Why women in their 40s need a pleasure plan

I got a Toto Washlet for Mother's day. Not familiar? It's a bidet with all the bells & whistles including a heated seat and dryer! This toilet seat is going to bring me years of joy. I am smiling right now just thinking about sitting on that warm toilet seat when I wake up to go in the middle of the night.

This got me thinking about how as women it's part of our culture to be self-sacrificing and put ourselves LAST. There is nothing wrong with serving others, I love to do it too. But more importantly, you need to SERVE yourself.

I notice the self-sacrificing mindset leads to beliefs like "no fun or pleasure can be had until" fill-in-the-blank: my to-do-list is complete, I have X amount of money saved, I lose X amount of pounds, I have more time, or I get one more degree.

I for sure wasn't going to buy myself a Toto anytime soon. I even said earlier this month that we should wait longer to get it! Why?!!!

Chances are you are most likely pleasure starved.

Being pleasure starved commonly results in us turning to food as an easy immediate substitute which is usually only a temporary fix.

There is no shame in getting pleasure from food. You should! I can't imagine a world where we couldn't.

My point is often we are hungry for something else besides food. Maybe it's comfort, intellectual stimulation (adult conversation anyone?), beauty like art or a different culture (travel!!), touch.

When we satisfy these "cravings" we may find ourselves less dependent on food to fill us up.

So think about what are you really hungry for and make a plan.

Start with 5 mins of a daily pleasurable activity like listening to a podcast on a nature walk, taking a warm bath, or time with a pet. It doesn't have to be luxurious or cost anything.

The pleasure plan is essential for our productivity, mental health, and overall wellbeing. Let me know what your plan is going to be.

Talk soon,

Stephanie

P.S.-Want to ditch diets for good and have a sustainable plan? Check out my free 10 ways to sustainable weight loss here.

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