Indulgence or Necessity? Benefits and Downsides of Treating Yourself

The “treat yourself” trend is a popular concept that encourages individuals to indulge in self-care and pampering activities as a way to reward themselves or alleviate stress.

While it has been embraced on social media, this trend serves as a reminder that taking care of one’s mental and physical well-being is important for overall health and happiness. However, it’s essential to strike a balance and ensure that these treats are within reasonable limits, considering individual circumstances and responsibilities.

In what seems like a never-ending chase for happiness in the rat race, you might find yourself asking, what really is the harm in a little pick-up for a shot of dopamine? But when joy is mostly found in temporary bits of materialism, your mental state might be alluding to a much-needed reevaluation.

Some benefits to treating yourself through the week include things like self-care, motivation and striving to maintain a healthy balance. Through this article, we hope to explore how this trend came to be, and the upsides and downsides to indulging yourself (just a little!) to keep the mood up during the week.

Self-Care: Treating yourself allows you to prioritize self-care, which is essential for maintaining overall well-being.

It is very important to reserve portions of your day to enrich yourself outside of work. For those of us with families or other responsibilities in the home, me-time is very important. It allows you to take care of yourself first, while that might seem selfish, ensuring that you are in good condition allows you to be able to take care of your other responsibilities better.

Beyond a physical treat, things like taking quiet time for yourself, indulging in your favourite activity or even an at-home spa treatment all count as treating yourself.

Taking care of your physical and mental health is the ultimate treat, and sometimes all that is needed to recharge your mind is some time away from your screens and out in the fresh air!

Motivation: Rewarding yourself for accomplishments or milestones can serve as motivation to continue working towards your goals. if your ultimate goal seems too far away, it is easy to be discouraged. Having small treats along the way acts like checkpoints, allowing you to celebrate small wins while still keeping on task.

Not only that, in particularly sluggish moments, knowing that there’s something enjoyable awaiting you can increase your determination and focus on tasks.

Balance: Key phrases like “work-life balance” seem like trendy buzzwords, but ensuring a balance in life is key to achieving stability and resilience, two things that tide someone through not only the good times but the bad as well!

Treating yourself helps maintain a healthy balance in life. Enforcing a habit where relaxation takes precedence helps you to find a middle ground. With responsibilities in life stretching beyond work, allowing yourself moments of indulgence promotes a balanced lifestyle and prevents burnout.

Another way to ensure balance is to ask for help when it is needed. If there are stressors in your family life, like worrying about your children’s grades, outsourcing that help is a great way to take something off your plate.

Contracting a tutor, like taking advantage of our services at SmileTutor, is a great way to ensure that you and your children’s well-being is looked after.

On the topic of balance, we must remember that for every list of upsides, there are downsides as well. While most people might benefit from a treat or two every now and then, sometimes an overreliance on these seemingly harmless treats might lead to overindulgence.

If you are looking to implement the treat culture mindset into your life but you’re worried about falling victim to the common pitfalls, here are some negative consequences to keep you on your toes.

Financial Strain: If you are not careful, sometimes these little treats might just add up. Choosing material indulgences over something that might enrich your mind or body too often might just be the cause of that.The next time you decide to commit that impulse buy in the name of treating yourself, consider if this the what your tired mind or body really needs. Try going for an evening stroll instead, or carving out a little extra time for yourself when you cook your evening meal.Excessive indulgence can lead to overspending, causing financial strain. Regular treats may accumulate and impact your budget, potentially hindering long-term financial goals.

By overspending, you might in turn cause yourself more stress, which defeats the purpose of treating yourself in the first place!

Health Consequences: Sometimes the best way to cheer yourself up at the end of a long day might be a delicious slice of cake or some indulgent takeout. While this is a simple way to get an additional shot of dopamine and endorphins, an overreliance on food- especially unhealthy ones, can lead to negative health effects.Overindulgence in sugary or high-calorie treats, for example, may contribute to weight gain and other health issues. Poor health often leads to poor mental health as well, as weight gain might cause you to feel sluggish and tired. Sudden weight gain and a reliance on food might cause diminished self-esteem, as well as an unhealthy relationship with food.

Productivity Impact: Frequent treats might distract from important tasks or goals, affecting overall productivity. While treats might be a good short-term motivator to get the ball rolling, chasing your goals should ultimately come from within.Spending too much time focusing on instant gratification might delay the progress of achieving your long-term goal, should you want to change paths, the high of chasing something easier and faster to achieve might prevent you from making better choices.In conclusion, the treat culture, characterized by the practice of rewarding individuals with treats or incentives, has both its merits and drawbacks. On the positive side, it can serve as a powerful motivator, fostering a positive environment and encouraging desired behaviours. This approach can be particularly effective in certain educational and professional settings, helping individuals stay focused and motivated.

However, the treat culture also raises concerns about the potential for extrinsic rewards to overshadow intrinsic motivation, leading to a reliance on external incentives rather than a genuine passion for the task at hand. Striking a balance between using treats as occasional motivators and nurturing intrinsic motivation remains crucial in ensuring a healthy and sustainable approach to motivation and achievement.