5 Secret Self-Indulgences

I smiled when I saw how much scrolling I’d need to do on Amazon.com to get through the long list of self-help books purporting to help people “unlock” the happiness within. The truth is that I was hoping to find a reference to what I think was a Harvard psychologist who did a study indicating that happiness depends more on simple pleasures like being able to walk to work than having vast wealth.

Had I found the reference, it would have documented what I already believe. In that vein, I share five things that make me happy:

1) Being able to eat dinner at home with Dennis after a long day at work. Dennis is a sweetheart who’s always ready to offer dinner out, and we do plenty of that. But there’s nothing like being able to eat in the flannel pajamas I got on sale because the fabric is emblazoned with wrapped Christmas gifts, and perhaps unfold whatever broad sheet newspapers we didn’t get to read during the day.

2) Staying at a hotel when we visit family. Nothing beats being able to toss your towels on the floor – confident in the knowledge that housekeeping will replace them with dry, fluffy ones. Obviously this would be boorish behavior on the part of a houseguest. Besides, Dennis and I love sleeping on a nice, firm mattress.

3) Walking out into the cold morning air in my sweaty gym clothes – sometimes adding a long, down coat for warmth – and heading to Starbuck’s before driving home to shower. The very clean, all women’s gym I joined in July has a whirlpool, steam room, and sauna and provides nice towels, which itself can be a source of self-indulgence. But during the week I don’t think I could stand the pressure of needing to organize my outfit for work, makeup, jewelry etc. the night before, just for the purpose of saving time by showering at the gym.

4) Going to the movies on Christmas Day. Having consumed way too many calories at holiday receptions by the time December 25 rolls around, I enjoy walking a mile or two each way, depending on which theatre I select. I often tell Dennis to respond to invitations with “we have plans.” He’s all too happy to oblige because he’s likely to want to spend the day painting in his studio. We can cap the day off with dinner for two at home or a Chinese restaurant.

5) Purchasing Vitamin Water @ 3 for $3. Vitamin Water now costs $2 at the vending machine at my gym, and I think $1.50 at Whole Foods. All of which is to explain why I go nuts when I see it on sale at CVC, and yesterday stocked up with 18 bottles of the stuff Dennis believes is the ultimate bobo self-indulgence. The reality is that I usually purchase regular water for the gym because I don’t need the extra calories. But as I’ve explained to Dennis, the Vitamin Water is great when I get to the gym starved on a Sunday after having had a big breakfast but no lunch.