The phrase “Treat yo’ self” should not be confused with the term self-love. They are two completely different actions rooted in different intentions. “Treat yo’ self” advocates for momentary indulgences whereas self-love advocates for a sustained healthy lifestyle.
The infamous phrase “treat yo’ self” came from the TV series, “Parks and Recreation.” It became popular when two characters in the series spent a full day treating themselves to different life luxuries such as: getting nails done, hair done, indulging in sweets etc.
At first, this phrase meant to reward yourself occasionally after instances such as: a long day, a successful test score or achieving a goal. While it is important to practice rewarding yourself for your efforts, “treat yo’ self” is doing more harm than good.
Now, people have taken this phrase and used it as an excuse to rationalize overindulgences, including overspending and overeating. I am not saying it is bad to overindulge from time to time. But when you’re still “treating yo’ self” three weeks after you passed that chemistry exam, there is a problem.
It has been shown that overindulgence can and will decrease overall happiness. By constantly finding an excuse to reward yourself, you aren’t allowing yourself to truly appreciate the luxuries of life.
The scary thing about this phrase is that people are confusing it with self-love. But they are very distinct from one another.
Self-love consists of practices, disciplines and even sacrifices that promote well-being over a long period of time. This is where “treat yo’ self” and self-love differ.
To treat yourself is necessary only on occasion. Self-love is necessary to practice all the time for the sake of self-improvement.
If “treat yo’ self” is used more than necessary, it could lead to creating unhealthy habits like immediately feeling entitled to a reward when accomplishing something. The practice of self-love allows one to develop healthy habits that lead to the betterment of their future.
We must be cautious when we use this phrase. I am not saying it’s wrong to “treat yo’ self”. However, we should monitor how frequently we do and not confuse it with acts of self-love.