For our last post on self-care, I thought I’d just remind you that life is full of small joys and you deserve them! So, this week, take half an hour (it can be in five-minute increments if that’s all you can do) to start of list of small splurges that give you joy. Write in in a notebook or keep it on your phone – whatever works for you. I like to do it on paper, because then I can tape the paper to the inside of a cabinet or the back of my bedroom door where I’m sure to see it often. The list doesn’t have to be serious. In fact, the more frivolous the better!

Here are some ideas to spark your own thinking: a cup of really good coffee, an ice cream cone on a summer day, a bubble bath, a day spent in jammies reading a fun novel, playing in the sprinkler or the fallen leaves with (or without!) the kids, getting a massage or a facial or a mani/pedi, having dinner by candlelight, climbing into bed with sheets and blankets still warm from the dryer, your favorite takeout lunch, a phone conversation with a good friend. Now, your list may look nothing like that. Who cares?! Your list is your list.

But making the list is just the first step. Now, start treat yourself. At least once a month, do something off the list just because you deserve it!