We live in a society that has an interesting relationship with pleasure. Often, we bounce from pleasure deprivation to pleasure indulgence. We ignore or devalue microdoses of pleasure and get too caught up in our busy lives to infuse pleasurable moments throughout our days. We reserve pleasure until after the hard parts of life are “over”, we “deserve” a treat, or when pleasure is culturally sanctioned like a vacation or a birthday celebration. 

We’ve got pleasure all wrong. 

It is seen as something that we have to earn rather than a necessity for emotional regulation, stress reduction, meaningful relationship with self and others, sexual connection, and overall well-being.