Practicing Self Care without Using Food

How many of us use food to treat/reward ourselves? Because we are happy or sad? Chances are a good % of us do. Now many of us were brought up and taught to use food as a reward; i.e. I got a great mark on a test, I deserve a treat! I went to the gym, I deserve a treat! Or it could be on the opposite end, I had a crummy day, I deserve a pick-me-up. This is ...definitely an area of my practice where I like to educate people on how to nurture your body without using food. And yes, those are my feet after some much needed self-care 

I don’t want to come across as someone who says it’s not ok to use food in this way, I just want to make you think about it first. Any maybe start using other options for a reward or pick-me-up. One reason in particular that I encourage using other options is because the feeling that you get from food doesn’t last long. You get that sensation in the moment and it maybe last a few other minutes but then it’s gone vs. a massage, the effects and benefits will last much longer (as an example).

Check out the list below for some ideas of what to use instead of food when you are thinking about self-care.

- Buy yourself some flowers
- Take a bubble bath
- Massage your feet with lotion
- Colour or draw
- Put on some comfortable clothes and drink some tea
- Phone a friend (instead of texting)
- Go get a massage
- Get a manicure/pedicure
- Have some play time with your pet
- Go outside and be in nature, especially the sunlight
- Practice deep breathing
- Wrap yourself up in a blanket; cocoon yourself
- Do some yoga
- Watch a favourite movie
- Take a nap
- Meditate
- Watch a favourite show that makes you laugh

What are some ways that you practice self-care without using food?

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