Imagine it’s one of those days when nothing seems to be going right. What small things would you do to make yourself feel better and to put things into perspective?
For example, would you talk to a friend who is a great listener? Play a song that always cheers you up? Exercise? If you had a few dollars to spend, would you buy something as a form of self-care?
If you were to make a list of your favorite treats for stressful days, what would you put on it?
In “Need a Small Treat? 21 Suggestions From Busy Creative Types,” Claire Moses asked prominent people who work high-pressure jobs in the arts about their tiny joys for tough days. She begins:
Some days are harder than others. Everyone, at some point, needs a break. And such a break often comes with a little treat, a small luxury to help you through the rest of your day or your tasks.
The writer Iris Murdoch may have said it best in “The Sea, the Sea,” a 1978 novel that won the Booker Prize: “One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats, and if some of these can be inexpensive and quickly procured so much the better.”
The same concept has taken hold on social media in more recent years. Especially on TikTok, members of Gen Z have gladly embraced “little treat culture,” encouraged others to enjoy some of life’s splurges and doing so without shame. (They’re saying yes to that $20 smoothie, to those chocolate covered strawberries.)
We asked prominent people in high-pressure jobs in the arts — writers, actors, entrepreneurs and others — about their version of that small treat in times of high stress. The answers were as simple as they were satisfying. (Quotes have been condensed and edited for length and clarity.)
Some of the suggestions involved taking care of one’s body:
Sophie Buddle, standup comedian and writer “My truly biggest treat to myself is letting myself sleep in with no alarm. If I don’t set an alarm I’ll never wake up. Letting myself sleep is my biggest luxury.”
Paul Tazewell, Oscar-winning costume designer for “Wicked” “I get a manicure/pedicure with a buffed finish. That’s so when I look down at my hands I can see that I have made an effort to take care of myself.”
Curtis Sittenfeld, author “For me it’s definitely dark chocolate. It is a literal treat. And I eat it every day.”
Other suggestions had to do with engaging or clearing one’s mind:
Dan Bulla, writer for “Saturday Night Live” “Chess.com has an app. A chess app. And you can play other people online. If I am writing late at night at S.N.L. and I’ve been going fairly hard at it for like 4 hours or something, I’ll dip out somewhere and play a game of speed chess with someone online. That’s a big way that I’ll completely detach myself.”
Bernadette Peters, actor and singer “I breathe in through the nose and hold four counts and breathe out through the mouth. I do this six times. It really relaxes me.”
Sarah McNally, owner of McNally Jackson Books “My son is suddenly taller than I am, and hugging him is unexpectedly grounding. One of the gifts of middle age is having built a life that supports me on my weaker days, and it’s of a piece that I fed my child for 16 years and now he can hoist me out of any calamity.”
And finally, some suggestions were about distracting activities that brought a sense of calm:
Delia Ephron, author “When I am stressed out, which in current times is often, I watch a British detective series on TV. There is an endless supply of them, usually taking place in lovely ancient English towns, where there seem to be a fantastic number of murderers. But it’s all very safe, the detectives are very reliable.”
Sky Lakota-Lynch, Broadway actor in “The Outsiders” “The answer for me will always be thrifting, especially at Stella Dallas in Brooklyn. If I can find a nice shirt or pair of pants or even a candle, it can alter my whole mood and day. It gives me something to look forward to outside of eight shows a week for a year.”
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
Which suggestions are your favorites? Why? Do any of them remind you of things you do to help yourself feel better in stressful times? Are there any that you plan to try?
If you were to add one of your own “small treats” to this list, what would it be? How does it help you through a tough day?
Heather Poole, a flight attendant, said, “My little luxury is just someone else’s regular day thing,” referring to the meals she treats herself to while traveling for her job. Do you have any habits or practices that are special to you but are perhaps ordinary to other people? What makes them special?
Do you think the best little treats are “inexpensive and quickly procured,” as the novelist Iris Murdoch recommended? Or are they closer to the “splurges without shame” that some people on TikTok have been championing? Which do you typically go for, and why?
Why do you think the author chose to solicit suggestions from people who work in the arts? Is there another industry that you would like to see represented in a similar article about lifting one’s mood, calming down and so on? What is it, and why do you think people who work in that industry would give good advice on these topics?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
