Reap the benefits of happiness by indulging in small pleasures.
Eat more veggies. Eat less carbs. Intermittent fast. Meditate. Exercise daily. Save, but invest your money. Hustle, but also slow down. Prioritize relationships, but also make time for yourself.
All the things you're supposed to do can wear you down. Are there even enough hours in the day to do them all?
That said, taking time to indulge in things you enjoy may not only enhance your love for the holidays, but it may also improve your overall health and happiness.
The Science of Indulgence
Indulgence and mindfulness go hand-in-hand. When you're actively noticing new things — rather than acting on autopilot (read: being mindless) — you're more likely to make deliberate choices. That might look like making yourself a homemade latte before work instead of grabbing a quick black coffee at the office. Or taking an hour out of your day to do a yoga class rather than rushing home to do chores (and then scroll on the couch).
And those choices can have a great impact on your quality of life. “Indulging yourself is actually a very good thing to do,” says Ellen Langer, Ph.D., a psychologist and professor at Harvard University who has been studying mindfulness and mindlessness for more than 40 years.
Plus, “when you make the decision to do something special for yourself, you’re going to be mindful,” says Langer.
Even "guilty" pleasures can be beneficial, says Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside who has dedicated her career to studying human happiness. “Research shows that when we experience positive emotions, we might be more creative, we might be more social,” she says. “Even our immune systems can be boosted through positive emotions.”
Research also shows that positive emotions can serve as an antidote to negative emotions. “Having a positive experience, even if it’s a kind of guilty pleasure, can neutralize negative emotions,” says Lyubomirsky. “It could actually help buffer the effects of the negative stuff in your life.”
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Harness the Power of Indulgences
Lyubomirsky explains that happiness has two components. The first is the experience of frequent positive emotions, such as enthusiasm, serenity, affection, pride, curiosity, and joy. “So the more frequent the experiences are, the happier a person is,” she says. The other component of happiness is how satisfied you are with your life, which may be related to meaningful experiences and how you view the quality of your life as a whole.
What's considered to be an indulgence or a positive experience that brings happiness is unique to each person, according to the experts. Whatever you perceive to be a positive experience is one that results in positive emotions. Whatever you perceive to be an indulgence is an indulgence.
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There’s a caveat, though: Treating yourself to big indulgences could result in regret and guilt, which would offset the benefits. Remember this as you consider booking an expensive last-minute trip or throwing a holiday blowout.
Instead, revel in small indulgences. Book a solo self-care day. Get a bottle of champagne on your next date night. The deliberate act of choosing to indulge will not only boost happiness but may also benefit your well-being.