False Pleasures – What Are They?

What are false pleasures?

They are in the moment consumption that temporarily give you a feeling or (appear to) solve a deeper need.

When your brain craves a false pleasure, you go to an excited place in your mind where you think, for example, buying something new would make your day (or year)!

We all know shopping at Target lights your brain up with false pleasures (I know it does for me!). You go in for one thing and the next thing you know you’re walking out of the store with 50 other things that will make life so much better.

But, the purchases are fleeting. The excitement quickly wears off. A few weeks (or days) later you find yourself wondering “Why did I buy this?”

The impulse and feeling of excitement is what leads us to make the purchases in the moment, not because it is an actual want.

False pleasures are impulsive, quick, and can be done in secret. They are not planned or intentional.

Looking around my own house and wardrobe, I can easily tell what was an intentional and planned purchase versus an impulsive one. The things I intentionally bought still bring me joy, use, and wear years later.

False pleasures, such as eating food when you’re feeling lonely or purchasing an unplanned item on a Target run, are fleeting moments that aren’t serving you long term.

They aren’t helping you to become who you want to become.

Instead of feeling guilty for the desire to spend money or to hurry up and eat all the food before your family get home… be curious about why you have theses urges.

Let go of any judgment and ask “I wonder why I am feeling this?”. This is what will lead to the growth that will help you become the version of yourself you know you can be.

What are the moments in life that bring you genuine, amazing joy? Make a list, a life assessment, so you can recognize what actually brings you joy vs what is actually a fleeting moment.

We don’t need to feel happiness all the time. Feeling neutral and calm is totally okay and a normal part of life. We don’t need to feel that high at all times to be a happy and joyful person.

Feeling all the feelings – good or bad – is completely normal and necessary.

To work through knowing the difference between true, deep joy versus temporary excitement or a fleeting feeling, listen to Episode 3 of my podcast, Aligned with Paige Schmidt.

Get cozy, bring your pen and journal, a cup of coffee, and take that next step towards becoming the version of yourself you know you want to become.

Subscribe to Aligned with Paige Schmidt on any major platform, and let me know what you would like to hear in future episodes! A new episode is live each Tuesday!

Click to listen on Apple, Spotify, or Google.

For those of you who would like to think about food less so you can have the mental capacity to focus on other things that matter to you more, I encourage you to join me in Calm Around Food – our current course in Aligned Coaching. Start today here.