Do you find it difficult to treat yourself?

It’s Treat Time, and once again we’re linking up with Work at Home Wisdom for more lovely things! Go on, treat yourself.

I love a good treat, but here’s my guilty secret… I’ve sort of had to get back into the habit of giving myself treats on a regular basis after being on a fairly strict budget for a while, and sometimes feel bad about having something nice now that’s just for me, even though I don’t have money problems at the moment. I wondered if anyone else was feeling the same way.

Are you like that too? Maybe you’re:

· Only having treats when they’re rewards
· Feeling guilty about treating yourself
· Just feeling like you don’t deserve nice things

Do any of those ring a bell?

Only having treats when they’re rewards

Rewards and incentives can really help you to get motivated about certain targets and projects, don’t get me wrong. However, you don’t need to ‘earn’ every single nice thing in life. You can have a treat for the sake of it every now and again too.

Feeling guilty about treating yourself

It’s understandable that you might feel guilty about buying yourself a treat if you’re spending money that you don’t have. However, if you budget in a tiny, affordable treat or two here and there, or you look for freebies or no-cost activities then there’s no need to feel bad.

Feeling like you don’t deserve to treat yourself

Come on, everybody deserves a little treat every now and again, it’s part of enjoying life. If you find it difficult to do without feeling guilty, then try to remember this: even the most caring, giving, outwardly-focused person needs to take time out occasionally to recharge and look after themselves. Having a tiny treat is part and parcel of general self-care. Or, to look at it another way, you can’t take care of others effectively if you aren’t taking proper care of yourself too.

Changing those habits for the better

Obviously things aren’t going to change overnight if you have ingrained habits, so start small and chip away at them on a regular basis. A new daily activity is the easiest way to create a healthier habit, so try scheduling something nice into your diary each day for a week. It might also help to have your treat at approximately the same time each day, to get into a routine.

If you’re worried about money, have a good think about cheap or free treats instead of expensive ones. Try making a list of as many as you can, and maybe start ticking them off. For example you might think of:
· A walk in the park
· VOIP chat with an old friend
· Reading a library book
· Making a cake
· Sending off for freebies
· Packing a homemade picnic
· Having a pampering evening

I’m sure you can think of plenty more of your own, that’s just for starters.

So, do you find it easy or difficult to have yourself a little treat every now and again? Do you have any tips for someone who’s not finding it easy, or any other ideas for nice little treats that won’t break the bank?

[box type=”alert” style=”rounded” border=”full” icon=”none”]Don’t forget to visit Work from Home Wisdom too, where Judy Heminsley has a rather tasty interview with Cornish food blogger, Saffron Bunny. Go have a nibble, you know you want to.

*Come back and join both of us in a fortnight for another Thursday Treat Time!*[/box]