Thursday Treat Time: The interview with Judy Johnson

Hi everyone, how’s the week been treating you so far? If your answer to that was ‘Monday off, and waaaay to much rain, thanks’ then it might be time to think about treating yourself to something instead. We’re linking up with the wonderful Work from Home Wisdom once again, so don’t forget to head over there too.

Today we have a special interview with a woman who has a fantastic take on treats and well being – it’s award-winning journalist and Managing Editor of Get The Gloss, Judy Johnson! She’s also the writer of the regular sensitive skin column, Sense and Sensitivity, and a social media whirlwind to boot (check her out on Twitter where she’s @judy_jay).

And without further ado, it’s over to Judy:

1. Iris Murdoch once wrote: ‘One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats, and if some of these can be inexpensive and quickly procured so much the better’. Do treats make your own life better, and how often do you treat yourself?

I completely agree with this! I think it’s really important to have little things to look forward to or enjoy for yourself, especially when it’s so hectic – I live a really busy and sometimes stressful life in London so it’s good to step back every once in a while. A treat for me might be watching my favourite TV show even if I should probably be doing the washing up, or a bag of chocolate buttons to go with my afternoon cup of tea. It’s safe to say I do both of these quite often! A rarer treat though would be a haircut, a new dress from ASOS or a trip home to my parents’ in Sussex where I can catch up with family and ignore my emails for the weekend. I try to head home once a month on average or else I get quite homesick, and it’s good to get a bit of breathing space from city life.

2. Do you have a favourite no-cost treat? What is it, and how does it improve your day?

This is slightly cheating but I think other than a cup of tea (which I only have in the afternoon at 4pm – I’m weird, apparently) I would say Spotify is my favourite treat. I do pay £5 a month for it but you can have it for free I believe if you don’t mind the ads. I find music can change my mood instantly, whether it’s to help me focus on writing my column, cheer me up if I’ve got a case of the blues or give me energy if I’m struggling to keep my eyes open. Because I am a bit of a TV addict I often forget how calming it is just to sit and listen to music, but I listen to my iPod daily on the tube and when walking around London as it really soothes anxiety and helps shut out what can be a very noisy city. It keeps me sane!

3. If you had £10 or less to purchase yourself a little treat, what would it be? Where would you buy it, and why?

I am rather well known for buying a lot of earrings so it would probably be that. I think when I was on a budget at college and uni I would update my look with makeup and accessories including earrings and headbands (another obsession) rather than worrying about affording new outfits, and the love for them has kind of stuck; I actually went to work the other week without earrings in and as soon as I realised I felt naked and had to go on a little spree at lunchtime. I think Topshop have some gorgeous ones but they can often be pricey – my current go-to for earrings is River Island as they always have something a bit quirky or very sparkly – I’ve bought some lovely studs from there recently for as little as £2.

4. One woman’s treat might be another’s torture – is there anything that other people enjoy that you would do anything to avoid?

I probably shouldn’t say this, but: exercise! I am very fussy about what I do to get fit – I love a power plate session or a rowing machine and not much else. I really find it hard to understand people who ‘treat’ themselves by going for a run or to a bootcamp. I know it must be the endorphins but I’ve never had that urge, probably because I don’t spend enough time on it – a treat to me means relaxing or indulging somehow. That said I would also hate to go for a pedicure, I can’t stand people touching my feet!

5. What would your ultimate treat be if you had unlimited resources, time or funds?

I think it would have to be a holiday – I really do feel like a different person when I am away and I’m probably my best self if I’m honest; less stressed and more excited about trying new things. My all-time favourite place to go on holiday is Ibiza, and I’d love to do a longer trip there to see the calmer side as well as the party side of the island. There’s also a great retreat there that my editor went on called 38 Degrees North; it does involve exercise, but I think I’d love to do a spot of yoga on a beautiful beach after partying the night away at Pacha!

Have Judy’s ideas and favourites inspired you to try out some new treats? Do you have any recommendations of your own that you’d like to add? 

[box type=”alert” style=”rounded” border=”full” icon=”none”]Don’t forget to visit Work from Home Wisdom too, where Judy Heminsley’s looking at little treats you can pick up to make your tea time and other breaks even better.

*Come back and join both of us next week for another Thursday Treat Time!*[/box]