One of the catch phrases of my generation is "treat yo' self." It's printed on t-shirts and coffee mugs and used in the daily dialogue of millennials. The basic definition of the phrase is to reward yourself; indulge, because life is hard and you deserve the treat (whatever it may be). People use this phrase when eating something unhealthy, when buying something on impulse or when spending time apart from the tasks they should be accomplishing. Clearly, I'm biased against this common saying. This resentment towards the idea of "treating yo' self" stems from my personal tendency to use it as an excuse.

I have spent the past ten months trying to undo all of the times I had "treated my self" throughout my young adult life. I used this idea to over indulge in food and lack of exercise. Since beginning a weight-loss journey and a transformation in the way I care for myself, I have developed a whole new idea of what it means to "treat yo self." Instead of just snacking on cookies or spending an afternoon watching five hours of Netflix (don't get me wrong, those things are wonderful, just in extreme moderation) I treat myself by making healthy eating and regular exercise a priority. Those things impact everything I do in a positive way and make me into a more well-rounded person.

I'm not saying that we can never treat ourselves by eating that piece of cheesecake or spending a night at home binge-watching an entire season of Grey's Anatomy. I'm just saying that those things must be done very sparingly. Take it from someone who knows all too well, once we begin allowing ourselves to "treat yo self" in unhealthy ways more than once a week, it becomes a habit and it becomes dangerous. By finding what makes you actually feel good, have energy, and look at yourself in a positive light, you find the key to being happy in all the other aspects of life, too. It feels so much better to find a way to relieve stress and inch closer to being in shape than to relieve stress by putting off physical health.

I have treated myself in healthy and unhealthy ways, and I'll always have times when all I want to do is be a vegetable on the couch or indulge my sweet tooth. But, the difference is how frequently I do those things. Go find what makes you feel accomplished and healthy; whether that means hiking, running, walking, reading. You'll be all the better for it.

Treat yo' self.