Posted by Christiana Carmichael on December 7, 2020

Treat yourself

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Written By Christiana Carmichael

Find Your Ambition Founder, NSCA Certified Personal Trainer, NASM Certified Nutrition Coach, Certified Yin Yoga Instructor

Treat Yourself

In today’s society, we often hear the phrase ‘treat yourself.’ How many days in the last week have you felt stressed? What about the last month? And how many times have you tried to do something about it? While this notion of ‘treating yourself’ holds true year round, it is especially relevant now during the season of giving. We spend so much time pleasing others and making everything ‘perfect’ that we lose sight of ourselves.

When we finally do treat ourselves, we often lean on quick, impulsive treats that only grant us temporary happiness. While these ‘treats’ may present as a pizza night with the guys, drinks with the girls, or an extra helping of dinner followed by our favorite dessert, there is so much more to treating ourselves than instant gratification.

The best types of treats are the ones that keep giving.

Desserts are amazing and drinks are fun, but how do you feel afterwards? If it’s a once in a while type thing, that’s fine! But, if it becomes a regular habit, are you really treating yourself or are you hurting yourself?

Treats should not undermine your progress.

If you just finished a beautiful painting, would you rather finalize it by hanging it on the wall in a handmade frame, or by painting a giant brown ‘X’ across it? The same goes for yourself. If you finally lost those few stubborn pounds, would you rather showcase your improved, healthier self or go on a binge and ruin your progress because you ‘deserved it?’ 

Change the way you reward yourself.

The best way to continue seeing results is to reward your actions with related treats. 

  • Instead of hitting up the fast food chain after your workout, try spending some time alone in the kitchen preparing yourself a fresh, healthy meal. 
  • If you’ve stuck with your workout regimen for two weeks, or you set a new personal best, treat yourself with a new piece of workout equipment or a new article of athletic clothing. 
  • Instead of saying “I deserve dessert after today’s workout,” tell yourself you deserve to eat breakfast unplugged (from technology) tomorrow morning. 

I’m not saying never eat dessert or have a drink again. That’s just simply unrealistic. What I am saying is think of how often you allow yourself these indulgences. Is it truly on occasion, or is it becoming a pattern?

Sustainable ways to treat yourself

1. Unplug yourself from the outside world. Instead of getting home and scrolling aimlessly through social media for hours, try some relaxation techniques. If you have time to read Facebook arguments, you have time to shut off your phone and dedicate a few moments to yourself. Turn your phone off or on silent and close your eyes.

If you’re into yoga, now’s a great time to unwind and go through a flow. If that’s not your style, settle down to read a book, or just listen to some soothing music. Trust me, Instagram won’t miss you for an hour. 

2. Get up 10 minutes earlier. I know, this probably sounds like the opposite of treating yourself, but hear me out. If you’re woken up by an alarm one hour before your first zoom meeting and you instantly race to the shower while your coffee is brewing then you spend your entire shower reviewing your speech for today’s conference, there’s no way you’re starting your day in a relaxed state of mind.

Just think how different your mindset could be if you woke up 10 minutes earlier to brew yourself a cup of coffee and enjoyed it sitting rather than standing. Think of how great your days could all be if each one started out with just 10 minutes of ‘me’ time. 

3. Watch a movie. With everything going on in the world today, it is too easy to get sucked in to all the negativity. Do you ever feel uplifted after watching the 5:00 news, or does it leave you feeling sad and frustrated?

What if, just once a week, you replaced the news with a movie? Trust me, you can get caught up the next day when you tune back in. Here’s something crazy: what if you made movie night a middle of the week treat? That’s right, I said it! Movies are commonly associated with Fridays because the work week is done and you can finally relax, but don’t you deserve relaxation during the week too? Wouldn’t that make the rest of the week more bearable? Try changing up your routine, you might like it! 

The Takeaway

Making time for yourself can seem like a challenge, but it can be done. Reward your good behavior with treats aligned with your goals. Before you indulge in a food or an action, ask yourself, “Am I treating myself or sabotaging myself?” 

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Christiana Carmichael

Find Your Ambition Founder, NSCA Certified Personal Trainer

Christiana is the founder of Find Your Ambition and has a passion for helping others through personal training. She is a highly sought out fitness coach and takes pride in her ability to inspire others to reach their fitness goals.

Christiana offers new clients a free online personal training or nutrition consultation through Find Your Ambition and would love to help you take the next step on your fitness journey!

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