Ega Jones

40 Ways to Indulge without Going Overboard

As a person with a hedonistic streak a mile long, I treat myself to minor and major indulgences pretty frequently. Maybe too frequently. It’s entirely possible that I spoil myself. I prefer to call it being a generous (self) lover.

The problem with indulgences and rewards is that they can  end up becoming self-destructive and completely undoing the thing you’re celebrating. Often, when I’ve had a particularly grueling work-out or cleaned my apartment from top to bottom, I go a bit crazy with rewarding myself and end up in a heap on the floor.

I’ll celebrate with endless dirty martinis and wake up the next morning feeling like I’ve been hit by a car. Or, I’ll eat 75 Oreos and become a useless human for the next 5 hours. Or, I’ll buy a  really expensive face brush that, in fact, makes my skin worse– and is not returnable (Oops). There’s a fine line between indulging and going overboard.

So, while I think it’s incredibly important to treat myself well and reward myself for being a functional human, it’s equally important to have an arsenal of indulgences that don’t leave me feeling bloated, broke, and full of regrets.

Here’s a list of ways you can reward and indulge yourself without turning into a gigantic hot mess.

1.       Make yourself a romantic dinner. Light a candle. Put on some mood music.

2.       Smear on a face mask (I am mildly obsessed with this one) & feel the tingle of your pores being cleaned.

3.       Make plans with a friend you haven’t seen for awhile.

4.       Buy yourself flowers. Better yet, buy a plant and learn to care for it.

5.       Take yourself to the movies. Sit in the back row and put your feet up.

6.       Savor a delicious smoothie with greek yogurt & frozen berries. Throw some greens in there if you want to be extra good to yourself.

7.       Go swimming.

8.       Permit yourself to cancel your plans and do absolutely nothing.

9.       Go to your favorite bar and read a book. Between chapters, make eyes at strangers.

10.   Wear impractical shoes that make your legs look miles long. Throw flats in your bag just in case.

11.   Finger paint. Yeah, I said it.

12.   Go to the park and have a picnic. Make sure it involves cheese & fruit.

13.   Take yourself to an art gallery. (New Yorkers, sign up for Art Cards and you’ll always have somewhere fun to go when the need for indulgence strikes.)

14.   Snuggle up with a marathon of a captivating TV show (Might I suggest The Sopranos or Mad Men?).

15.   Re-arrange your furniture to create better energy flow. Bask in your newly cleansed space.

16.   Make out with someone cute.

17.   Buy a fashion mag and make a vision board.

18.   Say yes to the very next invitation that comes your way—even if it comes from a strange source.

19.   Take an extra long, steamy shower. Sing a little.

20.   Read a really trashy novel—one you’d be embarrassed to be seen reading on the subway. Savor it.

21.   Go treasure hunting at your favorite thrift store.

22.   Send someone you love a card telling them just how much you love them.

23.   Get lost in a bookstore.

24.   Dance. Do it by yourself, naked. Do it with a lover (naked). Or go out to a bar and do it with a handful of strangers. Don’t worry about how you look.

25.   Organize a happy hour.

26.   Buy yourself those shoes or that necklace or that floor pouf (say what?) that you’ve been dreaming of for months.

27.   Go see some live music.

28.   Throw away anything clogging your space that you don’t absolutely love. Better yet, donate it.

29.   Take a nap.

30.   Window shop.

31.   Go get your nails done. Or, better yet, get a facial. Aveda Institute in NYC has brilliantly cheap treatments that I, for one, am dying to try.

32.   Create something.

33.   Go on the most gorgeous walk you can imagine. In my book, it should involve some big, beautiful body of water.

34.   Stay out late on a week night.

35.   Plan your next vacation.

36.   Watch some porn.

37.   Go to a fancy paper store and go a little crazy. (Okay, maybe I’m the only one who finds this to be insanely rewarding.)

38.   Do absolutely anything that makes you laugh like a lunatic (Ideas:  go see some stand-up, watch babies fall down in the park, reminisce about dumb things you’ve done in the past, watch The Soup).

39.   Go see a piece of theatre! Sweet Jehusefat! Don’t make me tell you twice.

40.   Two words: Wine tasting. (Lots of awesome wine shops and wineries do free wine tastings on a regular basis. Get yourself on their e-mail lists. See how I couldn’t just say two words?)

 

What about you?  What healthy indulgences do you love?

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