But consider this: spoiling yourself doesn’t have to be time consuming and it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.
Besides, treating yourself can have a positive impact on all areas of your life, especially your relationships.
And you work way too hard not to spend time on you.
Here are some ‘me treats’ to give yourself a well deserved boost without blowing up your wallet or your watch:
1. Chuck out your most faded, stretched underwear and order a new set online.
2. Turn off your phone and spend some time completely alone (the sky won’t fall down, I promise). Eat an ice cream while you walk in the park, read a magazine in a coffee shop, take a candle lit aromatherapy bath or clear your mind with a jog on the beach or even a swim.
3. If your iPod playlists are stuck in the 80s, borrow some new music from your friends or the library, or browse iTunes. Download something. Instead of playing music while you're doing the housework, dedicate at least half an hour to sitting back and really listening to your new treasures.
4. Do something nice for a sick, elderly, pregnant or overwhelmed friend – take them some flowers, fruit buns or herbal tea, take their kids to the park, wash their car, or make them a compilation CD of music you know they'll love.
5. Learn something from your kitty – there's no bad time for a cat nap. Stretch out on the couch and relax – you don't have to actually go to sleep, just drift on a tide of pleasant thoughts (bad thoughts are banned).
6. Give yourself a manicure – or hook up with a friend and do each other’s hands and nails.
7. Prepare a special meal for yourself – it might be a super healthy dish or a calorific indulgence. Browse through new recipes or choose an old favourite. Enjoy every moment of the meal from picking up the ingredients to preparing the food and eating it. (You can invite a friend on the proviso that it’s her turn next week!)
8. Write a letter to someone and send it by snail mail.
9. Get up before everyone else, watch the sunrise, drink a herbal infusion, read the newspaper or all of the above.
10. Do a hair treatment or face mask – you can buy a single application product for under five dollars.
11. Allocate an hour to your favourite pastime, whether it’s photography, scrapbooking, singing, calligraphy, yoga, bicycling or going to the gym.
12. Be crafty – make cards or Christmas decorations, knit, bake, sew, put a collage together, make candles, paper or soap, write a poem, or cook soup from scratch.
13. Hang out with your pet.
14. Call a friend – your best buddy or someone you recently hooked back up with on Facebook – and talk for half an hour without once mentioning bills, housework or the annoying things your partner/pet does.
15. Look through old photos.
Image: Simon Howden
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