yourself; a grand plan that comes to fruition and serves as a memory for the rest of your life. Investments like this truly do make a difference.

Often, It’s The Little Things That Count

That last example is quite a regal and intensive idea to hold, and it may have implied that treats have to be expensive. That’s not always the case. Often, it’s the little things that count. Perhaps you saw a cute jacket going for half price on an app like Depop and know it would be comfortable during the summer months. It can be nice to jump on something like that.

Little purchases here and there, be that a month with a streaming subscription service or even just joining a better gym can add up to a ‘small change’ that makes a good deal of difference as the weeks, months and years pass. Don’t feel obligated to only ever treat yourself with the most expensive or exclusive items or experiences; sometimes, they’re not what you’re looking for at this time.

Have Fun With Your Self-Care when treating yourself

If you can’t have fun with your self-care, or in treating yourself, then what can you have fun with? Reg Transfers to private plates, for instance, can add a fun word or identifier to your car license plate, making sure that as you drive, you’re able to showcase some personality. 

Now, does a private license plate provide you with great utility? Possibility, if you want to differentiate cars, or help your own family of cars owned by your family members stand out. But most of all, it’s just a nice way of showing your taste as this identifier looks great as part of the car you’ve been maintaining. 

No matter if you head to the theatre with your children or just focus on purchasing that new video game console everyone is raving about to have a good time and eat ice cream during a particularly drab weekend, having a little fun is not only wise, it might be something you challenge yourself to do. Why is this? Well, it can be very easy to fall into the ‘work, work, work’ mindset without any downtime, to the point where spending time enjoying yourself can make you feel guilty. With a little direct effort, you can still override those impressions.

Use It As An Incentive

Despite everything we’ve said above, it certainly can be a nice idea to use treats as an incentive, too. Maybe you won’t book that holiday until exam season is over and you don’t have to worry about your degree until the results return. 

Or, perhaps you’re just waiting to go on that big holiday until your child is two or three years old, as traveling with an infant can sometimes be a little more draining that you may wish it to be. Incentives work, particularly if they’re self-set and cared for. You may be surprised just how effective that planning can be.

With this advice, you’re certain to think about treating yourself in the healthiest way.