Mid-winter may not be a dream, but it could be as engaging as the height of summer if you indulge in some self-care rituals, notably of the guilty persuasion. Look to winter as an opportunity to spoil yourself with the kind of virtuous cheating that’s frowned upon in the more happy-go-lucky months. Food, entertainment and relaxation is encouraged — spoil yourself with a healthy dose of nonsensical activities. Here, we provide five alluring choices:
- Binge-watch your favorite series: Just when we thought Netflix was becoming ho-hum after The Queen’s Gambit, new seasons of Ozark and Emily in Paris are now available. Emily in Paris is particularly binge-worthy for the fashions, cliched social media references and storylines of lusty friends in search of adventure in a stunning city. Tip: Try to space out an episode a night, like a carton of Caramel Sutra ice cream, it goes by fast.
- Try something decadent: Speaking of ice cream, a gander at the ice cream section in your market’s frozen food aisle will excite taste buds with such new flavors as Halo Top’s Banana Cream Pie and Jeni’s Strawberry Pretzel Pie.
- Stay up late and sleep in: While health experts expound on the benefits of sticking to a consistent sleep pattern, ideally early to bed and early to rise, it’s okay to slip on occasion. Stay up late to enjoy activities one and two, and don’t have anything planned for the next day aside for breakfast in bed. Do people still do that?
- Splurge on yourself: Browse your favorite websites to catch up on all the trends not covered in Emily in Paris. A January online shopping plus is to take advantage of all the heavily marked down sale items to score.
- Plan a trip: Whether it’s next weekend or this summer, the act of researching places you want to visit is pleasure-boosting for multiple reasons. First, it allows you a chance to wanderlust from the permanent dent you’ve created on your sofa. It also signals the warmer, more adventurous days ahead and gives you something to look forward to.
