My P.G. Guilty Pleasures
By: Thalia Dunn
Tags: Lifestyle, Writing Prompt Response, Challenge, Weeds And Wildflowers, Self Improvement

“There are no such things as guilty pleasures, there are only pleasures,” says Emma Thompson in her latest movie, Late Night. I can relate to that! Redefining my guilty pleasures, of which there are many, into simple pleasures could relieve so much stress. It’s stressful to fight against those tiny pleasures we secretly enjoy when we anticipate the judgment of others.

I don’t feel guilty at all for my daily dose of chocolate, because it provides magnesium and all sorts of health benefits. I’m giving my bones a treat as I munch my 72% dark chocolate. See how I’ve rationalized it away? But I do feel guilty when I make my lemon shortbread.

Lemon shortbread

I often ask my family if they want a pan of shortbread for a sweet snack. Even as they shrug their shoulders and shake their heads, I’m pulling out the ingredients to make my favorite dessert.

Is this a guilty pleasure because I’m making it for myself under the guise of being a great mom? Definitely! Is this a healthy snack? Can’t rationalize that away.

But…it’s a comfort food. It reminds me of my childhood and baking with my mom. Each morsel is buttery, sweet, and covers my fingertips with a delicious oily feeling. Eating these bite-sized desserts is a sensory pleasure of taste and smell. It’s a win-win even if I feel guilty about eating most of them.

Enjoying a ‘siesta’.

As a Spanish teacher, my students inevitably ask about ‘la siesta’. I remind them the best way to learn about something is to experience it. And I’m quite the expert with ‘la siesta’/nap.

A 20 or 30 minute afternoon“siesta” on a rainy, cloudy or stormy day is on my list of guilty pleasures. A siesta any day works!

Taking a break or short nap to escape from the duties of the day is regarded as an important tool to maintain alertness and re-charge energy. There are multiple anecdotes of famous nappers such as Winston Churchill, Lyndon Johnson and even Salvador Dali, my favorite Spanish artist.

So, if Churchill had an afternoon nap included as part of his non-negotiable workday schedule, I can enjoy a short afternoon siesta from time to time. I just have to stop feeling guilty.

Cozy mysteries

And my favorite guilty pleasure? Instead of spending hours creating perfect lesson plans or grading papers, I pull out a cozy mystery book, an easy and quick-read, preferably with an adorable cat to help the protagonist solve the crime.

I tell myself I’ll read just a few pages or so and rationalize I need a break. And if a family member happens to walk by, I smile sheepishly. Do I feel guilty? Absolutely! One reason I feel guilty is that it’s not “good literature’ or even a famous mystery author I’m reading. Forgive me, Louise Penny! I’m one of your many ‘Gamache’ fans!

But sometimes I just need an easy read that is entertaining, a bit formulaic yet pulls me into a small town, completely different world from mine, where a mystery is solved and romance blooms all in less than three hundred pages. This new genre of ‘cozy mysteries’ is perfect. They provide a change to rest my mind, shake off my puritanical work ethic, and enjoy a few hours of relaxation.

Guilty or Pleasure?

These ‘guilty pleasures’ are my three favorite ways I use to balance my work and personal time. And as this stress-filled year draws to a close, I reflect on how I want to change my mindset for the coming year.

One intention is to release the guilt in “guilty” feeling. It’s time to accept these pleasures as important in my life. I am renaming them as simple joys, for this year has reminded me the importance of treasuring each day as it comes.

Good-bye, guilt. Hello, to an afternoon of munching on shortbread while reading my latest cozy.