You Deserve a Little Treat

A few months ago, I was mindlessly scrolling through TikTok when I saw a quick video about the “Little Treat Mentality”. I don’t remember who the creator was, but they explained that no matter what kind of day you have, you deserve a little treat.

I’m not usually the type of person that treats myself. I eat the same rotation of meals, I do the same workouts, and I honestly let each day flow into the other without much thought. For some reason, though, this short, simple video stuck with me. I watched it and immediately thought, “Yeah, I do deserve a little treat!” and got myself up to take a long, hot shower. It felt amazing; I let myself breathe in the steam and breathe out any stress and frustration from the day. 

We’ve all treated ourselves after a hard day; whether it’s a big bowl of ice cream, a bubble bath, or watching a comfort movie, we each told ourselves that after our day, we deserved to “let loose.” But why can’t we treat ourselves after every day? Why do we only pamper ourselves after life beats us down? The current hustle culture tells us that life is secondary to work; we can’t even get a workout in unless we wake up at 5 am before classes or the workday. Our weekends have gone from sleeping in and playing with friends as kids to becoming a time to get chores done and “catch up” on living. If you ask me, the fact that we get through every day--good, bad, and mediocre--is a feat in itself.

I’m here to tell you that you deserve a little treat. Every day. No matter what. You woke up with a headache? Sounds like you need to get a latte on the way to start your day. You had an amazing lunch with friends? You should watch your favorite movie and make a good day even better. Your day was the most normal, boring span of 12 hours that you could imagine? Put on sweatpants and fuzzy socks, and make yourself your favorite cocktail or mocktail; I bet it will make you feel better. Your little treat doesn’t have to be something you buy or some frilly self-care product. It could be listening to your favorite song and singing along, or going to bed earlier than you usually do. Hell, it could even be not doing the dishes tonight. Just do something that isn’t part of your normal routine. My little treats allow me to bring my awareness back to the present moment instead of looking ahead to the next task. Each intentional treat helps me notice the little things that wouldn’t usually make me smile, like the feeling of cold air in my lungs, or the birds chirping on the sidewalk. 

It’s time to give yourself credit for every day. Pat yourself on the back sometimes; order your favorite takeout. Let every day be a day where you have a little treat. You always deserve it. ♥️