When I was in my teens and twenties my favorite guilty pleasure was reading (and writing) romance novels. I lost the respect of many of my writer friends when I divulged that. I was told over and over literature was supposed to be serious! I’d have to talk myself back into feeling okay about something I enjoyed so thoroughly. Sometimes I was defensive, other times I felt sorry for them, mostly I didn’t understand why anyone would care, much less judge, what I did for enjoyment in the privacy of my room. But I had to work hard to get over the idea that I was guilty of doing something I shouldn’t.
As most of you know, I’m a strong proponent of “do nothing,” but right now, although we have plenty of opportunity to do nothing, it’s not necessarily a good way to stay on a positive course. It doesn’t always allow for humor and hope, and instead we may find ourselves sinking into panic or despair. It can be too exhausting to try to be creative, or to meditate, or to daydream, and not to let anxiety overcome us. One solution? Do something you enjoy, whether it’s watching a funny TV show you’ve seen a hundred times or browsing high-end jewelry or luxury cars on-line, or playing Scrabble with your phone or a friend. Or maybe you loved reading romances–try reading an old favorite now. When we switch off our intellectual, problem-solving brain and focus instead on pleasure, our anxiety is assuaged. Right now, today, this hour, this minute we have no control over anything except what we choose to put our attention on. Try to remember what gave you great pleasure as a child. Maybe you used to love playing with legos or making a radio from scratch. Maybe you liked to hum and sing around the house. And if your pleasure is delicious chocolate, make sure you eat the best—organic, dark, and ethically sourced—and you’ll find your pleasure is satisfied with much less than you think you need to make you happy. Remember, there’s no such thing as guilty pleasure.