Life is tough, so you deserve to reward yourself now and then. Contrary to popular belief, rewarding yourself is a positive habit to have.
A reward, no matter how insignificant, is a good incentive to keep going and feel satisfied with your success.
Rewards are different for all of us. For some people, that can be some online shopping that results in a new wardrobe, while for others it might be concert tickets, a lavish dinner, or skipping a workout.
It’s something you should do, regardless of how you like to treat yourself.
Importance Of Treating Yourself
Accepting the idea that rewarding yourself is important can be challenging, but doing so is a great way to perform self-care, and practice self-love and will be good for your mental health.
In terms of biology, rewards raise your brain’s dopamine levels. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that improves memory retention, promotes sleep, and controls our mood, appetite, and ability to feel pleased. Certain behaviors are reinforced as worthwhile by an increase in dopamine. Dopamine is addictive, and as our levels rise, we physically and psychologically yearn for that sensation to return.
We are more effective when we are happy—no need to be concerned about growing reliant on rewards as incentives. Your mind is conditioned to see the effort and hard work as a reward in and of itself.
One of the reasons people become addicted to video games or social media is due to dopamine rushes; our brains become overstimulated as a result of publishing images or completing objectives.
In these situations, overconsumption might be more harmful and lessen our desire to obtain dopamine from worthwhile activities like chores, exercise, social connections, or tangible objects.
We must make sure that our incentives are real and significant rather than pointless and ongoing.
The finest results come from devotion, which requires time and patience to establish new mental and physical patterns. It’s all about developing a new habit and long-term personal development when you reward yourself.
Why You Should Treat Yourself
More often than you would imagine, you need to treat yourself.
Many of us concentrate on our shortcomings, such as how much work remains or our difficulties in succeeding.
Even though receiving immediate gratification is fantastic, delayed gratification also has some merit. Resilience and tenacity are strengthened by delaying gratification, and the reward is greater once the task is accomplished. Anything you’ve been waiting for will seem more deserving in your eyes.
Even minor and infrequent victories deserve to be celebrated, and rewards should match the victory in significance.
Healthy Rewards To Try
After a job well done, there are several ways you can reward yourself. Here are some suggestions for healthy rewards to aid you:
1. Start reading that new book you’ve been meaning to read.
2. Take a nap or sleep in.
3. Watch an episode of your favorite show.
4. Visit your favorite restaurant for takeout or dine-in.
5. Take a hot shower or a bubble bath.
6. Spend time with the people you love.
7. Try a new workout or enroll in a new fitness class.
8. Attend a play, a museum exhibit, or a sporting event.
9. Take the day off if you can.
10. Watch Netflix or play some games.
11. Listen to some music or a good podcast.
12. Splurge (within reason).
13. Take a quick trip to your favorite coffee shop.
14. All day, read a book.
15. Hot bath with a book and salts and candles.
16. Run a 5K, even if you walk, you’ll feel so accomplished.
17. Perform an act of kindness, maybe volunteer someplace to get a service high.
18. Get a new cookbook, then cook through it.
19. Take a virtual global tour through food by sampling cuisine from all across the world, bonus points if you make it at home.
20. Go apple, berry, or other fruit picking at a nearby farm.
21. Get the pricy olive oil and actually use it.
22. Take yourself on a solo picnic date.
23. Create a delicious fancy dessert.
24. Get that pricey artisan dark chocolate bar you’ve been hankering after.
25. Visit the animal shelter and pet all the animals, or walk your dog.
26. Go on a hike or a nature walk.
27. Take up coloring, or maybe even try reverse coloring. It will relax you so much.
28. Visit your favorite candle stores, then buy your favorite candle.
29. Plant something lovely in your garden.
30. Be a tourist in your own city.
31. Put on a face mask, I like these DIY face masks for when I’m trying to be frugal.
32. Organize a cheese, wine, and chocolate tasting.
33. Get that fancy juicer or espresso maker you’ve always wanted.
34. Buy yourself some flowers.
35. Go on a lunch date with your girlfriends.
36. Host a fancy tea party.
37. Buy yourself a new, nice bra that actually fits.
38. Buy yourself new workout clothes, this is a double reward because you’ll have an incentive to work out.
39. Get your hair done…get a cut or maybe some new color.
40. Buy something you’ve saved on your Pinterest board.
Keep in mind that there are other rewards you can receive, such as weight loss or notoriety, rewards don’t have to be tangible.
Benefits Of Rewarding Yourself
Never undervalue the power of self-reward. When you receive affirmation frequently, your confidence will increase, and you’ll feel more proud of and enthusiastic about your work.
In addition to the increase in dopamine levels, rewards also have the following advantages:
Reduces Procrastination
When you reward yourself, you’ll be motivated to accomplish a task you’ve been working on for what feels like an eternity if you know how good it will feel when you eventually finish it.
Less Prone To Getting Distracted
When ending your work day means you have time to take a hot bath and apply a face mask, why would you pick up your phone and scroll through Instagram?
When accomplishing your tasks at hand, you can keep your attention on track by concentrating on what you want—your reward.
You’ll Feel More Accomplished
Completing your to-do list is an addictive habit that will help you get through the workweek.
Hopefully, finishing your task will be just as satisfying as achieving your current goal, and will feel even more like a reward than the actual reward.
Builds Independence
An important step toward achieving emotional independence is rewarding yourself.
You become self-dependent when you stop relying on outside factors for any form of inspiration, incentive, or reward. Rewarding yourself—helps you become self-sufficient and self-reliant.
Develops Positive Thinking
Positive thinking has many benefits, which cannot be overstated.
Positive thinking is a set of thoughts that assume you are the center of your existence. These optimistic ideas are concerned for you and anything that you can claim as your own.
Appositive self-image is thus a crucial component of it. Congratulating yourself promotes the growth of a positive self-image.
Goal Setting And Better Time Management
You can reward yourself when you reach your short- or long-term goals by setting them.
When you are aware of a reward at the end of a task, you are more likely to feel pressured to complete it right away. So, it is okay to reward yourself occasionally.