"Treat Yourself" - my two favourite words, and favourite form of self care. Many say this is frivolous spending, but here are all the reasons why we say this is *incorrect*.

In today's day in age productivity is promoted as the key to life and success. With a focus on the 5 to 9 before the 9 to 5, it's always a delight when you see content about treating yourself. For those of you who don't know, treat yourself culture is all about the regular acts of small, in expensive purchases for yourself, such as coffee or a book *wink wink*. For some, this is a spare of the moment action, but for others this is included in their budget to ensure they can make a habit of it. Such an act could be a response to a wonderful achievement (because you should always celebrate you), or because you just felt like it (because again, you should always celebrate you).

Some have commented on this being a new trend from our friend, the pandemic. But this is really just a rebranded trend. Often referred to as the "Lipstick Index", many buy more affordable treats to boost their mood during tricky times. This is because they have fewer financial repercussions than buying big ticket items like a house. Recently, coffee has become the go for treating yourself, but often the choice in treat is a form of self-expressions and represents part of who you are. So for some it may be a coffee or lipstick but for others it might be a cheeky new book.

Psychology Today has weighed in on trends associated with treats, noting it can have enormous benefits on your wellbeing and general today to day. This article specifically talks to the wonders of self reward and how this can improve your motivation. If you want to get all technical on it, treating yourself (regardless of what the specific treat is) gives you a lil' dopamine boost - the much loved "feel-good" chemical. People seem to have innately clicked on to this, with much of the content referring to people needing a treat to reward themselves or in some cases, bribe themselves to get the dull tasks done. In fact, psychologists have gone as far to say Gen Z and Millennials have been shifting the narrative from fear of punishment to positive motivators in their lives.

To make the treat yourself culture as positive as possible, you want to make sure the treats are what you need at the time. For example, is coffee the right treat for you if you are an anxious girlie, or would a quiet moment outside to turn your brain off be better? If you want to learn more about the science of treating yourself and how to make it work for you, we loved these articles by Psychology Today and Self.

A misconception about the treat yourself culture is that it is all about the purchase, when in reality it is all about the emotional experience and positive feelings that come with it. For example, it is not just about getting a coffee but the act of taking yourself to the cafe, having a change of scenery in the middle of the work day, or browsing the shelves as you find your next read. It is about the joy of nurturing and looking after yourself, the gift of giving yourself time and doing something just for you. Some have argued it is about having a sense of control over positives which happen in your life, when so much can feel out of your control.

It is because of this that treating yourself does not always have to involve spending money. Sometimes it is going to a shop alone or with friends and having a browse just cause. Much like the romanticising your life trend, it is about making the mundane feel special. 

Because of that, it is important to us you feel welcome to wonder Enamoured whether you are buying a book or not. We welcome you to browse around and fill your cup by simply adding to your TBR on Goodreads.  Enamoured was after all created just for you. 

Love, Enamoured x