Whole30 Diary, Day 6--Treat Yo Self Culture

Any other Parks and Rec fans out there? If you're like me, you can hear Tom and Donna right now telling you to Treat Yo Self!

Treating yourself is good, but I can get carried away with it....and oftentimes (most times!), I'm using food to do it. For instance....

I have to shuttle my kids around to various activities? Treat yo self! Pumpkin cold brew from Starbucks.

I made it through an excruciating middle school social studies worksheet with my son? Treat yo self! Tequila + La Croix after dinner.

I worked all day at work, got dinner in the crock pot and then worked a football concession stand? Treat yo self! Reeses Pieces for dessert.

Got up at 4:45 AM to work Pepper Place, sweated in the sun and feel exhausted and sleepy? Treat yo self! (bunless) burgers, fries and soda for dinner.

All of these examples are autobiographical, in case that wasn't blatantly obvious.

Does this sound familiar to you? Does it sound healthy from a mental health or a food perspective? Also, is it really "treating" yourself if you're consuming things that will make you feel bad tomorrow or that put you into a slippery slope of unhealthy eating?

I know I was getting into a Treat Yo Self spiral and I know the Whole30 addresses this issue. Adulting is hard and after cleaning the house or paying the bills or doing all the hard things, we want a reward. I don't think that's a bad thing, but why was I always falling back on food--and unhealthy food at that?

I'll be looking for other ways to Treat Myself over these next few weeks. Ways that aren't going to derail my health, make me feel bloated or cause me to wake up with a headache. I have some ideas but would love to hear yours as well.

• Buy a bouquet of flowers while grocery shopping.
• Sit on my back porch and watch the birds (I'm suddenly enthralled with the birds in my yard. I know, I'm old.)
• Take my dog to the dog park.
• Watch a funny TV show with my kids. Or if I'm needing alone time, lock myself in the bedroom and watch TV alone.
• Read a book--something I rarely do, but thoroughly enjoy.
• Last night, I treated myself by going to bed at 8:30! I had things I could have been doing for work, but I was tired, and I gave myself permission to delay those things and REST. That is a treat indeed!

How do you Treat Yo Self and do you need to make some changes? What else do you suggest I could do to Treat My Self without junk food or alcohol?