Life is hard. You'd have to be oblivious and lead quite a cushy existence to contest that. Some days are so tough that we feel like we should be rewarded just for making it through, and that's where the "treat yo self" mindset comes in.
Now, most of us cannot finance a Treat Yo Self Day that is nearly as lavish as the one originated by Donna and Tom on Parks and Rec; however, there are plenty of ways that we can treat ourselves to a little pick-me-up during a hard day or week, and we shouldn't beat ourselves up for doing so.
As I said, life is hard. Classes are challenging, work is stressful, keeping up with all our activities is a constant concern, preparing for careers and adulthood, in general, seems impossible, and bad things big and small happen to us and the people we care about. That's just the way it goes.
Sometimes during a rough day, I find myself thinking, "You know what would make me happy right now? A Dunkin iced coffee." Other days it's ice cream, taking a nap, or ignoring all the things I have to get done and watching a movie instead. I think that's okay.
I am in no way advocating for materialism or laziness, or proposing that we should coddle to our every whim; that is neither feasible nor healthy. People are designed to lead productive lives, and we can't use a bad day as an excuse to plop ourselves on the couch and not move for a month. What I am saying is that we are allowed to reward ourselves occasionally, especially if we're having a tough week or if we're working particularly hard.
If you've been running yourself ragged to keep up with all the things you have to do throughout the week (let's be real, it's summer, but the lazy days of childhood summers have been replaced by work, summer classes, internships, volunteering, or a number of other activities), then let yourself have a little reward. Take a day off and hang out with your friends or family, and don't feel guilty about it. If you've been working all morning and find yourself tired in the afternoon, go ahead and take that nap. It won't hurt anyone.
If you've been killing your to-do list all week and you've been craving ice cream for the past three days when you walk down the frozen aisle and hear Ben and Jerry calling your name, grab a pint of your favorite flavor and don't look back. Who's going to stop you?
My point is this: we all have to handle tough stuff, so why not indulge the occasional "little happies" when they present themselves? We all have to give up things we want to do for the things we need to do.
We all have bad days, stressful weeks, and an ever-growing to-do list. If you're run down and Chick-Fil-A is the quick fix you need, just get it, and don't be too hard on yourself after. The world beats you up all the time, so take the opportunity every once in awhile to just be nice to yourself.
