Easy Ways to Treat Yourself

I feel like the concept of treating oneself is one that has taken off in more recent years along with the self-love/self-care movements that have popped up. It's also fall, which is one of my personal favorite seasons, but what can be a stressful season for a lot of people, so it seems like a good time to talk about easy, inexpensive to free ways you can treat yourself. Treating yourself doesn't have to be about going on a huge shopping spree and spending all of your most recent paycheck; it can be about simple things that might not seem like self-care or treating yourself on a first look, but will feel like it during a particularly stressful time.

1. Take a nap. Obviously for people who work full time this is probably more difficult, but I am still a big advocate and fan of naps. Napping doesn't even have to be full-on falling asleep; you can even just lie down somewhere under a cozy blanket for ten or fifteen minutes and then get up feeling a little more relaxed than you did before. Naps also don't have to be hours and hours to be effective, which is something I struggle with since I'm only employed part-time currently and feel like I can sleep as much as I want to, even though I know in my head I don't need a lot of sleep. Naps can be less than an hour and still leave you feeling refreshed, so if you have the time, desire, and ability to nap, go for it!

3. Have a cup of tea. You don't have to spend thousands of dollars on Teavana tea to enjoy a nice hot cup of tea, either. Sipping on a cup of tea always makes me feel instantly more relaxed and soothes my anxiety if only for the duration of the cup. Plus, it smells good and makes you feel all warm on the inside.

4. Cuddle a pet. I do have extra cuddly cats, but I still feel like they always know when I need a little extra attention. Sitting with, playing with, cuddling, or petting a cat or dog is definitely a calming activity, and if you already have a pet, you've got easy access to a very comforting way of treating yourself.

5. Light a candle. I don't do this as often as I think I'd like to, but when I do, it's always very relaxing. Even lighting a candle while you're doing something productive can make whatever you're doing seem a little less stressful with a calming glow and scent curling around you. Just make sure to blow out the candle if you leave the room!