Why indulgences are good for us.

Sometimes it’s good to treat ourselves.

It’s even better to plan for it. There’s nothing wrong with having a little of what you fancy, as my friend’s mother always told her.

The thing is,  most of us feel a little guilty about indulging ourselves. And certainly, we can’t imagine scheduling it. But what’s wrong with that?

Why not for the rest of the month and for every month after that, you pencil in a symbol (maybe a book, if reading is your indulgence of choice) that has meaning for you on a few days of each month. These are the days you will “treat” yourself.  It doesn’t have to be expensive. It could be anything:

An hour to curl up and read a book.

Browsing through a stack of magazines.

An ice-cream cone.

A facial.

A pedicure or manicure.

Bake something great.

A call to someone you haven’t talked to in a long time.

A hand-written thank you not long overdue.

A visit to the library.

“Pinning” on Pinterest.

Planning a special meal.

A nap.

Browsing a bookstore.

Visiting an art gallery (even online.)

Doodling. (Now frame it!) You’d be surprised at what talent may be lurking inside. (I was never even interested in art and one day I signed up for a drawing class, which led to painting classes and now most of the artwork in our home is original and the artist is ME!)

These are just a few things you could try. It depends on how much disposable time and money you have. And when you start indulging yourself a little, you will probably find yourself thinking about other things you can try. Fresh eyes are always good. But if we don’t actually schedule some time, we’ll never do it. Most of us have a hard time giving ourselves some “me” time but something about putting in on our calendar makes it “official”.

I’m not very good at personal indulgence either. But I do try to do something I enjoy every week. It might be making paper jewelry, playing around with my craft supplies, spray painting something-anything. (I love to spray paint.)  Lots of interests keep depression at bay.

I like to have a lot of projects going on at the same time. That way, I have lots to choose from depending on my mood. This may not be for you but it works for me.  I usually have three or four books I’m reading, something I’m knitting, jewelry in the making, various DIY projects and a stack of magazines. And if none of those meet my fancy, there’s always something that needs spray painting. I hate to be bored or inactive and I’ve found being idle, not good for my moods at all.

It’s important for our mental life to be kind to ourselves. If not, we might feel a martyr and that seldom leads to anything good. It certainly doesn’t motivate us.

So indulge yourself. And whatever you do, don’t feel guilty about it.

I don’t.

God bless and have a good day.

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