Ever since Parks and Rec coined the phrase, “Treat Yo Self,” those words have been emblazoned on t-shirts, mugs, wine glasses, etc. I myself have uttered them before buying two McChickens and a large fry from McDonalds in an effort to make myself feel better about indulging. Although that probably isn’t the best use of the well-known phrase, there are good intentions behind the idea.

Treating yourself can be anything from buying a dress you’ve been staring at through a storefront window for weeks or planning a lunch with friends you haven’t seen in a year. The “treat” doesn’t have to be monetary or physical as long as it’s something you don’t get to do every day - hence, the idea of it being a treat. I prefer to treat myself with books and journals in an effort to propel my writing career. My friends like to treat themselves with wine and Netflix after especially long days. Sometimes the treating comes a little bit too often and starts to take away from the specialness. And sometimes the treating doesn’t come enough.

Whether you believe in it or not, treating yourself is an important part of life. If you’re not treating yourself, are you enjoying yourself? As we get older, life tends to get busier, costlier, and turns out to be less fun that expected. It’s these little treats sprinkled throughout the week that make getting through the week worthwhile. Say you’ve been working hard studying for an exam and you’ve been stressed to high-hell about it. You shouldn’t let the stress completely take over and consume you. Take an hour or so to “treat yo self.” Watch a movie. Hang out with a friend. Just take a nap. Do something to destress and put the enjoyment back into life.

Now I’m not saying to over do it and completely forgo all responsibilities in your effort to treat yourself. I’m preaching that it’s important to do every now and again to remind yourself that there’s more to life than the workweek and school, more to life than always being “responsible.” As a worry-wart, I am constantly freaking out about money and having a job and my future. I need those special moments for myself so that I can get out of my own head and actually enjoy being twenty. I need to splurge on getting my hair done. I need to take a break from social media and just read a book. I need to treat myself.

If you’re reading this and are realizing that you haven’t done anything just for you in a while, make a plan right now. It’s past time you treat yourself to something uniquely you. What makes you happy? What would you want to indulge it? Do exactly that and let the stress go for a little while. Make 2017 a year for you, and make the conscious effort to be happy. Who else besides you is going to put your happiness first?