AD this post contains gifted products // If we have learned anything from 2020, it’s that you need to learn how to treat yourself and we could all do with giving ourselves a bloody break once in a while. It’s okay not to be “on it” every minute of the day, it’s okay not to be productive every single day of your life and it’s certainly okay to feel like crap – for a multitude of reasons or for no reason at all – every now and again.

how to treat yourself

Treating yourself can play a huge part in your self care and ensuring your mental health and well-being is the best it can possibly be. I went through a horrible phase for a while where I wouldn’t treat myself to anything because I believed it was a waste. I didn’t think I deserved anything. What an awful thing to think about yourself.

But these feelings sadly aren’t uncommon. 

But it’s important to remember that treating yourself doesn’t HAVE to be expensive, lavish or indulgent. It can be. And if it is, that’s cool. But if you don’t have the means, then you don’t have to put yourself in debt in order to give yourself a treat.

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When thinking about how to treat yourself, it’s also handy to be intentional and think about what you ACTUALLY need and want in this moment, rather than being impulsive. Does your soul feel heavy? You might choose an hour long meditation session or a Yoga class. If it’s your body that’s aching, then a warm bath or a massage will help.

We all deserve a treat. Yes, even you.

So your task for me today is to pick out just one thing from this list and treat yourself to it – whenever is convenient for you.

I’ve tried to cover all basis in this mega list. Some are free, some are easy, some are expensive. Pick whichever one is suiting your current needs and circumstances right now.

Struggling to figure out how to treat yourself? Here are 62 suggestions!

how to treat yourself

Free ways to treat yourself:

  1. Have a nap
  2. Go for a walk in nature
  3. Sit in the sun for an hour
  4. Make yourself an amazing cup of tea
  5. Give yourself the afternoon off
  6. Catch up on your favourite YouTuber’s
  7. Listen to a podcast
  8. Play with your pet
  9. Stargaze
  10. Watch your favourite movie

10 ways to treat your body:

  1. Go for a run around a park
  2. Start your day with a healthy breakfast
  3. Go for a massage
  4. Do a power Yoga practice
  5. Massage your feet
  6. Moisturize your whole body
  7. Drink a glass of ice cold water
  8. Make a beautiful fruit salad
  9. Cook your favourite healthy meal
  10. Go for a manicure or pedicure

Indulgent or more expensive ideas:

  1. Book a spa weekend
  2. Buy yourself some flowers
  3. Eat out at your favourite restaurant
  4. Go on a solo trip
  5. Book tickets to something you want to see
  6. Have a day of shopping
  7. Buy some new books
  8. Treat yourself to a new hair cut, style or colour at a salon
  9. Book an experience for yourself
  10. Buy yourself a new piece of jewellery

Jewellery is something that I’ve always absolutely LOVED. I love buying jewellery for others as gifts and if I’m ever to REALLY treat myself, then jewellery is always on the list. So this seems like the perfect time to introduce you to Lily Blanche.

Lily Blanche was founded by Gillian, who took great inspiration from her Grandmother, Lily Blanche. She encouraged and inspired Gillian’s creativity and is the motivation behind everything they do in the Lily Blanche Studio. Many of their designs are inspired by the pieces in her jewel box.

You can read more about the Lily Blanche story here but from that small snippet alone, you already know this is going to be a company worth watching. I was very kindly offered a piece from their Magical Charms collection which suits me down to a T. The whole collection is stunning but I was seriously blown away when my piece arrived.

I chose the Magical Charm Necklace with the Cinderella inspired carriage charm and it is just exquisite. The attention to detail in this piece blew my mind. The side of the carriage is detailed with a beautiful stone, the wheels spin – YES THEY SPIN – and the carriage even opens to reveal a tiny slipper. It’s magical.

The attention to detail doesn’t stop there though because even their packaging is done with optimum care. From the DKNY scented tissue paper, to the classy Lily Blanche bag and pouch, everything about this brand and product screams high quality, personal and magic.

I’ve been very fortunate to work with a handful of incredible jewellery brands on my blog, some of which I’ve gone on to purchase from many times myself. I know Lily Blanche is going to become a firm favourite of mine and if you love high quality jewellery, made from a place of love with oodles of charm and character, then you’ll absolutely love Lily Blanche too.

You’ll know that I’m a huge Disney fan by now. I was hoping to visit Disneyland Paris before the pandemic happened and obviously haven’t been able to go since. I’m so eager to get there but I know it’s not going to be an option for a while. This beautiful and dainty little charm can remind me that there’s magic everywhere – even in the unexpected!

Soul feel heavy? How to treat your soul and spirit:

  1. Journal it out: try these journal prompts for mental health if you don’t know where to start!
  2. Do a Yoga practice
  3. Meditate
  4. Light incense
  5. Use crystals
  6. Do a digital detox and get offline for an hour or a day
  7. Script your ideal day or week

Relaxing ways to treat yourself:

  1. Have a candlelit bath
  2. Listen to relaxing music for an hour
  3. Have a head massage
  4. Meditate
  5. Use a hot tub
  6. Book a floatation tank
  7. Take yourself to the beach
  8. Sunbathe with a good book
  9. Use calming body oils
  10. Paint or draw

Food related treat ideas:

  1. Have breakfast in bed
  2. Go for a picnic
  3. Make your favourite cake
  4. Eat at a fancy restaurant
  5. Order your favourite takeaway
  6. Take yourself to a coffee shop
  7. Have a cocktail making afternoon
  8. Make a 3 course meal at home

Beauty and pampering ideas:

  1. Paint your nails
  2. Shave your legs: I use my amazing estrid razor and I’m in love with it!
  3. Buy some new skincare products
  4. Do your make-up
  5. Book a full body massage
  6. Do a face mask and a hair mask
  7. Get a pedicure and foot massage

I hope this post has given you some ideas for how to treat yourself next time! I’d love to know in the comments which one you’re going to chose, or whether you’ve recently done it and how it went! Remember, you ARE deserving of it.

131 Comments

  1. Wonderful post! Great suggestions…I love the charm necklace!!! I think making plans to do something fun is almost as much fun as the outing itself. 🙂 It is good to create a list of things you would like to do, or places you would like to go, and then start checking them off! It could be a beach you have never been to, or a library, or a trip destination. That necklace is a ‘charming’ reminder that the possibilities in life are endless…You must sometimes grant yourself some wishes…a bouquet of flowers, a time set apart to read or write in a journal, moments to dream and reflect…

  2. “I wouldn’t treat myself to anything because I believed it was a waste. I didn’t think I deserved anything. What an awful thing to think about yourself.” It’s like you reached into my mind, that’s exactly how I felt a while back and I felt guilty for even buying essentials like shampoo. Anyway, I’m glad we’re both past that phase now and wow, these are some WONDERFUL suggestions. My favourite is to sit in the sun for an hour, preferably with a cup of tea and a good book. Also, that is the most beautiful charm necklace, Jenny, the details are gorgeous, and the backstory is lovely! xxx

    1. I’m so sorry to hear you were like that too! It’s such an awful thing to think but yes, I’m very glad we’re both past that phase. I love sitting in the garden with tea and a book sometimes too xxx

  3. This is such a beautiful list. I personally can relate to not treating myself much because I convince myself it’s not necessary! I literally put off going to the hairdressers for 10months haha. I absolutely love buying a new book, it makes me feel like a new person. I’m also a fan of getting my hair & nails done! Thank you for sharing these ideas!

  4. I totally feel you, when I want to treat myself I love spending some money on jewelery! As well as books, especially if they are from a charity shop 💚

  5. I love all of these ideas and you have given some great ones to try! For how much i would love to say that I am on top of my self care I am totally not. I think I will plan a day without technology and spend the whole day reading and just be. I am totally in love with the necklace and honestly, in awe of the details! The spinning wheels and the shoe inside is just the cherry on top x

  6. Ah there are so many lovely ideas in this post. I rarely treat myself but sometimes it’s good to! I love the idea of treating myself to a solo spa day!

    Rosie

  7. With retail therapy I tend to go for books, my favourite sandwich, or feelgood movies. If I don’t want to spend anything, I’ll game, watch said feelgood movies (or Friends reruns let’s be honest), or go all out using my skin and hair products 😀

      1. It really is! The first time I went she picked up on my ear problems without me telling her. It’s so relaxing and you can target certain health issues too. I’d definitely recommend it. X

  8. Doing something fun for an extended period of time really really does help, but it can be hard for me to focus on having fun and stop worrying about whatever’s stressing me out at the moment >.<

  9. playing a game for a few hours you really do feel better, taking time off and being someone else is an amazing.

  10. Mine is definitely a hot bath with a scented bath bomb and a good book 🧖🏼‍♀️💕
    Or curling up with my dog and watching a movie 🐶 xxx

  11. I love this Jenny! There’s a weird focus at the moment on always being productive, even in your free time, and I find it a bit dangerous. We are totally allowed to lounge around when we feel like it, and to just enjoy junk food, junk tv and sleeping! It definitely helps cheer me up when I’m really sad.
    Beth x

    1. There really is, I’ve noticed that too. Although I’ve always struggled with down time and allowing myself to relax and not be productive, actually seeing that sort of behaviour being praised really concerns me because it’s not healthy xxx

  12. I’ve been going through something similar recently and have been reevaluating my life trying to find a better balance, after finding myself exhausted all the time. Reading is always something I can lose myself in, as is writing. Spending more time with family and friends. And a good cup of tea!

  13. I treat myself to some of the same things as you but unfortunately nothing has really been cheering me up recently. Maybe I might buy a game or something frivolous and see does that work.

  14. This was really good, I loved it!! I didn’t think taking naps would help so much, I usually do blogging, go through instagram lol, watch youtube or movies, read, play board games, go walking, so shopping…
    Loved this post!!!!! 😀 <3

      1. That’s true, I find pausing and listening to what I actually want to do in that precise moment, helps, then I can throw myself into the activity- yoga, gym, dance, roller skating, meditation- and enjoy it more 🙂

  15. I love this!! Self-care is so important and it’s something that we often push to the side. It’s amazing what a good nap or a new book can do to refresh your soul and give your life some new encouragement and perspective! ☺️

  16. Could easily and happily spend time doing most of these things. I love having a nap and playing playstation for hours ! Deffo need some time out every now and then x

  17. These are great things to cheer yourself up. I tend to take a nap, listen to music or eat a bit of junk food from time to time when I feel down.

  18. These are great ideas, I’ve never had a massage but they sound like the best way to make yourself feel better and more at peace. I’ve really needed this today since I keep getting put down by work and losing track of self care, such a good post~

    beesytimes.co.uk

  19. Recently I haven’t been on my A game and reading books have definitely been my saviour. Such a nice post to remind people to do things for themselves every now and then.

    Rebecca Elaine x

  20. Totally agree with these points! Sometimes a nap and a book can do you the world of good. I always feel like I need to be getting things done and I’m hard on myself if I take a break but it’s totally okay and well deserved. I’m with you on takeaways too, some days you just need McDonalds! Xx

    Tiffany x http://www.foodandotherloves.co.uk

  21. Everyone deserves a break every now and then! I wish I could enjoy a massage, but I just tense up the second they touch me. I can’t relax on the table at all!! For me, it’s either a pamper evening of a day of nothing but netflix without feeling guilty. It used to be cooking, but now I do so many recipes that sort of still feels like work… self sabotage 😂 x

    Sophie
    http://www.glowsteady.co.uk

    1. It’s important to find a masseuse you feel SUPER comfortable with because if you don’t it’s not relaxing at all. So can take a bit of time and work but once you’ve found them, they’re amazing! It’s a shame cooking isn’t a “treat yourself” thing for you anymore! xxx

  22. This is such a good post – it’s definitely easy to get carried away and not let ourselves switch off these days. I needed this today – thank you!

  23. We all need to treat ourselves sometimes! Buying a new book is a great one – I do this too! Infact, I bought a new one by Dorothy Koomson today. Loved this post xxx

    1. I love Dorothy Koomson! I’ve been incredibly lucky to read a few advance copies of her books and she just knocks it out of the park every single time! Hope you enjoy it 🙂 is that The Brighton Mermaid? I haven’t got around to reading that one yet! xxx

  24. Love these – I’m very similar when I’m not feeling great! A new book or some video games usually help to cheer me up quite well 🙂

  25. I love this post! I’m constantly looking for things to keep my head in a good space and I often just indulge in a couple of hours binge watching my favourite tv shows like Friends! X

  26. All of these are great ways to treat yourself well when stuff is all over the place. Yesterday, I allowed myself to have a lazy day and watched some movies that just made me happy. Sometimes we all need that.

  27. Rollercoaster Tycoon…is that the one where all the visitors start vomiting?…actually that could be Theme Park or Theme Hospital. I always treat myself to a new notebook and nice pen when I’m having a bad day.

  28. Fabulous suggestions Jenny, a post which promotes napping is a winner for me. Playing games sounds like a great way to switch off, my equivalent to that is probably playing guitar. I can zone out & feel calm for ages. Your photography is so pretty too, great post! 💖 xx

    Bexa | http://www.hellobexa.com

  29. These are great tips, I always think going for a new book is a good idea to escape from life for a little while. I also like to go for a walk/run especially when something specific is getting me down, because I usually spend that time thinking it over and come to the conclusion that it really isn’t that bad

  30. These are great Jenny I have only had a couple of massages it’s not something I can often relax enough to enjoy but reading, baking, outdoor hikes/explores, yoga & fresh bedding are my go-to cheer up tools

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