It has come to my attention that I don’t (really) know what gives me pleasure — apart from food.

I was talking to my therapist about this yesterday, and most of the things I know give me pleasure aren’t super healthy:

• I love to binge-read a novel or series of novels. If it’s good, I can literally read all day.
• Same goes for TV shows. I once watched two seasons of Downton Abbey in a weekend while I was laid up with the stomach flu.
• Shopping. (Not super sustainable. Also materialistic.)

So I started trying things. There are some things I’ve tried that I feel could (or possibly should?) make me happy, but don’t really:

• flowers — I like them, but they don’t give me the same kind of JOLT unless they are from my hubby
• candles — meh
• exercise — It’s fine; I do it. But it’s never actively given me pleasure or made me happy.
• massages — They’re fine, but not worth the time and money for me, at least not very often.
• mani/pedis — same as massages

Here’s what I know for sure makes me happy and gives me pleasure — and is also pretty healthy:

• long showers — OK, not great for the environment, but I do so love them
• a clean house — I recently invested in a cleaning service that comes twice a month, and I am always giddy when they’re done
• reading a good magazine I’m really interested in
• reading a good book (not to binge status)
• watching a good TV show (not to binge status)

That’s it. That’s all I’m sure of.