Imagine this: It’s Friday night, husband is out of town, kids are asleep, dog is curled up at the bottom of the bed, McConnell’s ice cream is calling your name from the freezer. You know, the one that you sort of tucked away hoping no one else would notice and eat it so you could savor it all by yourself.

Well, shockingly, I am not here to tell you to have celery and almond butter instead, or a glass of water with lemon and apple cider vinegar, although they are great options when that snack urge hits late at night. I would like to offer you some advice … go for it! Enjoy it! I give you full permission.

It doesn’t matter if your choice is a dairy-free, agave-sweetened sorbet or a rich and creamy full fat triple chocolate ice cream. All that matters are your thoughts.

Instead of going to the freezer for that “one little bite” that turns into 10 trips to the kitchen for just “one more little bite” or sitting in bed with the ice cream carton and having at the whole darn thing, try this:

Find a pretty bowl, one you would use for company, and get a lovely spoon that you would see at a tea party. Scoop out a perfectly round scoop for yourself like they do at the ice cream shops, turn off the TV, sit down and feel yourself connected to the earth, notice your breath and enjoy a bowl of ice cream.

By giving yourself this gift of guilt-free enjoyment, you are giving your psyche a gift as well. The guilt about eating something that “isn’t good for you” or “fattening” or “isn’t on your diet” or blah, blah, blah, is worse for you than whatever damage you think is being done by what you are actually eating.

Our thoughts create our experience. If we sit there and mindlessly scarf down a pint of ice cream while watching TV and feel guilty about it immediately after and don’t even remember eating it because we were distracted with our multi-tasking, then what’s the point?

But, when we slow down and give ourselves a treat, a gift, something we can savor and enjoy and feel good about, we are practicing loving ourselves.

I too struggle with this one every now and then, but it is always within moderation, I choose the highest quality products that are made by companies I believe in and want to support, and I am practicing guilt-free indulgence.

It’s also nice to go enjoy a lovely walk with your dog later on to help your body in feeling good after your treat.