The Psychology behind "A Little Treat"

There is an interesting idea or practice that is popular today. That is the concept of having “a little treat.” Of course, the phrase is very much meant to be humorous and used in memes, but it is a real and important phenomenon. It isn’t new, the term “little treat” is, but the practice behind it is not. Let me first briefly explain it and then I will further speak on its significance.

Essentially, a little treat is exactly as it sounds. A snack or drink that is a semi-regular purchase by an individual. This is usually done as some sort of reward or motivation to get through a particularly strenuous or stressful task. It is something to look forward to when there isn’t much otherwise.

Some may say I am overthinking this and perhaps I am! I would much rather overthink something than underthink it. This is of course the cause of many of my problems but I digress. Having a little treat is a form of positive conditioning. I’ve observed this in my own life and others. Very few individuals are internally motivated to work. It requires external motivation for people to do their jobs when they would rather not. We have been made to believe that going to work every day is the “right thing to do.” Therefore many feel a profound guilt or unease for not performing their job. Getting a little treat is both motivation and a reward for being responsible individuals. Common treats are caffeinated beverages for their boost in energy and the side effect of caffeine dependency that has likely gone unnoticed. Another example is going to get food on a lunch break or after work when one does not pack their own.

I am very much dependent on these external things to get the motivation to work. I’ve started drinking coffee despite disliking its taste in order to break up the monotony of the day. People who partake in little treats usually feel strong levels of boredom at work and have a treat to break up some of that constant feeling of restlessness.

The big overarching theme is that many people have no internal motivation for their everyday activities. This isn’t a shocking revelation by any means, I’d go so far as to say it’s common knowledge. Of course, this is a problem, but I would like to focus on a secondary issue that feeds into and contributes to the primary one. We’ve fallen into a trap, the treats that we consume to make everyday life more bearable, become one of the main features of our everyday life. I’m not here to moralize, or to warn against certain substances, I wish to warn against anything that can hijack someone’s life. It can be something as harmless as an everyday cup of coffee that becomes a dependency on it to function. It becomes much more than a treat and becomes a relief, a treatment to lessen the feeling of not having fulfillment. I fall victim to this the same if not more than the average person.

“So what then? You’ve outlined a problem, do you have a solution for us?” Not at all, dear readers. While it affects society as a whole, it is very much an individual problem. Indeed, in my current chapter of life, I do not plan on stopping my purveying of little treats at all. After all, I am a part of society and I cannot write about things I have no experience of. I will surely be more mindful and I encourage others to do the same, but that is the extent of my “call to action.” Do what you will to get through life, but understand the reasons behind your actions.