Don’t Cheat Yourself; Treat Yourself! Use the 31 Day Self-Care Challenge to Express Self-Love One Step At A Time

We’re 12 days into the 31 Day Self-Care Challenge, & I think we’re off to a good start. Self-care is your reward for just being you. You don’t have to have an excuse to do something for yourself; you deserve to do something simply for existing. I’ll admit I sometimes see certain self-care practices as treats, especially the more costly ones. But like they say, “work hard, play hard,” & I’m going to continue to treat myself as I see fit.

Is a Treat Necessary?

Treating yourself is so necessary to stay motivated, especially if you’re focused on a particular goal or task. Positive reinforcement is scientifically proven to work, & I can attest to that being true. I set goals & make to-do lists all the time, but there are plenty of days I don’t feel like doing a thing. The guilt that arises from that is real, but it shouldn’t be that way. You deserve to treat yourself often!

     When I’m working on a task, it’s easy for me to run out of steam. I tend to multitask too much, & because of that I get overwhelmed. The overachiever in me has to be doing something at all times. Rest seems to be foreign to me more often than not, & I shouldn’t feel guilty of rewarding myself or taking a break to rejuvenate. Even a car runs out of gas at some point in time!

     Treating yourself doesn’t have to be something major or expensive either. In fact, a treat is defined as something small we give to ourselves just because. You don’t have to have a reason to treat yourself, but it does help if you use them to create a positive habit. The more we reward ourselves, the more we feel motivated to continue the behavior. Win-win situation!

Treat Days 1-12

The second round of the 31 Day Self-Care Challenge came right on time! Q3 of 2023 was a beast financially, mentally, physically, & emotionally. Being everything to everybody is exhausting, & as a woman, I often wear an S on my chest 24/7/365. A family vacation, back-to-school expenses, motherhood, wifing, working ridiculous hours & shifts, & juggling small business duties wore ya girl out! I needed a vacation after the vacation, but I needed a solo one with no access to a phone or email. Brainstorming & researching different tasks for this session of the challenge was therapeutic & gave me a treat to look forward to. 

     Some of the tasks over the last 2 weeks came easy. I curl up with a book pretty much daily. In fact, I’m reading book #41 for this year. Grabbing a blanket & watching some of my shows was easy too. We usually do that every weekend for at least a few hours. I keep up with a budget monthly, so I already had the foundation for next year’s savings plan done. And the warm drink happens almost every morning I work. I just varied it up by having apple cider instead of coffee or tea. Those are all things that pretty much come naturally for me.

     It was easy to delete phone numbers, but I had no idea how much of a contact hoarder I was. Deleting over 100 showed how much I don’t interact with others & how much I hold onto things that are no longer needed. I’m sure my phone memory is thanking me.  Making a bucket list for next year was a bit of a struggle too because I don’t really have anything I’m set on doing. I just had to take the time to think & stretch myself outside of my comfort zone some. I just need to put the list somewhere I can see it in a regular basis & stay accountable.

     Now some other tasks didn’t come so easily. My bad habit is still a struggle every day. I feel like the bad kid in school who always had their name on the board or the one who had red every day on their behavior chart. Pray for my mouth, y’all! Scheduling a day to sleep in wasn’t easy either because this week is jam packed for me between work & appointments. I guess Sunday counted because I didn’t set an alarm, & I got up on my own. A social media detox may have been a bit difficult if I didn’t occupy my time today cleaning & reading. I subconsciously looked at the apps to open them in boredom but redirected my attention elsewhere when I remembered the task of the day.

Let’s Treat Ourselves

Ironically, tomorrow (10/13) is National Treat Yourself Day, so the Self-Care Challenge came right on time. I’m starting to realize that it’s ok to prioritize myself. It’s ok to reward myself. It’s ok to take that Superwoman cape off & rest, rejuvenate, & reset. After all, the more you pour into yourself, the more you’re able to do for yourself & others. Treat yourself; don’t cheat yourself! You deserve it, honey!

     In fact, I have an additional challenge for you: make a treat list. You don’t have to set a particular amount, but sit & brainstorm some ways to treat yourself. They can be for a few minutes or last for days, free or expensive, solo or interactive. These are your treats so there are no rules. And hey, you can use that as your journal prompt for tomorrow’s 31 Day Self-Care Challenge task! If you need some inspiration, here are 2 interesting reads I came across. Use them at your own discretion, & enjoy!

https://www.ipsy.com/blog/how-to-treat-yourself

https://www.lifehack.org/379347/30-ways-to-treat-yourself-no-matter-what