The pandemic sprung all sorts of things upon us like home working which led to our newfound relationship with Zoom/Teams (depending which team you’re on) along with our total lack of socialising. It’s no surprise then that we’d want to indulge! To want to treat ourselves, to splurge and to enjoy ourselves because, well, life was pretty bleak for a while. Home and work kinda merged into one and we could no longer do many of the things we used to. Our old forms of socialising (dining out, meeting friends, going to see a show) totally vanished. Lockdown in, lockdown out, in out, in out. You know the drill!
Before Covid, I bet many of you wouldn’t have skipped too many of your workouts nor would you have binged like you may or may not be doing now(!) and you would certainly treat treats as treats! But now treats are all around us. We’re using them way more than we would (I was tempted to say should but I stopped myself there). We needed distractions and treats from tv shows to takeaways were exactly that. We suddenly found ourselves enveloped in a comfort hug and pleasure spree. Both of which we deserved, and very much needed. We wanted to press mute on all that was going on (and still very much is) and turn up the volume on all the good stuff.
Enjoy; Don’t Be Sorry!
I personally found myself doing things I would have never done pre-Covid and if I wouldn’t done it, it would most certainly not have been in this quantity! I became much more lenient and looser with what I ate, what I bought and how I spent my time. As a final-year student who’s still studying online, it can be hard to separate all the work from the, you know, non-work! As time went on, my ‘treat brain’ was growing, and growing. But I didn’t dare stop it.
When talking to my friends about this, many had the same realisation. That we had all suddenly become more relaxed. Way more. Whether it be about our weight or our pastimes. We allowed ourselves treats, way more than usual. We let go of the guilt that (pre-covid) would’ve gone side-by-side with any sort of treat and we simply let ourselves be. We suddenly stopped being so hard on ourselves.
What We Got Up To
One of my friends splurged on a Kenwood (a piece of fancy kitchen equipment) to take up her newfound baking hobby! Another went all-out on makeup though she tells me she still hasn’t figured out how to apply it while another was constantly shopping online obviously (despite having nowhere to go) while many became glued to their TVs, Deliveroo and – wine!
These outlets became our escapisms and they made us feel good. We let our silly egos go and all that endless guilt-tripping we’re all guilty off. None of that belonged in this new age of The Treat Brain. Though it wasn’t just movies and chocolate.
Another treated herself to a swanky new Merc. She needed something to make her feel good, so she splurged on a cool thing wheels. Does she regret it? Not one bit. Oh, but in the meantime, the value of her treat has already gone up by more than 10%. Nice one, eh!
Big Treats
And she’s not the only one. Used car prices in the UK have risen by a whopping 28% during 2021 alone. People couldn’t get behind a new wheel (not without waiting a good few months!) so they turned to the handy-dandy second-hand car market. Read here all about that and whether all these price rises are sustainable, or not! When I’m out and about, I can’t help but notice how many fancier cars there are out on the road. I know this is Britain an all, so Rovers and Jags are to be expected, but I’m honestly them seeing everywhere! Maybe this is cheap money talking? Or is it our treat brain showing its pretty head in a very expensive form?!
The pandemic changed our perception of wants vs needs. The lines (like many others in this strange new world) quickly blurred. Needs? Wants? They’re one in the same, aren’t they?! Peloton bikes are a classic example of our treat brain playing tricks on us. Pre-pandemic this bike was a luxury, a whopper splurge. Now, well, it’s closer to a need! One of my pals went all-in on her standalone bike and got peddling with her fitness classes. Safe to say, she’s officially joined the cult! Read here why offline fitness is here to stay. I, for one, am yet to spend $2k on a bike but boy can I see the appeal.
Dear reader, what was your treat brain like during the pandemic? Did you allow yourself more treats than usual? If so, what was your go-to?
I, like many of you, enjoyed watching escapist tv shows (I’m currently watching The Gilded Age) along with eating comfort foods. Chocolate became my new best friend! Oh, and pizza hit the sweet spot for me. I suddenly found myself forever Deliveroo-ing!
I also splurged on skincare products. Does it make my skin look remarkably better? The jury’s out on that one but do they feel amazing? Oh yes. The creams smell like a wonderful combo of citrus fruit and flowers and did I mention that it feels just like butter! Will I be giving up on this anytime soon? No siree.
All in all, life is meant for living. Covid (hopefully) won’t be around forever but what I hope sticks around is us being more easy-going. To be a bit loose(er) and to enjoy life’s pleasures instead of always feeling guilty about it and then feeling the need to have to atone for it.
So go on and indulge a little. You know you want to.
Though don’t forget, your bank account isn’t a bottomless pit!
Disclaimer: This blog is not investment or financial advice. It is my opinion only. This blog is not a personal recommendation to buy/sell any security, or to adopt any such investment strategy. Always do your own research before you commit to any investment.
Knead Your Dough 