I think I'll give my mind and body a treat 🤣
I had completely forgotten about treating myself for over 20 years.
I kept working every single day without a break.
As far as I can remember, the longest I ever worked was 53 days in a row. When a colleague at work would say, 'We're short-staffed, so I've been working 6 days straight...', I would reply, 'That sounds tough,' and while it sounded very difficult when it was someone else's problem, I didn't really feel the hardship when it was my own.
I would even laugh and answer 'Nope 🤣' when friends asked me, 'Do you have any days off?'
But there is no way that kind of life is normal. My body and mind were accumulating stress without me even realizing it.
Back then, I would call it 'relieving stress' by shopping, drinking alcohol, and taking on even more work, which was a 'vicious cycle'.
Instead of being a treat for myself, I just kept hurting myself.
Treating yourself
Treats for yourself can include luxurious items, experiential things, or simple things you can do easily. For example, when you are tired from busy days, it is good to give yourself a luxurious treat that lifts your spirits. Also, by giving yourself a treat, you don't just satisfy yourself by clearing one goal, but you can gain the energy to move on to the next goal.
Recently, I have been conscious of 'living carefully' regarding the things I like, and there are times when I spoil myself by saying, 'It's okay to spend money on this.'
First is 'tea leaves'.
I love green tea and jasmine tea, so I spend money on these two types of tea leaves.
And recently, my Friday and Saturday treat
Weekend hotels
During the COVID pandemic, I could stay at hotels in Tokyo very cheaply.
By narrowing my search to 'breakfast buffet included and large public bath available',
there were many hotels where I could stay for between 5,000 and 10,000 yen per night.
About once a month, my eldest daughter and I would stay at hotels just for the breakfast buffet.
Once COVID settled down and prices gradually rose and hotels started getting crowded, I drifted away from it and completely forgot about that pleasure.
Recently, when I was looking at photos on my smartphone, pictures of those breakfast buffets and hotel rooms popped up, and I remembered, 'Oh, I used to enjoy that.'
Below are photos from when I used to stay at various hotels in Tokyo.
I remembered what a graceful time I used to spend.
I thought, 'Yes, let's go stay at a hotel,' and I went to stay at one the week before last and last week.
The one I went to last week was in Chiba Prefecture.
The other day, during a typhoon, neither rain nor wind could stop me, and I went to a hotel six stations away from my home by train.
8,500 yen per night ⭕
There was no housework, no cleaning, no sound of YouTube leaking from my son's smartphone, and I was free from the cat. I spent my time immersed in note-taking while playing my favorite music alone.
By the way, I didn't take any photos, but this hotel was equipped with a large public bath. After checking in, I did some note-taking for about an hour and then went to the bath, and it was completely empty 👍 It also had a sauna, and for the first time in a while, I made my skin smooth and shiny in the sauna 🤣🤣
And after the bath, I connected to the hotel's Wi-Fi and got back to note-taking. Occasionally YouTube 👍
When I looked up the breakfast at this hotel, it didn't seem like much for the price, so I decided to spend time in the room until the last minute before checking out and go eat breakfast at Gusto. After checking out at 10:00 the next morning, I relaxed and took it easy at a nearby Gusto with a 400-yen breakfast of toast, a boiled egg, soup bar, and drink bar.
Here, I was immersed in note-taking again while using Gusto's Wi-Fi.
Expenses for this day
Transportation costs were within the range of my commuter pass. Hotel fee 8,400 yen.
A bottle of water after the bath 120 yen. Gusto breakfast 400 yen. Total 9,320 yen.
This is my treat for my mind and body. Whether this feels cheap or expensive is a matter of each person's values.
About 10 years ago, in a conversation with a colleague at work, I felt that people's values regarding money are different for everyone, and that I should not decide whether others are 'rich' or 'poor,' nor should it be decided by others.
At that time, when I mentioned that I had bought peaches through mail order, a colleague said, 'Himeko, you must be rich to spend 5,000 yen on peaches through mail order,' and I was very surprised.
My colleague's husband was a stockbroker, and they went on overseas trips with the whole family during summer vacation. But when we talked about daily life, she would talk about saving 1 yen or 1 point, so I thought our values were different.
It was never a matter of judging someone's level, nor was it something to be forced on others. At that time, I was happy if my child was happy and I could see their delicious-looking face many times.
However, the word 'rich' was a 'heartless word' to me. I distanced myself from that colleague who called me 'rich' for spending 5,000 yen to see my child's happy face after working day and night without rest.
9,320 yen last weekend. The money I spent this week was 250 yen x 3 times for morning McDonald's and 1,480 yen for Kura Sushi. Total 2,230 yen. I haven't spent any money other than that 🤣🤣
It's not that I'm saving money, either. I have no need to spend it and no time to spend it. If you work in a department store basement, you won't have trouble with food. Actually, I haven't bought rice in over a year. I live by eating the leftover bento from the previous day for lunch every day. I don't drink at night. I don't eat dinner. This is because lunch is late and I don't get hungry.
To myself, who works hard every day, I give my mind and body a treat by saying, 'You did a great job this week too.'
I have loved spending time alone since I was little. I don't want to be alone all the time, but occasionally I want to be alone in moderation. I want to listen to my favorite music out loud from my smartphone instead of through earphones. I want to spend my time alone as I please in a place where there is no sense of daily life.
And today, I am in Atami as a treat for myself. However, I am with my second daughter today. My second daughter is very happy with the hotel in Atami. She said the dinner was delicious and had a happy look on her face. That makes me happy too.
I highly recommend this hotel in Atami. Look forward to more on that tomorrow.
Today, I am writing this blog while listening to the sound of the waves in a room with an ocean view, feeling full. My second daughter is a smoker, so I kicked her out onto the balcony 🤣🤣
That was a report on a very elegant time.
Thank you very much 😊