Are you a participant in “little treat culture”? Popularized on TikTok, the notion of the “little treat” has spread far and wide. The idea is pretty simple (and definitely predates TikTok): You do a difficult or boring task—and when you are finished you reward yourself with a little treat. Maybe you have a piece of chocolate—or a whole candy bar. Maybe you go get your favorite beverage from the closest coffee shop. Maybe you buy yourself something small that you don’t really need but do really want.
“Little treat culture” is often mentioned as a kind of self-care because it involves doing something nice for yourself. But when it comes to boosting your overall health, having a deeper definition of self-care is important. After all, “little treats” probably are not going to have a lasting impact on the symptoms of a mental health disorder you may be experiencing. Indeed, some of those treats—like surgery drinks, for example—can actually lead to worse symptoms over time.
You learn about the potential pros and cons of little treat culture—and find links to plenty more related content—here. Meanwhile, we will turn our attention to self-care activities and ideas that are more likely to consistently support your mental health.
Physical Self-Care
Taking care of your body is an important part of taking care of your mind. Here are some key self-care strategies when it comes to building and supporting your physical wellbeing:
- Eat healthily
- Exercise regularly
- Sleep restfully
- Stay hydrated
- Attend to personal hygiene
Emotional Self-Care
Sometimes it can seem as though we have absolutely no control over our emotions. They seem to swirl around unpredictably—sometimes making us feel good and sometimes making us feel bad. You can lessen the unpredictability by engaging in emotional self-care activities like:
- Processing thoughts and emotions in a journal
- Practicing mindfulness or meditation
- Expressing your emotions to someone you trust
- Engaging in creative activities that allow you to give expression to your emotions
Social Self-Care
Even the most introverted people benefit from building and maintaining meaningful and healthy relationships. You can tackle social self-care in a variety of ways:
- Stay connected to close friends and family members
- Join support groups that include others who are facing challenges similar to your own
- Have fun in social settings through clubs, arts events, sports, and more
Spiritual Self-Care
This can be a tricky area to discuss, so we want to be clear that we are not necessarily referring to religion when we talk about spirituality. Instead, we mean leaning into activities that provide you with a sense of purpose and meaning in your life and nurture your spirit. Those activities might include:
- Meditating or praying
- Spending time in nature to connect with the larger world
- Seeking out inspiration via activities like volunteering for a cause that is important to you or attending services in your faith community
Mental Self-Care
We saved this category for last because our framework for this conversation is the improvement and maintenance of your mental health. In this category, self-care can include:
- Keeping your mind active and engaged by regularly learning new things and maintaining a growth mindset
- Setting goals and working toward them steadily
- Practicing positive thinking via affirmations, gratitude, and kindness to yourself and others
- Taking breaks to rest and recharge—and making this a priority, no matter how busy your schedule is
All Self-Care Is Intertwined
You may have read through those five categories, each with numerous bullet points under their headings, and thought, “Whew. I think I’ll stick to the little treat approach.” We get it—and we would never begrudge you the occasional little treat.
But another way to think about self-care is to realize that all five of the categories we identified above are linked together in many ways. The physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and mental aspects of your life cannot truly be separated. That means when you make progress in any area of self-care, you are actually making progress in all of them. So don’t be afraid to start small and don’t be discouraged if it takes some time to get into the self-care groove.
Your doctor, therapist, or counselor (or any combination of them) may have ideas for getting started with effective self-care practices. Sometimes, a little guidance from a trusted caregiver can be the spark you need to make a positive change for yourself.
We Care About You and Your Mental Health
We can’t overstate this: At Peak View Behavioral Health, we are wholly committed to helping the individuals we serve improve their mental health and maintain those improvements over time. We know there are no cookie-cutter solutions when it comes to mental health, so we are devoted to learning about each person’s situation and story so that we can build a personalized care plan. That plan will be grounded in evidence-based practices and bolstered by our extensive training, years of experience, and spirit of empathy.
Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Peak View Behavioral Health helps individuals renew a sense of balance in their lives and embrace a hopeful expectation for the future.
