No one needs to know what we enjoy in secret! Am I right?
Guilty pleasures are usually things you don’t want others to know that you do or would feel shameful to admit.
Here are some guilty pleasure examples. Are you guilty?
Overeating Junk Food
Even the healthiest of people may indulge in junk food occasionally.
And in general, most people know that junk food isn’t good for them. They eat it because they like it!
However, they may feel guilt about it because they know it’s not good for their body.
Checking Out Your Ex on Social Media
You may have dated them 20 years ago and want to see how their life turned out. Or perhaps they are a recent ex, and you want to see who they are dating now.
Keeping up with your ex’s life may not benefit your mental health.
Eating Ice Cream From the Container
I do this sometimes, especially with a pint of ice cream. Sometimes, I may not eat it all, but sometimes I do!
On a hard day, sometimes people find comfort in desserts even though they know they shouldn’t overindulge.
Gossiping
Talking behind someone’s back is rarely beneficial.
However, many people gossip and enjoy knowing the latest dirt!
Buying More Hobby Supplies
You may have plenty of yarn on hand already, but you are still buying more!
There are so many hobbies this guilty pleasure applies to.
I have no problem buying my cats new toys. My husband will purchase extra glue for his modeling projects.
Playing Phone Games
Letting an hour pass while playing a phone app game is so easy. And sometimes, that hour turns into an entire afternoon.
You know you could be doing something productive, but games are fun!
And some will spend money on coins or whatever the game’s currency is to advance further. They may feel that their money could be spent better elsewhere.
Binge-Watching Reality Shows
Sometimes, it’s nice to indulge in a lazy afternoon streaming a reality show.
And it’s even better to have a friend with whom you can talk about the show’s drama with.
And you can multitask other guilty pleasures (ice cream, junk food, phone games) while watching your favorite reality show.
Or, some avoid any evening plans to watch their reality show when it airs live.
Having Fast Food
You know fast food isn’t a healthy choice, but those chicken nuggets and fries are so good!
While sometimes fast food is chosen for the convenience, it may feel like a guilty pleasure when you go to a fast food drive-thru alone for a specific item you want to eat slowly to make the most of every bite.
Playing Video Games for Hours
Video games can be pretty fun to play. However, you might sometimes spend the entire day gaming on your day off.
It’s easy to lose track of time while enjoying a video game.
Online Shopping Without Buying
This is another one of my husband’s guilty pleasures. He loves to shop and often adds things to his cart, but he doesn’t buy everything that ends up in his cart.
For some, filling up an online shopping cart may replace window shopping in the physical world.
Taking Quizzes on Social Media
Does anyone really need to know what type of insect they would be?
Or which Disney princess?
Maybe we all need to find out which Barbie doll we would be!
Having Only Dessert for Dinner
We know it’s unhealthy, but sometimes it’s fun to only have desserts for dinner.
You may feel bad later, but devouring desserts instead of a well-balanced meal at the time feels fantastic.
No one will know if you eat an entire bag of donut holes.
The Simple Pleasures of Life
In addition to guilty pleasures, life offers many simple pleasures as well.
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Heidi has been writing thank you notes for more than 30 years and is the author of A Modern Guide to Writing Thank-You Notes. Her goal is to help people write better thank-you notes by providing tips and examples.