Having a treat is an important part of hygge. Real life is hard, work does have to be done and if you don’t do it, then who will? But tied up with the hard work has to be the reward. And, yes, I know that reward is intrinsic, pleasure in a job well done and that you can get by without a treat… but the reward of something not necessary just for pleasure is powerful.

Whether your treat is physical, like a chocolate, or mental, like time out of a busy schedule to ring an old friend, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that it lifts your spirits even on a hard day.

It’s worth taking a moment now and thinking what are your go to treats? What makes you smile? Is it the new magazine you save for lunchtime? The coffee made just so from the shop around the corner? A morning in bed with a paper that someone else has got up and gone for? A walk in the park, a couple of good chocolates, reading a chapter of your latest book. Think back to what makes your soul smile, and keep a list, so that when the weight of life gets too much (and it will: it does for everyone) you can look at it and pick one that, just for 10 minutes, takes you to a better place. Then you shake yourself off, get up and get on.

For my treat in York last week, I chose chocolate. York is famous for its chocolate and confectionery:  Rowntree & Co was founded here, while both Cadbury’s and Fry’s  Chocolates founders were trained here. That’s a history going back over 200 years.

This is Alfie from York’s Chocolate Story, *a new visitor attraction in the centre of York.  He sold me 6 very lovely looking chocolates that I saved especially for me over the weekend. With a cup of Earl Grey tea and a magazine, they were a welcome break from work, house and writing.

*York’s Chocolate Story is a fully guided tour through the history of chocolate in York and how chocolates are made.  Entry is £11.50 for adults, but there are concessions for seniors and students. A family ticket for 3 children is about £47.00. You can book in advance, and for more details I’d see the website.

Don’t forget you can join in my book tour, details on the Book Tour post from last Monday, and that copies of my book are available in Paperback and Kindle version from Amazon.  If you purchase through the links on this page, I get a couple of pence extra per copy.

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