Cookie Monster Is 2019’s Unofficial Self-Care Mascot

updated May 30, 2019

Page URL

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

(Image credit: Father’s Day – Season 47 of Sesame Street – Richard Termine)

Until late last year you might have thought that you left Sesame Street in your childhood. Then, like a beacon of hope in the dark world, an unlikely hero emerged from the shadows (of Twitter) with some much-needed insight to help make your day feel a little more manageable: Cookie Monster. Yes, that big furry blue creature with a cookie fixation is now handing out reminders that it’s not just okay, but healthy even, to take a break, relax, and treat yourself.

It all started on December 7, when Cookie Monster tweeted “Today canceled. Me staying in bed and eating cookies.” Twitter took it not as a joke but a piece of very serious advice, an honest reflection of what everyone seems to be feeling these days. The news cycle is brutal! We are all so tired! Can’t we just collectively take the day off? That it turned out to be Cookie Monster expressing this sentiment made the situation just absurd enough to feel authentic. It was one of those “funny, but sad, but true,” moments.

Then earlier this month, Cookie Monster unleashed another nugget of wisdom, this time focused on his New Year’s resolutions. He wrote “When me need little love, me going to give meself cookie.” Just yesterday he tweeted, “Me don’t know who needs to hear dis, but go eat cookie.”

Now usually, New Year’s is all about people resolving to lose weight, get to the gym, or try a new diet. We tend to put so much pressure on ourselves to perform that resolutions cause more stress than actual benefits. What if in 2019 we listened to Cookie Monster, rather than that voice in the back our minds that tells us we aren’t good enough? We can be kinder to ourselves this year, eat the food we like without feeling guilty about it, and take time for ourselves and our needs — especially when we’re feeling burnt out.

Yes, I know Cookie Monster is a character made for a kid’s show and that the message really isn’t always that deep. But Cookie Monster’s tweets are also a good reminder that practicing self-love isn’t selfish. You should always feel free to take a step back from the stressful moments in your life, and enjoy life’s simple pleasures. You know, like a cookie.